Argentina got their World Cup campaign off to the worst possible start on Tuesday morning, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in Lusail. After slipping up in what was believed to be their easiest group match and arriving in Qatar among the favorites to win the title, Argentina will now need to win points from Mexico and Poland in order to qualify for the knockout stage.
Argentina had not lost a World Cup opener in 32 years, since they were famously beaten 1-0 by Cameroon in their first match of the 1990 tournament.
Things started well for Argentina, however, and it didn’t take long for them to take the lead, with Lionel Messi calmly dispatching a penalty kick at 10 minutes, after Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić whistled for a foul on Leandro Paredes. It appeared the Argentinians would run away with the game in the first half, but balls put into the net by Messi and Lautaro Martínez were called back for offside.
In a shocking twist, the game turned on its head immediately after half-time. Argentina were pegged back quickly, with Saudi’s top scorer Saleh Al-Shehri firing home from a difficult angle. Just five minutes later, Salem Al-Dawsari scored a stunning second, with a powerful curled shot from the edge of the box hitting the top corner of the net.
Argentina chased the result with a host of attacking substitutions in the second half, but were thwarted by a resolute Saudi defense and a good performance from opposing goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.
Argentina began the World Cup among the favorites to win the tournament, having cultivated a strong and dangerous attacking unit since former national team player Lionel Scaloni took charge of the national team in 2018. Bookmakers paid 5/1 odds for Argentina to bag their third World Cup title this year, though this price drifted after today’s defeat.
Much of these hopes are centered around team captain Lionel Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner who, at 35 years old, is likely to be playing the last World Cup of his career. Despite winning four Champions League titles and conquering the Spanish league ten times during his 17-year-long spell at Barcelona, international honors have consistently eluded him.
His first senior title for Argentina came in 2021, beating Brazil in the final of the Copa America. His country will be hoping that he can round off his international career with the biggest honor of all in Qatar.
After defeat against Saudi Arabia, Argentina need a win in their next match against Mexico on Saturday afternoon. They round off their Group C campaign against Poland next Wednesday.
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