Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Highlights: Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina by winning 2-1. Biggest upsets in history, Lionel Messi’s Argentina gets shocked by Saudi Arabia in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Highlights
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Highlights
Argentina, headed by Lionel Messi, crashed to an unexpected 1-2 loss against Saudi Arabia, and their tournament thus got off to the worst possible start. However, Saleh Al Shehri’s great equalizer for Saudi Arabia came just a few minutes into the second half, and Salem Al Dawsari’s superb solo goal increased their advantage.
Lionel Messi scored the game’s first goal from the penalty spot earlier in the first half after intervention gave Argentina a penalty against Saudi Arabia. Offside flags have prevented many goals for Messi and Lautaro Martinez. Credit to Saudi Arabia for maintaining control of the match Argentina vs Saudi Arabia after the break.
The Albiceleste, who have won 36 games in a row and three years without a loss, took the lead with a penalty kick from captain Lionel Messi in the 10th minute. Messi was hoping to end his stellar career by winning the championship on the fifth try.
However, Argentina could not build on their domination in the first half as three different goals, one for Messi and two for Lautaro Martinez, were disallowed for offside.
In Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, a spectacular start to the second half, Saudi Arabia drew even before taking the lead in five breath-taking minutes, forcing them to pay.
Before Salem Al-spectacular Dawsari’s tried from the left side of the area in the 53rd minute in the top-right corner, Saleh Al-Shehri had first advanced past, Cristian Romero & shot with his left foot into the far corner.
Nicolas Tagliafico, Lionel Messi, and Julian Alvarez attempted to get Argentina back into the game. Still, Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais scored a series of saves to prolong one of the most incredible results in World Cup history.
Saudi Arabia now has a chance to go to the round of 16 for just the second time as they get ready to play Poland, while Argentina needs to get their act together before playing Mexico.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Team News
Argentina
Argentina entered this game – Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuna, and Papu Gomez all dealing with injuries, even though superstar Lionel Messi has declared himself to be in excellent shape.
Acuna is absent, so Nicolas Tagliafico fills in as left-back. Cristian Romero has been cleared to play and joins Nicolas Otamendi in the center of the defense.
Saudi Arabia
Before this match, Saudi Arabia had no significant selection issues because their team was fit and had traveled to Qatar.
Saleh Al-Shehri is prepared to lead his team in goal after recovering from an Achilles tear in October.
In this match, Saudi Arabia probably used a more defensive shape to block Argentina’s star-studded attack.
Goals – Argentina vs Saudi Arabia
- ★ ARG — Lionel Messi (pen) — 10th min.
- ★ SAU — Saleh Al-Shehri — 48th min.
- ★ SAU — Salem Al-Dawsari — 53rd min.
FULL-TIME IN LUSAIL
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina 🇦🇷#KSAARG pic.twitter.com/q5n3nI9eBu— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) November 22, 2022
🇸🇦🎯#KSA | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/637LVrSqvA
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 22, 2022
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – Player ratings
Argentina:
Martinez (6), Tagliafico (5), Romero (4), Otamendi (5), Molina (5), Paredes (5), De Paul (6), Messi (6), Di Maria (5), Gomez (5), Lautaro Martinez (6).
Subs:
Acuna (6), Alvarez (5), Lisandro Martinez (6), Fernandez (5).
Saudi Arabia:
Al-Owais (8), Al-Bulayhi (7), Abdulhamid (7), Al-Shahrani (8), Tambakti (9), Al-Malki (8), Salem Al-Dawsari (9), Al-Shehri (8), Kanno (7), Al-Faraj (6), Al-Buraikan (7).
Subs:
Al-Ghanam (6), Al-Amri (n/a), Asiri (n/a), Abdulrahim (6), Al-Burayk (n/a).
Player Of The Match | Mohammed Alowais
No surprise here 🏆😤
Saudi Arabia Goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais wins Player of the Match after recording five saves vs Argentina 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/OVOjm7Mjbr
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 22, 2022
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia | Match Report
The Most Famous White Football Shirt
Herve Renard, the two-time AFCON champion coach of Saudi Arabia, believes that putting the top button off a white shirt will bring good luck. Renard won the African Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and did it again with Ivory Coast in 2015.
In an interview with Esquire before the World Cup, Renard recalled, “We (Zambia) were playing in the 2nd match of the Africa Cup of Nations over Cameroon in 2010.” “I wore a light blue shirt, but because we lost 3-2, I changed to a white shirt for the next game. In front of Cameroon, we took first place in the group and triumphed.
The Frenchman continued, “Of course, I’ve lost some games since then. I may have lost a lot of money. But I also had a lot of victories. I like this look. However, it needs beautiful weather. The white shirt in December was not an option while I was coaching in England. Or this is the reason I failed in England!
Argentina’s World Cup chances are in danger following a deserving defeat
In their last 36 games, which included winning the 2021 Copa America, Lionel Scaloni’s team had gone undefeated, and they went into Qatar 2022 full of optimism that Messi would finally take home the Jules Rimet trophy.
Everything was going according to plan for Messi and company at the Lusail Iconic Stadium as they went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage. Still, less than 10 minutes into the second half, they found themselves down.
However, despite their best efforts, Argentina never threatened to blow the opposition’s home down afterward because they exhibited a problematic lack of originality and creativity in their attempts to dislodge the mass ranks of Saudi defenders.
Tim Vickery, a South American football expert, said after the match that Argentina was “very, very close to surpassing the record for the number of games unbeaten,” which stands at 36.
“However, it turned out to be well-deserved; this is not one of those freakish upset victories, and the World Cup outcome is one of the best. Nobody could have predicted that things would go wrong in this match, but there was worry in Argentina that things had been going too well and would fall apart just when it needed the most.”
By no means are the defending champions eliminated from the competition, but they cannot afford any more mistakes in their next two group games against Mexico and Poland – Robert Morgan.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia – Squads
Argentina:
Saudi Arabia
Day 3 | Other Key Highlights | FIFA World Cup 2022
- 1. Denmark vs. Tunisia: Christian Eriksen returns to the global stage in a 0-0 draw.
- 2. Mexico vs Poland: Guillermo Ochoa stopped a Robert Lewandowski penalty as Mexico & Poland had to play draw 0-0 in their World Cup Group C opener.
- 3. France vs Australia: Olivier Giroud’s brace & a goal each from Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe helped France make a winning start