Venezuela_national_football_team

Venezuela national football team

Venezuela national football team

Men's national association football team representing Venezuela

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Venezuela women's national football team.

The Venezuela national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Venezuela) represents Venezuela in men's international football and is controlled by the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF), the governing body for football in Venezuela. They are nicknamed La Vinotinto ("The Wine-Red"). When playing at home in official games, they usually rotate between three stadiums: The Polideportivo Cachamay in Puerto Ordaz, the Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui in Puerto La Cruz and the Estadio Pueblo Nuevo in San Cristóbal. In friendly matches, they tend to rotate between the rest of the stadiums in the country.

Quick Facts Nickname(s), Association ...

Unlike other South American nations, and akin to some Caribbean nations, baseball is extremely popular in Venezuela, which diverts athletic talent away from football, contributing to its historic lack of success in CONMEBOL competitions. As of 2022, they are the only CONMEBOL side to have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Often Venezuela would go through entire qualification tournaments without recording a single win, although this has not happened since 1998. Until 2011, their best finish at the Copa América was fifth in their first entry, in 1967. It is only recently with the spread of the World Cup's popularity in nations where football was not the primary sport (such as Japan, the United States, and Australia) that the national team found incentives to increase player development and fan support. As of December 2019, Venezuela has the highest position on the FIFA World Ranking of any team that has not yet qualified for the World Cup, being ranked 25th.[3]

History

Backstory

Venezuela did not participate in FIFA World Cup qualification until the 1966 qualifiers in which they were drawn with Uruguay and Peru, but failed to register a point in four games. In the 1970 qualifiers they managed to register a point, and after withdrawing from the 1974 series, repeated that in the 1978 qualifiers. The 1982 qualifiers saw them register their first win, over Bolivia. They wouldn't register another World Cup qualifying win until the 1994 series when they defeated Ecuador. A highlight of the 1998 qualifiers was goalkeeper Rafael Dudamel scoring against Argentina in a 5–2 defeat.

Despite poor results during the 1960s and 1970s, outstanding players like Luis Mendoza and Rafael Santana achieved recognition. Venezuela at that time also managed to qualify for the 1980 Summer Olympics, it first-ever major international football competition Venezuela participated in.

Richard Páez era

After José Omar Pastoriza's resignation during the 2002 World Cup qualifyings, Richard Páez took the technical direction of the national team. Finishing this process, Venezuela achieved 4 victories in a row against Uruguay, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay; winning more than 1 game in row, their first away game and not finishing in the last place for the first time in their World Cup qualifying history.

However, the team failed to qualify for both the 2002, and 2006 World Cups, gaining 16 and 18 points respectively. After this, the team advanced to the second round Copa America 2007 in Venezuela, is the first time they could reach it on this competition.

In November 2007, Páez resigned after discrepancies with media and supporters.[4]

César Farías era

With a new coach César Farías, Venezuela national team improved their performances. At the beginning of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Venezuela won its first game in World Cup qualifying against long unbeaten Ecuador in Quito. Something similar happened to Bolivia in La Paz, where Venezuela won for the first time at Bolivian altitude. Also, they received their first point against Brazil in qualifying. Despite not ultimately reaching the 2010, Venezuela achieved its best result in qualifying. They finished this round with 22 points in 18 matches, surpassing Peru and Bolivia for eighth place in the region.

On 6 June 2008, Venezuela achieved its first-ever triumph over Brazil, defeating the Seleção 2–0 in a friendly match in Boston, United States. Venezuela obtained excellent results in the 2011 Copa América when they finished fourth, their highest finish in the tournament to date. With a squad composed mostly of players playing in Europe, they began 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification with a historic result (1–0) against Argentina in Puerto La Cruz, beating the Argentines for the first time.

Noel Sanvicente era

Match between Galicia (in white) and Venezuela (in burgundy).

