Match Overview
The 17th round fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament will see the national teams of Argentina and Venezuela clash on September 5 at the “Monumental” stadium in Buenos Aires. This comprehensive preview offers a forecast and betting tips, along with key statistics for the Argentina vs Venezuela encounter.
Argentina’s Campaign Status
The Argentina national team has already secured its place in the 2026 World Cup, well in advance of the qualifying rounds concluding. Despite lacking direct tournament motivation, the Argentinians demonstrated their prowess in June by defeating Chile 1-0 away and drawing 1-1 with Colombia on home soil. Lionel Scaloni’s squad boasts an impressive unbeaten streak of five matches in the World Cup qualifiers, comprising four victories and one draw. Argentina leads the continental qualifying group with the highest number of goals scored, tallying 28. Their first-place position in the South American group is now unassailable.
- Fewer than three goals were scored in four of Argentina’s last five World Cup qualification matches.
- At home in the World Cup qualifiers, the team has remained undefeated in five consecutive matches, recording four wins and one draw.
- Argentina has kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 14 home qualifying encounters for the World Cup.
Argentina’s Projected Lineup (4-3-3)
Emiliano Martinez – Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Facundo Medina, Nicolas Otamendi – Exequiel Palacios, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes – Thiago Almada, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez will be unavailable for this match due to suspension.
Venezuela’s Qualification Hopes
In June, the Venezuelan national team achieved a crucial 2-0 home victory against Bolivia. This triumph sets the stage for a tight battle over the remaining two rounds for seventh place, which would grant them a playoff berth for the 2026 World Cup. An opportunity to create a larger gap from their closest competitor (currently only one point) was missed when Fernando Batista’s side suffered a 0-2 away defeat to Uruguay in their previous game.
- Venezuela has managed only two wins in their last 12 South American World Cup qualification matches, alongside five draws and five losses.
- The team has found the net in seven of their last eight World Cup qualification games.
- Venezuela has failed to secure a victory in 17 consecutive away matches in World Cup qualifiers, with two draws and 15 defeats.
Venezuela’s Projected Lineup (4-4-2)
Rafael Romo – Wilker Angel, Miguel Navarro, Nahuel Ferraresi, Jon Aramburu – Yeferson Soteldo, Cristian Casseres, Jose Andres Martinez, Daniel Pereira – Salomon Rondon, David Martinez.
Match Official
Piero Maza (Chile)
Matches officiated (International, 2024–2025): 25;
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows): 128;
Average yellow cards per match: 5.1;
Red cards shown: 4;
Average fouls per match: 23;
Penalties awarded: 24%.
Argentina vs Venezuela: Betting Prediction
In this upcoming fixture, the primary tournament motivation rests solely with the visiting team. Argentina’s position at the top of the South American qualifiers is untouchable, boasting a commanding ten-point lead over their closest rivals. For Venezuela, however, the remaining two matches are immensely significant. Their primary objective is to earn at least as many points as Bolivia. Additionally, there’s a slim chance to contend for the sixth-place spot, which would guarantee direct World Cup qualification, though this would necessitate defeating Argentina and relying on Colombia dropping points.
Venezuela is expected to adopt a highly defensive approach throughout the match, as this offers their best chance of securing even a single point. Engaging Argentina in an open, attacking style would be ill-advised, especially given Venezuela’s struggles on the road. It’s worth noting that in seven of their last eight away World Cup qualifiers, Venezuela has avoided a heavy defeat. Furthermore, in their last six official head-to-head encounters, Venezuela has only lost by more than two goals on one occasion.
My prediction for this match is: “Venezuela Asian Handicap (+2)”
Author: Олександр Олексенко
Mark Thompson