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Lionel Messi and the Argentine National Football Team departed from South Florida on Wednesday afternoon, a day before a match in Venezuela and ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall in the state. 

Argentina trained in Fort Lauderdale at the facility of Messi’s Major League Soccer club, Inter Miami, this week ahead of two qualifying games for the 2026 World Cup. Those plans were made due to travel restrictions by the Venezuelan government, and before the threat of Milton — a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. 

The team is unable to fly from Argentina and the United States directly to Venezuela. So, the reigning World Cup champions departed Miami and have a layover in Barranquilla, Colombia before arriving in Maturín, Venezuela. 

Messi and Argentina will face Venezuela on Thursday at the Monumental Stadium of Maturin at 5 p.m. ET. The second match is Tuesday in Argentina against Bolivia at 8 p.m. ET. 

Argentina previously trained at Inter Miami’s facility earlier this year before their Copa America run, and before their World Cup title run in September of 2022. Coach Lionel Scaloni expressed concern about Milton’s effect on travel plans, wanting to leave two days before the match instead of one. 

“It will be difficult for us. We will arrive just one day before the game. We have to make a stop because they are not allowing flights from American soil directly to Venezuela,” Scaloni told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. “These are things that do not depend on us. We have had bad luck with this situation. But the most important thing is the safety and health for the players and the rest of us.” 

Messi is expected to be in the starting lineup against Venezuela. It will be his first match with the national team since injuring his right ankle in the Copa America final against Columbia on July 14. He missed qualifiers against Chile and Colombia last month, while making his return to the pitch for Inter Miami on Sept. 14. 

Messi has played in five games since his injury return, scoring four goals and helping Inter Miami secure the MLS Supporters’ Shield. The regular-season award marked Messi's 46th title for club and country in his legendary career. 

“Messi is fine. He played several games for his team in recent weeks, after not being in the last call-up, which was what we had agreed because he needed to recover and get more minutes,” Scaloni said. “Leo is training with the squad and is ready to be part of the team to play against Venezuela, who will be a great rival.”

Argentina beat Chile 3-0 Sept. 6, but lost 2-1 to Colombia on Sept. 10 in a rematch of the Copa America final. It was just the fourth loss by Argentina in its last 65 matches, the others coming against Brazil in the Copa America 2019 semifinal, Saudi Arabia in the 2022 World Cup opener and Uruguay in World Cup qualifying last November.

Argentina is in first place with 18 points in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings among South American teams.

Messi will return to South Florida for Inter Miami’s regular-season finale on Oct. 19. The MLS Cup Playoffs begin Oct. 25.