On 4 September 2014, Noel Sanvicente was made coach of the Venezuela national team.[5] On 5 September 2014, the team lost its first match with Sanvicente under the helm 3–1 against South Korea in Bucheon.[6]

Sanvicente's first tournament came in the 2015 Copa América, with Venezuela drawn in Group C of the competition. Their opening game finished with an upset victory over tournament favorites Colombia by 1–0, but subsequent defeats to Peru and Brazil saw La Vinotinto eliminated.[citation needed]

Venezuela began the World Cup qualification campaign with a 1–0 defeat against Paraguay at home, and would not earn their first point until their match against Peru, a 2–2 draw in Lima where Venezuela led until the last minute of stoppage time. Their match with Chile ended in a disappointing 4–1 defeat, Sanvicente announced his resignation a week later after mutual consent with the FVF. At the time of Sanvicente's departure, Venezuela was last in the qualification standings with a sole point, and was unofficially eliminated.

Rafael Dudamel era

Sanvicente was replaced by former Vinotinto goalkeeper Rafael Dudamel, who decided to revamp the entire national team, by injecting the team with the promising young generation of Venezuelan players that finished second at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup that was dubbed as the country's first-ever football Golden Generation.[7] Under his coaching, La Vinotinto quickly improved and reached the quarterfinals in the Copa América Centenario, with two 1–0 wins over Jamaica and Uruguay and a 1–1 draw against Mexico in the group stage and then a 4–1 defeat to Argentina in the quarter-finals. In the 7th matchday of the 2018 World Cup qualifier, Venezuela lost to Colombia 2–0 in Barranquilla, the first loss against Los Cafeteros since 2009. Later, on matchday 11, Venezuela won for the first time in the qualifier, 5–0 over Bolivia in Maturín with a hat-trick from Josef Martínez and goals from Jacobo Kouffati and Rómulo Otero.

On 2 January 2020, Dudamel resigned from the national team.

Copa América history

Venezuela first participated at the Copa América in 1967, and finished fifth after defeating Bolivia 3–0 with a side containing Mendoza and Santana. The 1975 tournament saw Venezuela drawn in a group with Brazil and Argentina, and finished bottom with an 11–0 defeat to Argentina. In the 1979 edition, which would be the international swansong for Mendoza and Santana, they drew 0–0 with Colombia and 1–1 with Chile. A highlight of the 1989 tournament was midfielder Carlos Maldonado's four goals. In the 1993 series, Venezuela drew with Uruguay and the United States.

The team's overall Copa América record has been relatively poor (goal difference 33–145 before the 2011 Copa América), but the "Auge Vinotinto" (Vinotinto Rise) period in the early 2000s (decade) brought increased attention to the sport in the country, which in turn brought increased support from both government and private institutions. Said support contributed greatly to the "Vinotinto's" rise in quality. In 2007, during the Copa América held in Venezuela, the team progressed to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history after finishing first in a group containing Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Venezuela's 2–0 victory over Peru during the competition was its first Copa América victory since 1967.

2011 Copa América

At the 2011 Copa América championship, Venezuela reached the semi-finals round for the first time by defeating Chile in the quarter-final, 2–1. Despite their commanding presence against Paraguay in their semifinal, Venezuela was unable to convert their chances into goals. They would eventually lose 5–3 to Paraguay in a penalty shootout after remaining scoreless in normal and extra time. Venezuela and Peru played for third place at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, where Venezuela would suffer their biggest loss of the tournament, losing 4–1 to Peru and falling into fourth place overall. Nonetheless, it was their best-ever finish at the competition.

Group B:

Main article: 2011 Copa América Group B
More information Team, Pld ...

