The Argentine national team has spent the entire week preparing for their match against Venezuela, which will take place this Thursday at 4 p.m. ET in Maturín. Despite productive training sessions, during which Lionel Scaloni tested some tactical options, the team's attention has shifted to a concern beyond the field: Hurricane Milton, which has reached Category 5 with winds up to 165 mph and is keeping all of Florida on high alert.

The flight to Colombia, which will be a technical stop due to the inability to fly directly to Venezuela, is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Miami. Lionel Messi and his teammates are counting down the hours until departure, hoping that weather conditions will allow them to board the plane without any issues, so they can play the match as scheduled.

So far, according to reports close to the Albiceleste and shared by Argentine media, there have been no reports of storms or strong winds, only cloudy skies. However, they are well aware that conditions can change in a matter of minutes. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has indicated that "the storm area with tropical storm-force winds has expanded from about 80 miles to 140 miles from its center" and expects Hurricane Milton, which is currently moving over water, "to make landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane somewhere along the central Gulf coast of Florida."

If this forecast holds, the Argentine team will be able to fly to Colombia without any issues and then proceed to Venezuela, where they will face Fernando "Bocha" Batista's Vinotinto on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

Although the county has declared a state of emergency, Miami is not expected to be one of the most affected areas. In Sarasota and Tampa, citizens continue to be evacuated in anticipation of a direct hit and a potential natural disaster. "If you decide to stay, you will die," warned Tampa Mayor Jane Castor ahead of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Milton.

What Lionel Scaloni Said About Hurricane Milton

"We had requested to travel today, but were denied because of the hurricane, so the flight will be on Wednesday," the World Cup-winning coach told reporters during a press conference.

"It would be almost impossible to leave on Thursday," Scaloni explained when asked about the possibility that the delegation might not be able to depart on Wednesday either.

"It’s out of our hands. The most important thing is the safety of the people. You can’t isolate yourself from what’s happening outside; for everyone's health, they are protected by leaving their homes. It’s something new, different for us, something we’re not used to. We are on alert. Hopefully, it will just be something passing," he added.