Lionel Messi’s Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in an opening Qatar 2022 World Cup encounter at the Lusail Iconic stadium. Saudi Arabia came from behind to record a stunning 2-1 victory against Argentina in their 2022 World Cup Group C opener.
Argentina had arrived in Qatar on a 36-match unbeaten streak, one shy of matching Italy’s record. Argentina’s longest active unbeaten streak started in 2019. La Albiceleste has not lost a game since going down 0-2 to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America.
A win or a draw against the Gulf country would have given Argentina a record-equalling result. Argentina were the champions of the 1978 and 1986 Word Cups.
Saudi Arabia was the second-lowest-ranked team to reach the World Cup this year (51st in the world). The good thing was that the Green Falcons had the opportunity to play a host of pre-tournament friendlies after their qualifying campaign, several of which were supervised by Manager Hervé Renard.
Saudi Arabia’s coach Hervé Renard, is a French professional football coach and former player.
Renard has previously been the manager of Zambia national team, with whom he won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations; he also won the competition in 2015 with the Ivory Coast, becoming the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different teams.
In November 2017, he qualified Morocco to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, their first since 1998.