On November 22 at the Lusail Iconic venue, Argentina will face Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening game. In 1978 & 1986, Argentina took home the prized trophy, and Lionel Messi will strive to replicate the feat in his last appearance on the international stage.
After winning Copa America in 2021, Argentina went 36 matches without a loss. They have picked up five victories in a row while hitting 16 goals and keeping five clean sheets.
Argentina vs. Saudi Arab Overview
Messi addressed the issue of his reported illness before Argentina’s game opener vs. Saudi Arabia. Messi responded to comments made by the press during the usual pre-game media briefing regarding suggestions that his fitness was in question, given that he had reportedly missed training in Qatar.
Messi stated he would be ready to lead Lionel Scaloni’s team against Saudi Arabia and refuted reports that he had a foot problem.
At a minimum, Saudi Arabia will aim to replicate their 1994 World Cup result when they failed to move past the group stage and were eliminated in the round of 16. However, the Albiceleste will put them to the test because they have only won a couple of their past ten games overall.
Date & Time
On November 22 at 3:00 PM, Argentina will take on Saudi Arabia in a soccer match.
Head to Head
Saudi Arabia and Argentina never met in the World Cup championship match. But, the Argentina team has a score of two wins & two ties in their previous four games, with the most previous competition resulting in a scoreless tie in 2012.
Argentina vs. Saudi Arab Prediction
So although Saudi Arabia performed outstanding defense in 2022, there has been a notable absence of goals scored at another end because they are unlikely to have much joy while competing against Argentina, which is in excellent form.
Messi and the boys, though, would probably begin the event cautiously and secure victory on their side.
Players to Watch
With Angel Di Maria on the other side of the attack, Lionel Messi will surely be the one to observe. In addition, the absence of the team’s best players, Leandro Paredes and Nicolas Otamendi, from the outdoor spring training at Qatar University is expected to have a significant impact.
Saudi Arabia will heavily rely on left-back Yasser Al-Shahrani and center-back Abdulelah Al-Amri to stop the Argentine attack. They are hoping that forward Firas Al-Buraikan will score soon.
Argentina vs. Saudi Arab Line-Up
Saudi Arab Line-Up
Al-Tambakti, Abdulhamid, Al-Owais, Al-Bulaihi, Al-Shahrani, Kanno, Al-Malki, Al-Faraj, Al-Shehri, Al-Dawsari, Al-Buraikan.
Argentina Line-Up
Molina, Otamendi, Martinez, Romero, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Gomez, Messi, Martinez, Di Maria.
