Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history on Tuesday, roaring back to beat Argentina 2-1, a result described by Lionel Messi as a “heavy blow”.
Copa America champions Argentina came into the match in Qatar on a 36-match unbeaten streak and appeared to be on their way to a straightforward victory after Messi stroked home an early penalty.
Lionel Scaloni’s team could have put the game beyond Saudi Arabia’s reach in the first half but had three goals chalked off for offside.
Saudi Arabia, ranked a lowly 51st in the world, equalised early in the second half through Saleh Al-Shehri, silencing the hordes of Argentina fans.
And just minutes later the Green Falcons were in front when Salem Al-Dawsari rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner after a delightful piece of trickery.
Argentina laid siege to the Saudi goal as the minutes ticked down but goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais proved unbeatable and the final whistle sparked scenes of jubilation.
Argentina, who last failed to reach the knockout phase in 2002, will be dumped out as early as Saturday if they lose their second match to Mexico.
“It’s a very heavy blow, a defeat that hurts, but we must continue to have confidence in ourselves,” said Messi, who has never won the World Cup in his illustrious career.
“This group is not going to give up. We will try to beat Mexico.”
Saudi’s French coach Herve Renard said the “stars were aligned” for his team.
“We made history for football,” he added. “It will stay forever, this is most important. But we also have to think about looking forward. We still have two difficult games before us.”
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