Results:

3 July 2011 Group stages Brazil  0–0  Venezuela La Plata, Argentina
16:00 UTC-3 Report Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
Referee: Raúl Orosco (Bolivia)
9 July 2011 Group stages Venezuela  1–0  Ecuador Salta, Argentina
18:30 UTC-3 C. González 61' Report Stadium: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena
Referee: Wálter Quesada (Costa Rica)
13 July 2011 Group stages Paraguay  3–3  Venezuela Salta, Argentina
19:15 UTC-3 Alcaraz 32'
Barrios 62'
Riveros 85'		 Report Rondón 5'
Miku 89'
Perozo 90+2'		 Stadium: Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena
Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile)
17 July 2011 Quarterfinals Chile  1–2  Venezuela San Juan, Argentina
19:15 UTC-3 Suazo 69' Report Vizcarrondo 34'
Cichero 80'		 Stadium: Estadio del Bicentenario
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
20 July 2011 Semifinals Venezuela  0–0
(3–5 p)		  Paraguay Mendoza, Argentina
21:45 UTC-3 Report Stadium: Estadio Malvinas Argentinas
Referee: Francisco Chacón (Mexico)
Penalties
Maldonado soccer ball with check mark
Rey soccer ball with check mark
Lucena soccer ball with red X
Miku soccer ball with check mark		 soccer ball with check mark Ortigoza
soccer ball with check mark Barrios
soccer ball with check mark Riveros
soccer ball with check mark Martínez
soccer ball with check mark Verón
23 July 2011 Third-place match Peru  4–1  Venezuela La Plata, Argentina
16:00 UTC-3 Chiroque 41'
Guerrero 63', 89', 90+2'		 Report Arango 77' Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)

Team image

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Venezuela national football team kits.

Venezuela made its international debut in the Central American and Caribbean Games held in Panama in 1938, wearing the vinotinto (burgundy) color. The burgundy color originated from the uniform of the Venezuelan National Guard.[8] In the 1967 Copa América Venezuela also wore the Peñarol shirt v Chile to avoid colors clash, as Venezuela had arrived in the Estadio Centenario (Peñarol's frequent venue) with no alternate shirts.[9]

In 1993, a vertical band with the colors of the National flag was added to the left side of the jersey, which changed its colors to a more traditional red tone. This lasted until 1996 when Venezuela returned to the vinotinto tone.[10]

In 1998 Venezuela adopted a yellow/blue/red scheme, similar to their flag colors, by Mexican manufacturer "ABA Sports".[10] The national team returned to the traditional color in 2000. It has been remaining (with few changes)[11] as the main uniform up to present days.

Kit providers

Source:[12]

Adidas jersey worn during the 2014 World Cup qualifying
More information Manufacturer, Period ...

Results and fixtures

Main article: Venezuela national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

15 June 2023 Friendly Venezuela  1–0  Honduras Washington, United States
20:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Audi Field
Referee: Jaime Alfredo Herrera (El Salvador)
18 June 2023 Friendly Venezuela  1–0  Guatemala East Hartford, United States
16:30 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
Referee: Jeremy Scheer (United States)
7 September 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Colombia  1–0  Venezuela Barranquilla, Colombia
18:00 UTC−5
Report Stadium: Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez
Attendance: 43,084
Referee: Anderson Daronco (Brazil)
12 September 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  1–0  Paraguay Maturín, Venezuela
18:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Estadio Monumental
Attendance: 48,523
Referee: Andrés Rojas (Colombia)
12 October 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Brazil  1–1  Venezuela Cuiabá, Brazil
19:30 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Arena Pantanal
Attendance: 39,018
Referee: Kevin Ortega (Peru)
17 October 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  3–0  Chile Maturín, Venezuela
17:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Estadio Monumental
Attendance: 50,932
Referee: Flávio de Souza (Brazil)
16 November 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  0–0  Ecuador Maturín, Venezuela
18:00 UTC−4 Report Stadium: Estadio Monumental
Attendance: 51,083
Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)
21 November 2023 2026 World Cup qualification Peru  1–1  Venezuela Lima, Peru
21:00 UTC−5
Report
Stadium: Estadio Nacional
Attendance: 27,323
Referee: Darío Herrera (Argentina)

