Monumental World Cup upset rocks Lionel Messi's Argentina

1 year ago 65

Saudi Arabia has scored 1 of the biggest World Cup upsets ever by beating Lionel Messi's Argentina 2-1.

Messi's quest to triumph the 1 large rubric to elude him got disconnected to a shocking commencement and brought backmost memories of Cameroon's 1-0 triumph implicit an Argentina squad led by Diego Maradona successful the opening crippled of the 1990 World Cup.

Goals by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari successful a five-minute span successful the 2nd fractional gave the Saudis the win.

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Argentina had taken an aboriginal pb with a 10th-minute punishment by Messi.

The Argentina nonaccomplishment rivals different World Cup upsets similar Senegal's 1-0 triumph implicit titleholder France 1-0 successful the 2002 tourney opener and the United States beating England by the aforesaid people successful 1950.

Argentina's 36-match unbeaten tally ended astatine the Lusail Stadium successful Messi's 5th — and apt past — World Cup.

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar shook hands with a Saudi coaching unit subordinate aft the last whistle and stood with his hands connected his hips adjacent the centre circle, an all-too acquainted country for 1 of the champion players ever who is yet to triumph the biggest prize successful football.

The improbable triumph was sealed by a somersault by Aldawsari, who brought down a precocious shot conscionable wrong the punishment area, turned 1 defender, jinked past different and drove a almighty changeable past goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who got a manus connected the shot but couldn't support retired of the nett successful the 53rd.

A stunned Messi watched arsenic scores of green-clad fans from Saudi Arabia, Qatar's neighbour, celebrated successful disbelief successful the stands.

Saudi Arabia's substitutes stormed the field.

Messi had enactment Argentina up from the punishment spot aft the video adjunct referee told the referee to instrumentality a look astatine a jersey drawback by Saud Abdulhamid connected Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes.

With Saudi Arabia's archetypal changeable successful goal, Saleh Alshehri recovered the bottommost country with an angled decorativeness done the legs of defender Cristian Romero.

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