POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Nov 22, 2022 : Qatar World Cup curtain rises on Sunday. And Lionel Messi’s Argentina is going to start the World Cup on Tuesday. Their World Cup journey will begin today with a match against Saudi Arabia at the iconic Lucille Stadium at 4 pm. All the spotlights of the match will be on the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who is playing in the World Cup for the fifth time.
South American champions Argentina have only one goal, to end their 36-year title drought and return home with the World Cup. Messi was not even born when Argentina last won the World Cup in 1986 under the leadership of the legendary Diego Maradona. After defeating Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final in 2019, Alba Celestera have come to play in Qatar after being unbeaten in 36 consecutive matches across all competitions.
Scaloni’s team has not tasted defeat in the qualifiers of the Latin region. They have won their last five matches in all competitions. Argentina has not conceded any goal in the last five games they have won. In contrast, he gave a total of 16 goals with at least three goals per match. They thrashed the United Arab Emirates 5-0 last Wednesday in their last warm-up match before the World Cup.
There is more disappointment with just one win in four matches at the tournament than the last 16 exit at the World Cup in Russia four years ago. But in 2014, Argentina played until the final of the World Cup. However, they had to settle for the runners-up title after losing 1-0 to Germany.
Scaloni’s side are looking to finish the first round as the top team in Group C in Qatar, ahead of Poland, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia started the 2018 World Cup with a match against the host Russia. The Arabian Falcons want to come out of the painful memory of the 5-0 defeat in that match and present a good game against the strong Argentina. Although Argentina is far ahead of them in terms of ranking or strength.
