Argentina national team captain Lionel Messi reacted after the 1-1 draw against Venezuela on a pitch that did not allow them to play the way they would have liked.

"The field didn't help us do what we wanted to do. We hadn't prepared for a match like this, but we did feel ready to compete for the second ball and look for the opponent's mistakes," said the number 10 after the match.

He also talked about his return after missing a long period of play due to an ankle injury suffered in the last final they played in the Copa América against Colombia.

"I'm happy to have continuity and to be back here. The truth is it was very difficult to play like this; the game was very ugly and very tangled," he added. "The wait to get back on the field was long; it was a lot of time away, missing matches with the club. But I'm happy to have returned."