Argentina started the World Cup in Qatar in the worst possible way, as Leo Messi and his friends were defeated 2-1 by the modest Saudi Arabia. What was seen as impossible before the start of the meeting became a reality in the second half of the challenge, when the Arabs scored 2 quick goals within 6 minutes, making Messi's penalty goal in the first half invalid.
The Argentines struggled throughout the rest of the match to find the equalizer, but their efforts were to no avail. The triumph was greeted with excitement by Arab fans, as King Salaman of Saudi Arabia announced a day off in honor of the national team's victory over one of the strongest representatives in Qatar.
At the end of the challenge, Leo Messi commented on the result, saying that nothing is over for his team:
"This is a heavy defeat, a loss that hurts, but we must continue to believe in ourselves. This team will not give up. We will try to beat Mexico. This is the time to stand together, get back to winning and not think about what happened. We have always said that we will try to win every game, and now we have to do it more than ever."
Meanwhile, according to sports journalist Guillem Balague, the key to Saudi Arabia's impressive performance was a clear and solid defensive organization. Balague said:
"Defending is always easier than attacking. They (Arabia) have not had time to find a collective strategy for attack, which is the most difficult thing in football, but they have had enough time to organize a solid defence.
Argentina can no longer forgive itself a false step, as the confrontations with Poland and Mexico are key for the progress of the national team in Qatar.