Saudi Arabia scored one of many largest World Cup upsets ever by beating Lionel Messi's Argentina 2-1 on Tuesday. Messi's quest to win the one main title to elude him obtained off to a surprising begin and introduced again recollections of Cameroon's 1-0 win over an Argentina workforce led by Diego Maradona within the opening recreation of the 1990 World Cup.
Objectives by Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari in a five-minute span within the second half gave the Saudis the win. Argentina took an early lead with a Tenth-minute penalty by Messi.
The Argentina loss rivals different World Cup upsets like Senegal's 1-0 win over titleholder France 1-0 within the 2002 match opener and the USA beating England by the identical rating in 1950.
Argentina's 36-match unbeaten run ended on the Lusail Stadium in Messi's fifth -and probably last- World Cup. The consequence stopped them from matching the earlier worldwide report of 37 video games unbeaten held by Italy, Reuters reported.
The Paris Saint-Germain star shook arms with a Saudi teaching employees member after the ultimate whistle and stood together with his arms on his hips close to the middle circle, an all-too acquainted scene for among the best gamers ever who's but to win the largest prize in soccer.
The unlikely victory was sealed by a somersault by Aldawsari, who introduced down a excessive ball simply contained in the penalty space, turned one defender, jinked previous one other and drove a strong shot previous goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who obtained a hand on the ball however could not maintain out of the web within the 53rd.
A shocked Messi watched as scores of green-clad followers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar's neighbor, celebrated in in disbelief within the stands. Saudi Arabia's substitutes stormed the sector.
Reuters reported that Saudi followers might be heard chanting: "The place is Messi? We beat him!"
Messi put Argentina forward from the penalty spot after the video assistant referee instructed the referee to try a jersey seize by Saud Abdulhamid on Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes.
With Saudi Arabia's first shot in aim, Saleh Alshehri discovered the underside nook with an angled end by way of the legs of defender Cristian Romero.