World Cup 2022: Mexico out but Poland through on 'crazy day of football'

The last games successful Group C volition spell down arsenic 1 of the astir melodramatic evenings astatine immoderate World Cup.

With Mexico winning by the aforesaid scoreline against Saudi Arabia, Poland and Mexico were level connected points, goals scored, conceded and extremity difference.

Gerardo Martino's Mexico were staring astatine the imaginable of going retired connected Fifa's just play regularisation having collected 7 yellowish cards to Poland's five, and becoming conscionable the 2nd broadside aft Senegal 4 years agone to exit by that metric.

With 7 minutes of clip added on, a extremity Mexico would person completed the plaything required for an improbable progression into the circular of 16.

But Salem Al Dawsari's injury-time consolation onslaught ended immoderate anticipation of a singular Mexico revival having failed to triumph their opening 2 games.

"I americium the antheral liable for this vexation and disappointment. It is existent sadness and I presume each the work for this immense failure," said Argentine Martino.

"We outplayed the hostile created much chances and we could person scored arsenic galore goals arsenic needed.

"But we failed and I don't deliberation we were knocked retired successful the erstwhile matches, alternatively today."

Mexico exit astatine the radical signifier for the archetypal clip since 1978, ending a tally of 8 consecutive occasions of advancing to the knockout stage, portion Poland's reward is simply a gathering with defending champions France connected Sunday (15:00 GMT).

• 'This was the nighttime the existent Argentina stood up'
• Fifa World Cup: Groups and schedule
• World Cup TV sum guide

'We knew we were going out'

The crippled astatine Stadium 974 had finished 2-0 and the 1 astatine Lusail Stadium - conscionable 18 miles distant - was the aforesaid scoreline, with play inactive going on.

Asked by BBC Sport if helium knew the effect of the different game, Martino said: "Yes. That is wherefore we went for the 3rd extremity and we added 2 centre-forwards together.

"The infinitesimal we knew that Poland had less yellows [than us], we were going retired and it was indispensable successful that moment.

"We knew the effect of Argentina winning 2-0 and we assessed that unless galore players were booked successful the Poland game, the results meant we were inactive out."

Poland brag Czeslaw Michniewicz said: "We had an statement that lone maine and the method unit would beryllium crossed what was happening successful the Mexico match.

"My bosom stopped a spot erstwhile Grzegorz Krychowiak was booked, we knew it was minus 3 points and just play was already taken into consideration.

"So Piotr Zielinski was expected to permission but we substituted Krychowiak due to the fact that for 5 minutes we didn't person power of the crippled and couldn't marque the substitution, portion helium was endangered by the 2nd yellowish card.

"My method unit told maine determination was lone a quality of 2 oregon 3 yellowish cards truthful it was precise close, we were astatine a hard clip erstwhile it was 2-0.

"The mistake of Krychowiak could person made america spell backmost to the edifice and battalion but present I perceive we are going to play France.

"I told them to debar anserine cards, we were doing thing to debar immoderate provocation, debar talking to referees."

'Madness - specified a bully crippled of football'

The lead-up to the crippled was each astir tense Saudi Arabia fans filling the metro, the boulevard and the stadium successful the anticipation of seeing a triumph that would instrumentality them done to the knockout stage.

One section writer said astir 150,000 supporters had travelled crossed the borderline for the game, with much than 60,000 estimated to beryllium astatine the game, heavy outnumbering the Mexicans.

"Inshallah" (God willing) was the connection connected each supporter's lips but astatine the last whistle it was some sets of fans successful greenish who went location disappointed.

Saudi finished bottommost of the radical with 1 triumph - and what a triumph it was against Argentina - portion Mexico's goalless gully against Poland and nonaccomplishment to Lionel Scaloni's broadside proved costly.

Henry Martin's extremity from adjacent scope and Luis Chavez's stunning free-kick acceptable their tiny fig of fans alight, and the Mariachi set down the extremity did its champion to suck the shot into the nett 1 much time.

Mexico players embraced each different astatine the last whistle knowing their travel was over, portion supporters sat successful their seats agelong aft the last whistle with immoderate successful tears of disbelief.

"It's been a brainsick time of shot with the twists and turns you get astatine this signifier of the competition," said Gary Lineker connected BBC One.

Former Wales defender Ashley Williams said: "Madness. That was specified a bully crippled of shot careless of who went through."

Tears of solemnisation for Poland

BBC Sport's Andy Cryer astatine Stadium 974

From the infinitesimal Alex Mac Allister enactment a ascendant Argentina up aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional against Poland, determination was ne'er immoderate uncertainty astir who was winning the game.

The uncertainty was whether Poland would past and for astir of the 2nd fractional the players connected the transportation looked reasonably unconcerned. There was nary racing guardant looking for a goal, they were simply hanging connected and hoping they did not suffer by much than the eventual 2-0 scoreline.

While the players whitethorn person been unaware of the play being played out, the tiny pouch of Poland fans - who were drowned retired by the unthinkable Argentine enactment - surely weren't.

Most of them were spending much clip connected their phones checking events astatine Mexico v Saudi Arabia than they were watching their ain - reasonably hapless - side.

Heads went into hands from galore of the Poles arsenic Mexico scored their 2nd and, erstwhile Argentina deservedly made it 2-0, they knew they were surviving successful the tourney purely connected yellowish cards.

Argentina were inches from scoring successful wounded time, to sound Poland out, but the last whistle was not the extremity of the agony for Poland.

The players and unit gathered, the fans were glued to their screens, and past a cheer. Saudi Arabia had pulled a extremity backmost against Mexico successful stoppage time, Poland were present harmless connected extremity quality alternatively than just play.

A extremity for Mexico would inactive person knocked Poland retired though, guaranteeing a mates much minutes of symptom earlier the last whistle astatine Lusail was greeted by affectional scenes astatine the 974.

Tearful fans hugged each other, immoderate players charged astir successful celebration, portion others sank to the level successful the cognition they had got very, precise lucky.

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

Get your regular dose of Fifa World Cup reaction, statement & investigation with World Cup Daily connected BBC Sounds