Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
Qatar 2022 | Group stage
Lusail Stadium, Lusail
Attendance: 88,012
Argentina goal: Messi pen (10)
Saudi Arabia goals: Al Shehri (48), Al Dawsari (53)
Teams
Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Starting XI: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Christian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Papu Gomez; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez.
Substitutions: Lisandro Martinez for Romero (59) Enzo Fernandez for Paredes (59), Julian Alvarez for Gomez (59), Marcos Acuna for Tagliafico (71).
Coach: Herve Renard
Starting XI: Mohammed Al Owais; Yasser Al Shahrani, Saud Abdulhamid, Ali Al Bulayhi, Hassan Al Tambakti; Abdulellah Al Malki, Salem Al Dawsari, Firas Al Breikan, Salman Al Faraj, Mohamed Kanno; Saleh Al Shehri.
Substitutions: Nawahf Al Abed for Al Faraj (45), Sultan Al Ghanam for Al Shehri (78), Abdulelah Al Amri for Al Abed (88), Haitham Asiri for Al Breikan (89), Mohammed Al Burayk for Al Shahrani (90).
Hitherto head-to-head record
0 Argentina wins
0 Saudi Arabia wins
1 draw
Going into the game
Argentina were overwhelming favourites with La Albiceleste fans confident they could add to their recent Copa America win, while a run of 36 games without defeat had the nation dreaming of a first World Cup triumph since Mexico 1986.
Expectations were more modest for the Saudis who were about to enter their sixth global finals but they had only once progressed past the group stages and not since their debut tournament at USA 1994. They packed in eight friendlies in the three months leading up to Qatar 2022, but won just two of them.
The game
Argentina dominated the first half and took the lead in the tenth minute, as Lionel Messi swept home a penalty after Leandro Paredes was wrestled to the ground. They were, though, left frustrated after having three goals disallowed for offside, leaving their opponents – who had lost captain Salman Al Faraj through injury in stoppage time – kicking going into the break.
Few inside Lusail Stadium – which would go on to host the final – would have predicted the second half turnaround. Saudi Arabia stunned their South American counterparts when they equalised just three minutes after the restart through their first effort on goal, as Saleh Al Shehri held off Cristian Romero and guided a shot into the far corner.
And worst was to come for a shell-shocked Argentina when the Green Falcons soared into the lead five minutes later after Salem Al Dawsari controlled the ball out of the air, cut inside two defenders and drilled a superb shot into the far corner.
That prompted a desperate response from Argentina in a bid to salvage the match, but efforts from Messi, Nicolas Tagliafico and Julian Alvarez were all saved by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais to spark scenes of wild celebration from those in green.
Quotes
“It is a moment to be more united than ever. We did not expect this, but it’s on us.”
Lionel Messi, Argentina player
“There’s no other choice but to get up and move on. We don’t have to analyse more than that. Today is a sad day, but we have to raise our heads and keep going. Before the game, they made us the favourites, but in a World Cup these things can happen.”
Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach
“When you are coming into a World Cup you need to believe in yourself. Everything can happen in football. We have made history for Saudi football and it will stay forever. They came here without losing in 36 games, they are South American champions and they have amazing players, but this is football. Sometimes something completely crazy can happen.”
Herve Renard, Saudi Arabia coach
Stats
51 – Saudi Arabia were ranked 51st in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, some 48 places lower than their South American counterparts. Of nations at the finals, only Ghana – who sat 61st – ranked lower.
32 – The defeat marked the first time Argentina had lost their opening World Cup match in 32 years. Cameroon’s 1-0 victory over them at Italy 1990 had been their most recent.
6 – The Saudi’s high line caught Argentina offside an incredible six times inside the first 32 minutes. No full match by that stage of the tournament, or in the entirety of Russia 2018, could match that figure.
2 – Al Dawsari joined Sami Al Jaber in becoming the second Saudi player to net at two World Cups, following his winning strike versus Egypt at Russia 2018.
1 – Prior to Qatar 2022, Spain were the only side to lose their opening match before going on to win the World Cup, as they fell to Switzerland in Durban at South Africa 2010. Argentina would famously go on to join them in that club.
Trivia
Lionel Messi surpassed the records of Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta by becoming the first Argentinian to score at four World Cups. It was his seventh goal in his 20th match at the tournament.
