CARACAS, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela will play friendlies against Panama and Syria later this month as part of the team's preparations for South America's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the local football federation said.
The clash with Panama on November 15 will be followed by a duel against Syria five days later, the federation said on social media. Both matches will be played in Dubai, the entity said, without specifying the venue.
Venezuela missed a berth at this year's World Cup in Qatar, finishing last in the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) qualifying tournament.
The CONMEBOL zone qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to begin in March.
The Vinotinto, currently 57th in the FIFA world rankings, have never qualified for football's showpiece tournament. ■
