The football nations that made it to the finals in Qatar kicked off the FIFA World Cup with a ferocious display, including a thrilling performance from England, who led their group with an emphatic 6-2 victory,The loss of one of the favorite teams, led by Lionel Messi, shocked the footballing nations.
Saudi Arabia delivered quite possibly of the greatest surprise in World Cup history, as they dug out from a deficit to paralyze Argentina 2-1 in the initial match of Gathering C, finishing the Albiceleste's 36-match unbeaten disagreement emotional design.
Since Hervé Renard took over in 2019, Saudi Arabia's defense has been strong, so the Frenchman would have been disappointed that his team's one goal in the first half came from a lack of discipline.Only seven minutes were at work when Leandro Paredes tumbled to the floor in the wake of endeavoring to win a header from a corner, with a VAR check showing Saud Abdulhamid had wrestled him to the ground.Lionel Messi became the first Argentinian player to score at four World Cups with a smooth penalty kick into the corner.
The marauding forwards of Argentina and Saudi Arabia's risky but effective defensive high line fought it out tactically for the remainder of the first half.
The Albiceleste would score three more times, but each time they were stopped by the offside trap set up by the Falcons. Messi was the first victim of the offside trap, and Lautaro Martnez's celebrations were cut short twice by a VAR check.
A raucous Saudi crowd in the stands had crossed the border briefly, and thanks to a quick double from their optimistic team, which took the field confidently after the break, they were taken to dreamland.Saleh Al Shehri equalized in the 48th minute with a neat wide-angle finish, and the Green Falcons were flying high in stunning fashion just four minutes later.Salem Al Dawsari was kindly awarded the ball, and the Al-Hilal midfielder scored with an unstoppable curling shot past Emiliano Martnez.
Lionel Scaloni's team attempted to score an equalizer but were foiled by goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais and heroic tackles that were applauded by both players and fans, despite the fact that there was ample time for an Argentine revival.Saudi Arabia now has a chance to make it past the World Cup group stage for the first time since 1994, but not even eight more minutes could save Argentina.
Champion of the Game:Saudi Arabia's Hassan Tambakti
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