Argentina Clash with Venezuela: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed for High-Stakes Friendly

Argentina will meet Venezuela for their second encounter in just over a month when they clash in Friday's international friendly against their South American rivals in Miami Gardens.

La Albiceleste delivered a dominant 3–0 victory in September's 2026 World Cup qualifier, with Lionel Messi scoring twice in what was his last home appearance for Argentina. The reigning world champions had already secured their spot in next summer's tournament after dominating their opponents throughout CONMEBOL's qualifying campaign.

Argentina's qualifying journey concluded on a disappointing note with a loss to Ecuador, but Lionel Scaloni will hardly be concerned about such a meaningless result. The focus now shifts to gathering the squad and stepping up preparations for defending their title in North America.

A friendly against Venezuela should provide Argentina with a straightforward path back to victory, given Oswaldo Vizcarrondo's team's poor recent form. They missed out on qualifying for their maiden World Cup appearance after finishing eighth and have suffered defeat in six of their previous eight fixtures, allowing 20 goals during that stretch.

Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of this South American encounter taking place in the United States.

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Argentina vs. Venezuela Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

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Argentina Team News

Scaloni has called up the familiar star players for October's matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, with Messi having the chance to earn his 186th senior Argentina cap on Friday, assuming he doesn't feature for Inter Miami in their upcoming clash with Atlanta United instead.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient is accompanied by players such as Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Alvarez and Enzo Fernández—the latter rejoining the squad after being absent from September's internationals due to suspension.

Bournemouth defensive pair Marcos Senesi and Julio Soler are unexpected additions, but Real Madrid prospect Franco Mastantuono's inclusion is hardly surprising. The 18-year-old has already featured three times for the senior team and should receive additional playing time during the October international window.

Thiago Almada is currently dealing with an injury concern and may be unavailable for Friday's match.

Argentina Predicted Lineup vs. Venezuela

Argentina predicted lineup vs. Venezuela (4-4-2): E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Mastantuono, De Paul, Fernández, González; L. Martínez, Alvarez.

Venezuela Team News

Salomón Rondón and Tomás Rincón have been excluded from Venezuela's October roster, depriving them of 251 caps of combined experience for encounters with Argentina and Belize.

Messi's Inter Miami teammate Telasco Segovia has been selected, though, and is expected to play against Argentina. Eight other MLS players are included, featuring Austin FC's Daniel Pereira, Portland Timbers' Kevin Kelsy and FC Cincinnati's Ender Echenique.

Venezuela Predicted Lineup vs. Argentina

Venezuela predicted lineup vs. Argentina (5-4-1): Graterol; Aramburu, Ferraresi, Vivas, Balbo, Rivas; Echenique, Cásseres, Andrade, Segovia; Kelsy.

Argentina vs. Venezuela Score Prediction

Argentina claimed a comfortable 3–0 triumph over Venezuela last month and may be set to duplicate that result at Hard Rock Stadium. La Albiceleste possess an abundance of talent that will likely prove overwhelming for a Venezuelan squad lacking veteran leadership.

Even without Messi's participation due to his club obligations, Argentina should cruise to another victory against their South American counterparts.

Prediction: Argentina 3–0 Venezuela