In likely the biggest upset in this edition of the World Cup, Saudi Arabia defeats Argentina 2-1 at the Lusail Iconic stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
Just 10 minutes into the game. A penalty was awarded after VAR decided that there was a foul on the first corner of the game.
Lionel Messi would convert the awarded penalty by faking out the Saudi keeper, Mohammed Al-Owais, and tapping it into the left side of the goal. This would put Argentina up 1-0 and on track to what everyone thought was going to be an easy win.
But early in the second half, Saudi Arabia responded. In the 48th minute Saleh Al-Shehri was able to beat his defender into the left side of the box, and then strikes the ball through the legs of the defender, past keeper Emiliano Martínez, and into the lover right side net of the goal the tie the game 1-1.
Only five minutes later, in the 53rd minute, Salem Al-Dawsari scored a golazo, striking from a foot inside the left side of the box just nicking the keeper’s fingertips, and into the upper right-hand corner of the goal.
After an excessive 13 minutes of stoppage time, referee Slavko Vinčić, finally blew the whistle, confirming the Saudi’s win.
There was an embarrassing injury that happened around the fifth minute of stoppage time when the Saudi keeper ended up clobbering his own defender, Yasser Al-Shahrani, and knocking him unconscious when coming out to clear the ball away.
Al-Shahrani gave a thumbs-up as he was being stretchered off, but we are still waiting to hear whether he will be ok for their next match.
Photo: Salem Al-Dawsari – Shutterstock – user: Alizada Studios – ID: 2163345773