2025.09.20 – Lionel Messi, Argentina, and Venezuela in World Cup Qualifiers

Posted byLeonardo Tomás CardilloPosted inUncategorized

Key Findings

Argentina played two key World Cup Qualifier matches in September 2025. On 2025-09-04, Argentina defeated Venezuela 3–0 in Buenos Aires, where Lionel Messi scored two goals. Five days later, on 2025-09-09, Argentina lost 1–0 against Ecuador in Quito. These matches mark, respectively, Messi’s most recent official game in Argentina and his most recent official match overall. The claim circulating online that the Venezuela match was his “last official match in Argentina” is misleading, as Messi remains active in official competition. Both Buenos Aires and Quito, the host cities, are major South American capitals separated by approximately 4,300 km (2,670 miles) by air.

Confirmed Facts

  1. A video circulating online featured a caption in Spanish stating: “Último partido oficial de Messi en Argentina” (translated from original: “Last official match of Messi in Argentina”). This description was linked to footage of the Argentina national team. It was presented in a social media context and accumulated over 117,000 likes and more than 5,000 shares at the time of capture. The framing suggested finality, but no supporting evidence of retirement or cessation of play was included.
  2. Lionel Messi continues to play official matches for the Argentina national football team. He has not retired from international football. Reports confirm that he participated in South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in September 2025. Claims in the circulated video asserting that he had played his final official match in Argentina remain unsubstantiated and are contradicted by subsequent events.
  3. On 2025-09-04, Argentina hosted Venezuela in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Argentina won 3–0, and Messi scored twice. Buenos Aires lies on the eastern coast of South America, bordering the Río de la Plata, and is the largest city in Argentina. Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, is located approximately 5,100 km (3,170 miles) to the north, with typical direct flights lasting about 7 hours.
  4. On 2025-09-09, Argentina faced Ecuador in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Ecuador won 1–0. Quito is located in the northern Andes at an altitude of about 2,850 meters. The city lies about 4,300 km (2,670 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires by air travel, requiring approximately 6 hours of direct flight time. These details establish the chronological and geographic scope of Argentina’s September 2025 qualifiers.
  5. ESPN and Reuters both reported on the Argentina–Venezuela match, including Messi’s two goals. A separate record on Wikipedia lists the Ecuador–Argentina match result of 1–0 on 2025-09-09. The presence of these independent reports confirms the factual record of the games. The Venezuelan match is therefore Messi’s latest official match in Argentina, while the Ecuadorian match is his most recent official game overall.
  6. The contradiction between the viral social media caption and the verified schedule remains unresolved in public discourse. The social post implied that the Venezuela game was Messi’s last-ever official appearance in Argentina, while reputable sources clarify that Messi remains an active international player. Thus, the viral claim can be categorized as misleading.

Sources

Published by Leonardo Tomás Cardillo

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardocardillo

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