The anticipated international friendly between reigning World Cup champions Argentina and Venezuela at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is confirmed for Friday, October 10, 2025, (with a late-night/early-morning kick-off of 1:00 AM BST on Saturday, October 11 for European and other audiences).
Reports citing a Saturday 6:00 AM kick-off time appear to be incorrect based on multiple official sources and news outlets confirming the match is a Friday night (8 PM local time) event.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has indicated he will not risk players who are not fully fit, raising speculation about the playing time for captain Lionel Messi, especially with Inter Miami having a key MLS match on Saturday. Scaloni stated he is using the friendly to "see new players" and "test different options."
The match is part of Argentina's preparation for their World Cup title defense, having already secured top spot in the CONMEBOL qualifiers. Venezuela, who recently failed to qualify for the World Cup and subsequently sacked their coach, will be looking to start a new era under interim manager Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, fielding a youthful squad missing experienced names like Salomón Rondón and Tomás Rincón.
Argentina is heavily favored, having beaten Venezuela 3-0 in their recent September World Cup qualifier and holding a dominant historical record against them.This friendly precedes Argentina's other scheduled match against Puerto Rico, which was recently moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale's Chase Stadium due to ongoing immigration-related unrest in Chicago.
Argentina Probable Playing XI: Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Christian Romero, Marcos Senesi, Nicolas Gonzalez; Alexis Mac-Alistair, Leandro Paredes, Inzo Fernandez/Giovanni Lo Celso; Nicolas Paz, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
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