Saudi Arabia humbles Messi's Argentina in stunning World Cup upset
One of world soccer's legendary teams, Argentina, has been humbled by Saudi Arabia, an unlikely foe.
One of world soccer's legendary teams, boasting arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport and a host of millionaire stars, has been humbled — by the most unlikely of adversaries.
Argentina, ranked third in the world according to FIFA, lost 2-1 to the team ranked 51st, Saudi Arabia, in a thrilling match Tuesday at the Qatar World Cup.
Lionel Messi, the record-breaking talisman responsible for such glories at Barcelona and now Paris Saint Germain, voted the world's best player seven times, put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot after 10 minutes.
But in a 10-minute period after half-time, goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari overturned the Argentine lead, and the Saudis were able to hold on to confirm one of the biggest World Cup upsets since the tournament began in 1930.
It was Argentina's first defeat in 36 games — the last team to beat them was fellow soccer heavyweight Brazil in 2019. At this World Cup, only Ghana was lower than Saudi Arabia in the rankings.
Rating: 5