Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Preview
41 trophies. That is the number of titles Lionel Messi has won in his career. This puts Messi as the second most successful player in terms of championships in football history. However, there has been one major trophy that has eluded him, the FIFA World Cup. And when Argentina take on Saudi Arabia in their first match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi hopes to add that trophy to his impressive collection.
Argentina have massively underperformed by their standards in recent years. However, the team got their act together to win the 2021 Copa America after 28 years which will inspire confidence in the personnel.
On top of that, they are also unbeaten in their last 36 matches. The Albicelestes are drawn in a tough group that includes Mexico and a Robert Lewandowski-led Poland. Since both these matches are tough, Argentina will be hoping to set down a marker against Saudi Arabia. It may also be the last World Cup for other stars such as Angel de Maria and Nicolas Otamendi. For Lionel Scaloni’s men, anything other than the top spot will be a disappointment, and they will be hoping for three victories based on their current form.
On the other hand, it is the toughest match for Saudi Arabia and the 51st-ranked team in FIFA. The team were impressive in qualifying for the World Cup, topping their groups both in the second and third round to book their ticket to Qatar.
Out of the 26 men named for the World Cup by manager Herve Renard, 25 play in Saudi Arabia, with only goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Yami plying his trade in Egypt. The team will also be relieved by the fact that experienced midfielder Salman Al-Faraj was able to make a full recovery from an injury just in time for the tournament.
THE GOAT, Lionel Messi has arrived at Qatar. 🐐🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/JZZArvoips
— 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒 (@ChaaliiyKay) November 14, 2022
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Argentina vs Saudi Arabia team news
One of the major concerns for Argentina will be in the middle of the park as Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso has failed to recover from an injury. Argentina’s injury concerns haven’t ended at Lo Celso, with midfielder Nico Gonzalez and Inter Milan’s Joaquin Correa also sidelined. Angel Correa and Thiago Almada have replaced the duo in the squad. Elsewhere, Scaloni has no new injury issues, and…
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