The Tuesday World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia was meant to be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup performance.
Fans had descended in droves to witness Messi put on a masterclass in what he claims would be his final tournament, and the South American team was anticipated to easily defeat its opponent, which was rated 48 places behind them in the global rankings.
But the possibly largest upset in World Cup history overshadowed the Argentine captain, as Messi limped down the tunnel with a face of thunder as Saudi Arabia celebrated its victory.
But the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has yet to win the World Cup championship, showed no signs of running away from the humiliation. Messi was one of just two players to address the media as his colleagues surged past reporters on their way to the team bus, the other being goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez.
There aren’t any defenses. “We’re going to come together stronger than ever. We have demonstrated the strength of this group,” he said. He added that they haven’t experienced this kind of circumstance in a very long time. We must now demonstrate that this is an actual group.
A loss in the first game isn’t always the end of the world in the larger scheme of the tournament; after all, Spain won the 2010 World Cup despite dropping its opening match against Switzerland.
If Argentina wins both of its remaining games against Poland and Mexico, it will still most certainly go to the knockout rounds, but the loss was particularly painful at home.
The Argentine media used phrases like “nightmare” and “inexplicable” un response to the shocking outcome, which leaves its side with little room for mistake.
“Is it true? When asked how the team was feeling, Messi replied, “Dead. “We did not anticipate things to get off to such a bad start.
We were hoping to get the three points that would have made us feel at ease.
To the supporters, I say: Have faith. They won’t be abandoned by us.
In the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday, those supporters, who have gathered in large numbers in Doha, appeared to outnumber Saudis.
Numerous fans wearing blue and white shirts cheered Messi’s name as they arrived at the game and continued to do so after he graced Qatar 2022 with a penalty in the first 10 minutes.
However, Messi is not yet at the height of his abilities at the age of 35, and the Saudis were successful in suffocating his space whenever possible.
