Saudi Arabia stun Messi and Argentina in one of World Cup history's biggest shocks

LUSAIL, Qatar -- Saudi Arabia pulled disconnected 1 of the biggest World Cup shocks ever to travel from down to bushed Argentina connected Tuesday.

Argentina, 1 of the favourites to assistance the trophy, dominated the archetypal fractional and went up done Lionel Messi's archetypal fractional penalty. But a stunning combat backmost from Saudi Arabia aft the interruption saw Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari some people successful the abstraction of 5 minutes to permission Argentina defeated for the archetypal clip since June 2019 -- a tally of 36 unthinkable matches.

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Rapid reaction

1. Saudi Arabia origin 1 of the biggest shocks ever

Argentina don't commencement World Cups good but this was a stunning upset adjacent for them. Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st successful the satellite (between Qatar and Greece), scored doubly successful 5 chaotic minutes aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional to grounds 1 of the competition's biggest ever shocks -- akin to Cameroon beating Diego Maradona's reigning champions successful 1990.

Saudi Arabia were hardly successful the crippled during a archetypal 45 minutes which was dominated by Argentina and headed disconnected the tract astatine half-time looking similar a squad clinging connected for beloved life. But goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari -- a right-foot effort which flew into the apical country and an aboriginal contender of extremity of the tourney -- capped a singular turnaround.

And erstwhile the impetus was connected Argentina and skipper Lionel Messi to find a comeback, they lacked composure and precision successful beforehand of goal.

Argentina volition cling to the information that aft losing to Cameroon successful their opening crippled of the 1990 World Cup they inactive managed to scope the last but, aft arriving successful Qatar arsenic reigning South American champions and connected the backmost of a 36-match unbeaten run, this run was meant to beryllium different. Just arsenic they did astatine Russia 2018, it looks similar they are again going to marque hard enactment of the radical stage.

2. Argentina lone person themselves to blame

Lionel Scaloni's broadside should person been retired of show astatine half-time but someway recovered themselves down aboriginal successful the 2nd half. They lone had themselves to blasted and with a spot much attraction they could person been 5-0 up astatine the break.

Messi had a bully accidental saved by Mohammed Al-Owais and aft the punishment they had 3 goals chalked disconnected due to the fact that of offside; doubly from Lautaro Martinez and different from Messi.

Saudi Arabia came into the World Cup with a estimation of uncovering goals hard to travel by and contempt failing to registry a azygous changeable successful the archetypal half, managed to bushed Emi Martinez doubly successful 5 minutes successful the 2nd half.

What volition interest Scaloni astir is that Argentina had much than 30 minutes aft going down to unit a gully oregon adjacent triumph the game, but they rapidly resorted to pumping crosses into the container which the Saudi defence mopped up with ease. With games against Poland and Mexico to come, Argentina volition inactive judge they tin suffice for the knockout rounds but it was not the commencement they were expecting.

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3. Saudi Arabia backmost up fans' confidence

Saudi Arabia supporters person crossed the borderline into Qatar successful their thousands and arrived genuinely hopeful of matching their show astatine the 1994 World Cup successful the United States erstwhile they reached the circular of 16.

Perhaps earlier the tourney kicked off, they were the lone ones who believed it but not anymore. Most of the supporters who travelled to the Lusail Stadium aboriginal connected Tuesday greeting admitted they were not expecting overmuch from Argentina and they would apt person to prime up points against Poland and Mexico to advancement from Group C but alternatively they dealt a immense stroke for shot successful Asia -- particularly aft some Qatar and Iran opened their campaigns with abject performances against Ecuador and England, respectively.

They looked overawed by Argentina successful the archetypal fractional and it was lone aft half-time that they began to support similar a squad which kept six cleanable sheets successful qualifying. Their past World Cup began with a 5-0 thumping by hosts Russia, but what a quality 4 years tin make. A time that volition spell down successful some the past of Saudi Arabian shot and the World Cup itself.

Player ratings

Argentina: Martinez 6, Molina 5, Tagliafico 5, Romero 4, Otamendi 5, Parades 6, De Paul 6, Gomez 5, Di Maria 6, Messi 6, Martinez 6.

Subs: Martinez 6, Fernandez 6, Alvarez 6, Acuna 6.

Saudi Arabia: Al-Owais 9, Al-Bulayhi 8, Abdulhamid 7, Al-Shahrani 7, Al-Tambakti 8, Al-Malki 67 Al-Dawsari 8, Al-Shehri 8, Kanno 7, Al-Faraj 7, Al-Brikan 6.

Subs: Al-Abid 6, Al-Ghannam 6, Al-Burayk 6, Asiri 6, Al Amri 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Mohammed Al-Owais

The Saudi goalkeeper made 2 fantastic saves, 1 to contradict Messi aft 90 seconds and different successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile the shot rebounded disconnected Nicolas Tagliafico.

WORST: Cristian Romero

The defender wobbled erstwhile Saudi Arabia enactment Argentina nether unit aft half-time and was substituted aft the 2nd goal.

Highlights and notable moments

Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the punishment spot.

MESSI SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Aew5QiCJTr

But Saudi Arabia deed backmost and past deed this extremity to instrumentality the lead...

After the match: What the players and managers said

To follow...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Messi became the 5th subordinate successful past to people astatine 4 FIFA World Cups. He scored 16 years aft his archetypal World Cup extremity (vs. Serbia successful June 2006), which is the longest spread betwixt goals by the aforesaid subordinate successful World Cup history.

- Argentina were flagged for arsenic galore offsides (7) successful the archetypal fractional against Saudi Arabia arsenic successful their ENTIRE erstwhile 2 World Cup Group Stages combined (5 successful 2018, 2 successful 2014).

- Saudi Arabia are the 2nd Asian federation to people vs. Argentina successful a World Cup. The different is South Korea (scored successful 1986 and 2010).

- Saudi Arabia scored aggregate goals successful a lucifer for the archetypal clip since Oct. 2021 (W 3-2 vs China.)

- Argentina entered connected a 36-game unbeaten streak (started successful July 2019); 1 shy of tying the longest successful men's nationalist squad past (2018-21 Italy.)

- According to Caesars' authoritative Twitter account, Saudi Arabia was 25-1 to decision Argentina. Argentina moved from +550 earlier the tourney to +700 to triumph the World Cup arsenic a effect of the upset.

Up next

Argentina: Lionel Scaloni's men volition instrumentality connected Mexico astatine the aforesaid stadium connected Saturday, successful a lucifer which volition beryllium important to their hopes of qualifying. They wrapper up the radical signifier against Poland connected Wednesday astatine Stadium 974 successful Doha.

Saudi Arabia: Next up for Saudi Arabia comes Robert Lewandowski's Poland astatine the Education City Stadium successful Al Rayyan connected Saturday, with their last radical crippled connected Wednesday up against Mexico successful this stadium.