Argentina lose to Saudi Arabia in FIFA World Cup 2022 and Lionel Messi in Shock
Image Source- npr.org
LUSAIL, Qatar — Saudi Arabia defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina in one of the biggest Football World Cup by 2-1 on Tuesday.
Messi’s will to win the one major title to elude him got off to an unexpected start. He went back to a time over Cameroon’s 1-0 win against an Argentina team led by Diego Maradona in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup.
In five minutes in the second half, goals by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari gave the Saudis the win. Argentina took an early lead with a 10th-minute penalty by Messi.
The Argentina loss rivals other World Cup upsets like Senegal’s 1-0 win over titleholder France 1-0 in the 2002 tournament opener and the United States’ beating England by the same score in 1950.
Argentina’s 36-game unbeaten streak ended with Messi’s fifth and possibly last World Cup at Lusail Stadium.
The Paris Saint-Germain star shook hands with the Saudi coaching staff and stood near the centre circle with his hands on his hips after the final whistle. Win the biggest prize in football.
It was Aldawsari’s somersault that sealed the unlikely victory. Aldawsari threw his ball high into the box, spinning a defender, dodging another defender, and hitting goalkeeper Emipast his Martinez with a powerful shot. Get away from the grid in 53rd place.