Lionel Messi and Argentina Suffer Close Call with Hurricane Milton

Lionel Messi and Argentina sit atop the standings for the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers, but the October international window has brought unexpected adversity to the reigning World Cup champions.

The Argentinian National Team convened in the United States to prepare for its World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia. Team training began on Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hosted by Messi's club team, Inter Miami CF.

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.

The team departed South Florida on Wednesday afternoon, escaping just a few hours before the storm made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida at 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday night. Hurricane Milton was not the only obstacle in Argentina's travel plans, however.

Typically, the team arrives to the location of a match two days before. The decision to train at Messi's home base in the United States meant that this was not possible. The U.S. Department of State's Do Not Travel advisory does not allow for direct flights to Venezuela, where Argentina's first match kicks off Thursday at 5 p.m. ET.

Instead, Messi & Co. had a layover in Colombia before arriving in Maturin, Venezuela approximately 24 hours before the match. National team manager Lionel Scaloni expressed his frustration with their altered travel plans in a press conference on Tuesday.

“It will be difficult for us," Scaloni told reporters. "We will arrive just one day before the game... These are things that do not depend on us. We have had bad luck with this situation. But the most important thing is the safety and health for the players and the rest of us.”

According to USA Today , Messi is expected to start for Argentina against Venezuela. It would be his first international appearance since injuring his ankle in the final of Copa America 2024 against Colombia in July.

He hit the ground running with Inter Miami since his return from injury, scoring four goals in five matches to help his club team claim the MLS Supporters’ Shield.

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