The Saudi selection, 53rd in the FIFA rankings, achieved the first surprise of the competition by beating Lionel Messi’s teammates 2-1, who are nevertheless among the big favorites for the final victory in Qatar.
Thunderbolt on the World Cup. The modest Saudi Arabia team pulled off the first surprise of the 2022 World Cup by beating Argentina, one of the favorites for the final title, in the first match of Group C on Tuesday afternoon. The Saudi selection, 53rd in the FIFA rankings, beat the Albiceleste 2-1, which points to 3rd place in the said ranking. The qualification of Lionel Messi’s colleagues is already threatened: they will absolutely have to win against Mexico and then Poland.
The Saudis, coached by Frenchman Hervé Renard, had however started their match badly. They were punished in the 10th minute by a penalty obtained by Leandro Paredes and converted by Lionel Messi. The same Paredes was close to doubling the lead a few minutes later but his goal was disallowed for offside. Two other Argentinian goals will also be canceled for the same reasons. But baraka does not explain everything. The Saudis have demonstrated resilience and stubbornness. They first came back through Saleh Khalid Javier Al-Shehri in the 49th minute. Then the improbable happened with a magnificent pawn from Salem Mohammed Al-Dawsari, who sent the ball into the top corner after getting rid of four opponents in the box.
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