Argentina faced Venezuela in the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American Qualifiers. In the first half, Messi scored to open the scoring; in the second half, Lautaro Martínez came on as a substitute and found the net, and Messi scored again to complete his brace. Shortly before the final whistle, one of Messi's goals was ruled out for offside. With goals from Messi and Lautaro, Argentina defeated Venezuela 3-0.