Lionel Messi watched from the stands at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, as Argentina narrowly defeated South American team Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly match.
The 38-year-old was in doubt before kick-off, with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni insisting he would “take no risks at all”.
The Argentine captain certainly played no role in the match, which was decided by a goal from former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso just after the half-hour mark.
Despite the result, the world champions, who have already secured a place in the 2026 World Cup finals, were largely in control throughout.
Scaloni backed his decision to rest Messi, saying he hoped the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would participate next week in a friendly match against Puerto Rico in Fort Lauderdale.
“The decision not to play Leo (Messi) was my decision,” Scaloni said.
“We wanted to test Lautaro (Martinez) and Julian (Alvarez), but we had Flaco (Lopez) on the bench, but he could not participate and will play in the next match. Let’s hope Leo can play in the next match.”
The Argentine coach also highlighted the benefits of playing with a “difficult” team like Venezuela, adding that it was a good experience for his team as they look forward to defending their title next summer.
Scaloni said: “The test will help us a lot. All competitors are difficult, and the most important thing is knowing that they are playing with us 100%.”
“There is no easy opponent. We won, but that’s not the important thing, we wanted to see how the team performed and get some minutes.
“It is necessary to start with a strong defense because we have players up front who can do damage.”
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