Highlights: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
It will be considered one of the biggest shocks of the World Cup.
All the pre-match talk was about how this could finally be Lionel Messi’s year, how Argentina were crowned world champions for the first time since 1986, how Saudi Arabia had no chance.
What a difference 90 minutes make.
As the heroic Saudi side celebrated their stunning 2-1 win with their jubilant fans at a deafening Lusail Stadium, Argentina’s disbelieving players walked off with their shocked fans in near-total silence.
There was no sign of that result at half-time. Messi had put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot, three other efforts had been ruled out for offside and Saudi Arabia seemed content to limit the damage.
Then two Saudi goals in six crazy minutes at the start of the second half completely changed the narrative and, despite numerous probings and probes from Messi and co, the underdogs bravely held on for a result the thousands of fans will never forget . to witness it.
As his game spilled onto the streets of Lusail, just how seismic was this result and what damage has it done to what is surely Messi’s last stab at World Cup glory?
Al Dawsari’s brilliant strike surprises Argentina
“Our best football moment”
Saudi Arabia, ranked 51st in the world, had previously won three World Cup matches, with the only time reaching the knockout stage in 1994.
Argentina, on the other hand, are ranked third in the world, entered the tournament on the back of a 36-match unbeaten run and were tipped by many to lift the trophy.
Northern Ireland’s 1-0 win against Spain in 1982, England’s defeat by the United States in 1950, South Korea beating Italy in 2002 and Argentina losing to Cameroon in the opening match of the 1990 are some of the past shocks that many remember.
But that result will always be remembered in the same way, with one hoarse Saudi fan describing the victory on his way out as “our country’s best footballing moment ever”. BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Mark Chapman described it as “seismic”.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who wrote Messi’s biography, told BBC Sport: “This is what happens when you mix organization and sharp physicality at this World Cup in the middle of a season where everyone he’s on top of his game or at least cooler than at a summer tournament.
“It’s always easier to defend than to attack; everyone can run for hours. There hasn’t been time to find offensive collective ways – the most complicated thing in football – but there has been enough to have a well-organized defence.
“We witnessed one of the biggest upsets of a World Cup but I think, for the reasons I’ve given above, it’s not the last. That’s what makes the result and England’s performance still most impressive”.
Al Shehri equalize early in the second half for Saudi Arabia
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha said: “We saw an Argentina team that was pushing and pushing but Saudi Arabia were comfortable in the way they defended.
“Sometimes we think football is predictable, and then things like this happen and they remind you why we love football.
“As long as you are committed and take advantage of the opportunities you have, anything is possible.”
Former England midfielder Joe Cole told ITV: “That winning goal will inspire a generation. This is the start of the World Cup. This is an incredible result.”
New York Times reporter Tariq Panja described how the outcome would go down in Saudi Arabian history.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I just spoke to one and I asked him what this result will mean for these players. He said: ‘They’re going to get everything’. That means a lot when you’re talking about Saudi Arabia.
“The Saudis are the closest country to the World Cup and there is a lot of driving. It was three hours for one fan, 90 minutes for another.
“They have a very big football culture, I don’t think we realize it in Europe. The fandom is definitely there and it was there in full effect today. They completely drowned out the Argentine fans.”
“Don’t count Argentina out yet”
Argentina fans have turned out in large numbers in Qatar, with their white and blue shirts seen everywhere in Doha and ‘Messi 10’ emblazoned on the backs of most of them.
It was the same before the game in Lusail with the South Americans vocal with their songs and very confident when asked about their hopes of going further this year.
They now face a real fight to even get out of the group stage, with games against Mexico and Poland crucial if they are to bounce back from the huge upset.
Balagué said: “Teams that take the initiative, as Argentina did, need at least some individual solutions. And they didn’t find them.
“Their midfield didn’t get enough of the ball between the lines to then bring the ball to Messi. Also, every time someone tried to dribble, to beat a defender – Ángel di Maria especially, Julián Álvarez when he came in – he found them for new defenders, always alert, following up in an organized manner.
“There was not enough movement around Leo, not enough spaces created. He was always surrounded by rivals. Everything was too slow, too predictable for Argentina, impossible to make an impact.”
Messi gives Argentina the lead with a controversial penalty
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Argentina are missing Giovani lo Celso. They are missing that connection between the midfield and Messi. They didn’t have a creative spark.
“Di Maria and Lautaro Martínez were poor. They could have been here all night and I don’t think they would have scored. I still think they will get out of the group though.
“What a game. It was the best game of the tournament so far. It’s fantastic. Saudi Arabia completely deserve it.”
The last time Argentina failed to qualify for the second round of a World Cup was in 2002, and South American pundit Tim Vickery still isn’t ruling them out.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Argentina regrouped today but I wouldn’t count them out yet.
“What are they going to do next? They’re going to have to dig deeper.”
Where does it rank among the biggest World Cup shocks?
There have been many World Cup shocks over the years, but according to Nielsen’s Gracenote analysis, Saudi Arabia’s win against Argentina is the biggest of all.
Gracenote’s soccer rankings use rankings that measure team strength to estimate the probability of a win or draw for each team in the competition.
Games won in normal time by the underdog with the lowest percentage chance of winning according to these estimates are identified as the biggest upsets.
ResultYearPossibility of victory for the winning team Saudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina20228.7%USA 1-0 England19509.5%Switzerland 1-0 Spain201010.3%Algeria 2-1 West Germany198213.2%Ghana 2-0 Czech Republic200613.
Get the latest results and goal notifications for any FIFA World Cup team by downloading the BBC Sport app: Appleexternal-link – Androidexternal-link – Amazonexternal-link
Get your daily dose of FIFA World Cup reaction, debate and analysis with World Cup Daily on BBC Sounds