2024

21 March 2024 Friendly Venezuela  1–2  Italy Fort Lauderdale, United States
17:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Chase Stadium
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)
24 March 2024 Friendly Guatemala  0–0  Venezuela Houston, United States
17:00 UTC−5 Report Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
31 May 2024 Friendly Saudi Arabia  v  Venezuela San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain
Stadium: Pinatar Arena
22 June 2024 2024 Copa América Ecuador  v  Venezuela Santa Clara, United States
15:00 UTC−7 Stadium: Levi's Stadium
26 June 2024 2024 Copa América Venezuela  v  Mexico Inglewood, United States
18:00 UTC−7 Stadium: SoFi Stadium
30 June 2024 2024 Copa América Jamaica  v  Venezuela Austin, United States
19:00 UTC−5 Stadium: Q2 Stadium
September 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Bolivia  v  Venezuela La Paz, Bolivia
--:-- UTC−5 Stadium: Estadio Hernando Siles
September 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  v  Uruguay Venezuela
--:-- UTC−4
October 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  v  Argentina Venezuela
--:-- UTC−4
October 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Paraguay  v  Venezuela Asunción, Paraguay
--:-- UTC−3 Stadium: Estadio Defensores del Chaco
November 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Venezuela  v  Brazil Venezuela
--:-- UTC−4
November 2024 2026 World Cup qualification Chile  v  Venezuela Santiago, Chile
--:-- UTC−3 Stadium: Estadio Monumental David Arellano

Coaching staff

More information Position, Name ...

Coaching history

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Players

Current squad

  • The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Italy and Guatemala on 21 and 24 March 2024, respectively.[13]
  • Caps and goals are correct as of 24 March 2024, during the match against Guatemala.
  • Friendlies not recognized by FIFA are not counted.
More information No., Pos. ...

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.

More information Pos., Player ...

Player records

As of 24 March 2024[14]
Players in bold are still active with Venezuela.

Most appearances

Midfielder Tomás Rincón is the most capped player with 132 appearances.
More information Rank, Player ...

Top goalscorers

Salomón Rondón is the nation's all-time top goalscorer.
More information Rank, Player ...

Competitive record

Main article: Venezuela national football team records and statistics

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...

Copa América

Main article: Venezuela at the Copa América

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

More information South American Championship / Copa América record, Year ...

Pan American Games

More information Pan American Games record, Year ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Venezuela: ¿Por qué la 'vinotinto'?" (HTML). Culturizando.com. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  2. [2]
    "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  3. [3]
    "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.com. FIFA. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Venezuela se quedó sin DT: renunció Richard Páez | Emol.com". 26 November 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  5. [5]
    FIFA.com. "Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) – FIFA.com". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  6. [6]
    "Korea Republic 3 – 1 Venezuela Match report – 9/5/14 Friendlies – Goal.com". goal.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  7. [7]
    "Jóvenes - Where Are Venezuela's Golden U20 Generation Now?". 11 June 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. [8]
    "¿Por qué le dicen la Vinotinto a la Selección venezolana? | Goal.com". www.goal.com (in Spanish). 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  9. [9]
    Redacción Aguanten Che. "Vinotinto aurinegra". aguantenche.com.uy. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  10. [10]
    "La evolución de la camisa vinotinto desde 1938". Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  11. [11]
    La Vinotinto estrenará uniforme Archived 2 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine on La Patilla website
  12. [12]
    Las marcas que han vestido a la Vinotinto Archived 20 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine on Meridiano.com
  13. [13]
    @selevinotinto (8 March 2024). "Esta es la lista del seleccionador @bochabatista para disputar la Fecha FIFA de marzo ante Italia y Guatemala en Estados Unidos. 📋" (Tweet) (in Spanish) – via Twitter.
  14. [14]
    Mamrud, Roberto. "Venezuela - Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Venezuela national football team.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Venezuela_national_football_team, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.