In the past, Argentina has beaten Saudi Arabia twice, with two games ending in a draw.
But no one, possibly, expected the full-time score: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia, at the end of the game at Lusail Stadium, where Argentina fans far outnumbered Saudi Arabia’s supporters as the two countries’ men’s national teams took on each other in their opening World Cup 2022 match, on Tuesday, November 22.
A true World Cup shock that will go down in the annals of time! No one before kick-off, unless maybe you were wearing Saudi Arabia’s green, would have suspected this. FIFA ranking before the game: Argentina (3), Saudi Arabia (51).
The Green Falcons will have their keeper Al-Owais to thank for he caught almost everything that came his way in this match. What a result! Argentina will rue those several disallowed goals in the first half for offside.
Before kickoff, as fans streamed towards the nearly 80,000-strong stadium, a Doha-based music group called Qatar Mayyappada welcomed them with drums and percussion – side by side with a group of Argentina fans who had brought their own musical instruments and speakers to uplift the crowd that gathered in the dozens around them.
In the end, however, Lionel Messi's Argentina suffered one of the World Cup's greatest shocks.
Unconquerable Saudi Arabia came from behind to win 2-1. Messi gave Argentina, one of the favourites to win the tournament, a 10th-minute lead from the penalty spot but two goals early in the second-half, including an outstanding strike from Salem Al-Dawsari, turned the game on its head and left the Albiceleste with little margin for error against Mexico and Poland in their other Group C fixtures.
Argentina came into the game overwhelmingly expected to win but it was not to be as clinical Saudi Arabia only had two shots on target but they made them count.
Wasteful Argentina spent a lot of time camped around the box of Renard’s team but failed to create too many clear cut chances. They now need two big performances against Mexico and Poland to have any chance of progressing from Group C.