Lionel Messi blamed the conditions of the pitch Estadio Monumental de Maturín for Argentina's "ugly' 1-1 draw against Venezuela on Thursday night in their first World Cup qualifier of the October international window.

On the same day, Hurricane Milton escalated into a Category 5 storm, casting doubt over the travel plans of Lionel Scaloni's team and the safety of the Argentina players. As thousands of Floridians evacuated their homes, La Albiceleste had to plot their own way out before Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm.