Argentina’s national team will face Venezuela this Thursday in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. While Lionel Messi will be available for selection, coach Lionel Scaloni continues to receive bad news with the loss of several key players.
By Alejandro Lopez Vega
By Alejandro Lopez Vega
With six wins from eight games, Argentina sits atop the South American World Cup qualifiers, edging closer to securing their spot in the 2026 tournament. While head coach Lionel Scaloni can count on Lionel Messi for the upcoming matches against Venezuela and Bolivia, he faces a growing challenge: a mounting list of unavailable players.
The latest setback comes in the form of Valentin Carboni, who sustained a left knee injury during training on Wednesday in Miami. After evaluation by the national team’s medical staff, Carboni was ruled out of the squad.
The Olympique Marseille attacking midfielder was seen as an option for Scaloni during this international break, especially given that several other players with similar profiles had already been sidelined due to injuries—most notably Nicolás Gonzalez, Paulo Dybala, and Alejandro Garnacho.
Valentin Carboni becomes the eighth player unavailable for Argentina’s clash against Venezuela. In addition to Gonzalez, Dybala, and Garnacho, Emiliano Martinez, Marcos Acuña, Cristian Romero, and Alexis Mac Allister are also absent.
Lionel Scaloni during Argentina-Chile match for 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Martinez is serving a two-match suspension imposed by FIFA for inappropriate conduct—stemming from his post-match gestures following Argentina’s victory over Chile on September 5 and an altercation with a cameraman after the defeat to Colombia on September 10.
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Acuña was forced to withdraw after suffering a muscle strain during River Plate’s match against Platense last weekend. As for Romero and Mac Allister, their situations are less severe. The Tottenham defender will serve a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation but will be available for the Bolivia fixture, while Mac Allister, dealing with a minor muscle issue, is being rested for Thursday’s match.
Amid the mounting injury concerns, there is good news for Lionel Scaloni: Lionel Messi is fully fit after recovering from the ankle injury he sustained in the Copa America final. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to start against Venezuela, though the question remains whether he will be partnered by Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, or potentially both, as Scaloni weighs his attacking options.
Alejandro Lopez Vega is a seasoned sports journalist who joined Bolavip US in October 2024. With more than thirteen years of experience in news writing, sports analysis, and event coverage, he specializes in soccer and basketball. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Alejandro has worked with various media outlets in Rosario, Argentina, such as Radio La Red and Radio Mitre. He has also been part of the Communication and Press Department for the soccer teams Newell's Old Boys and Central Córdoba. In addition to his journalism career, Alejandro is a lawyer, having graduated from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, which brings a unique legal perspective to his sports analysis, going beyond the athletic aspects of events.
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