Messi's Argentina held 1-1 by Venezuela in South American World Cup qualifying

SAO PAULO -- Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a South American World Cup qualifying match Thursday that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin.

Argentina, which leads the 10-team round-robin competition, now has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia.

The two results momentarily put Brazil out of automatic World Cup berths, in seventh place with 10 points. The Brazilians will face Chile in Santiago later on Thursday.

Argentina's lead in the competition could be reduced on Friday if Uruguay, with 15 points, wins at Peru.

Defender Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 13th minute. He pushed the ball to the empty net after a cross by Messi and a mistake by goalkeeper Rafael Romo. Salomón Rondón equalized in the 65th minute with a header for the only South American team that has yet to play in a World Cup.

“The pitch did not help us do what we wanted to do," Messi said. He returned to the national team after missing the two previous rounds of South American qualifying due to ligament damage in his right ankle.

Venezuela defender Jon Aramburu said his team wanted a win to show its ambition.

“The rain affected the match, we couldn't play well,” he said. “We drew against a team that everyone knows of its potential. But this team is here to beat them, to compete.”

Venezuela's next match will be at Paraguay on Tuesday, the same day that Argentina will host Bolivia.

Colombia, the last unbeaten team in South American qualifying, was shocked at Bolivia in the Municipal Stadium in the city of El Alto, more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. Bolivia moved into fifth place with 12 points after its first win in 21 years against the Colombians.

Miguel Terceros, also known as Miguelito, scored the winning goal for Bolivia in the 58th minute with a powerful shot after dribbling through two defenders.

Bolivia had lost Héctor Cuellar to a straight red card in the 21st minute after a gruesome tackle that forced the substitution of striker Roger Martinez, but the team remained competitive until the end of the match in its high-altitude stadium.

“We are a young team that wants to change history," Terceros said. “Now we will travel to Argentina thinking about winning.”

Bolivia hasn't qualified for a World Cup edition since the 1994 edition in the United States.

Colombia's next rivall will be Chile, who will face Brazil later on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, Ecuador and Paraguay drew 0-0.

The Ecuadorians are in fourth place with 12 points and ahead of Bolivia on goal difference. Paraguay remains out of an automatic qualifying spot with 10 points.

The top six teams in the round-robin competition will secure automatic berths at the 2026 World Cup.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer