Argentina vs Saudi Arabia LIVE: World Cup 2022 result and reaction as Saudi Arabia claim stunning shock win
Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia: Lionel Messi scored early on but a stunning comeback ensured an all-time great World Cup shock
Saudi Arabia beat Argentina to record one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history with a 2-1 win over Lionel Messi’s side thanks to a scintillating second-half comeback.
On his fifth and final quest for the only major trophy to elude him, the 35-year-old Messi scored a 10th-minute penalty in a dominant first-half display where he and Lautaro Martinez also had three goals disallowed for offside.
But Saudi Arabia, the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament after Ghana, threw caution to the wind at the start of the second half, charging at Argentina’s defence in front of a frenzied 88,012 crowd.
Saleh Al-Shehri squeezed in a low shot in the 48th minute while Salem Al-Dawsari curled in a scorching strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 53rd minute to leave Argentina and Messi looking utterly shell-shocked in the Group C opener. Despite plenty of possession after that, Argentina were unable to best Saudi Arabia, who were competing in their sixth World Cup but had never previously won an opening game.
Relive all the action with our live blog below:
France 0-0 Australia
2 mins: Early glimpses of Dembele and Mbappe’s talent.
Dembele sears past his man on France’s right flank, then clips a deep cross to Mbappe, who twists one way then shimmies the other to get into the Australia box.
France win a corner, which Mbappe takes, but it’s headed clear.
France 0-0 Australia
Kick-off: We’re under way!
France’s world title defence begins here!
France vs Australia
No Benzema, no Pogba, no Kante – all are injured.
Let’s see how a still-formidable France fare in their absence.
France vs Australia
Australia’s anthem plays; kick-off is just moments away!
Don’t go anywhere.
France vs Australia
T-minus 15 minutes until kick-off!
A reminder of the starting XIs:
France: Lloris, Pavard, Upamecano, Konate, L Hernandez, Rabiot, Tchouameni, Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe, Giroud.
Australia: Ryan, Atkinson, Souttar, Rowles, Behich, Mooy, Goodwin, McGree, Irvine, Leckie, Duke.
France vs Australia
“Take Karim Benzema out of the Real Madrid side last season and it is entirely uncontroversial to suggest they would not have won La Liga or the Champions League; not without his 44 goals in 46 games. Remove him from the France team and there is a case to say their chances of winning the World Cup are greater.
“It is an argument based on history rather than individual quality, admittedly: French history, in particular. The peculiarity of their two triumphant campaigns is that neither contained a goal from the main No 9. Benzema scored three goals in 2014 and France exited in the quarter-finals. Stephane Guivarc’h failed to score in 1998 – indeed he ended his international career with a lone goal – and France won the World Cup. Olivier Giroud did not even muster a shot on target in 2018, yet he was the selfless foil as Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe scored four times apiece. Glory went to France.”
Here’s another great piece from Richard Jolly: He makes the case for France’s chances of lifting the trophy being better without the injured Benzema...
Could Karim Benzema’s absence improve France’s World Cup chances?
Neither of Les Bleus’ two World Cup triumphs contained a goal from their main striker at the time
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