Saudi Arabia comeback stuns Argentina after Messi scores early

What began with a Lionel Messi goal ended as one of the biggest group stage upsets in World Cup history, as Saudi Arabia struck twice in the second half to beat Argentina 2-1 in Lusail on Tuesday.

Messi converted a penalty and Argentina looked set to roll its unbeaten streak to 37 games. But Lautaro Martinez’s goal was pulled back for a razor-thin offside and the game hit halftime at 1-0.

WATCH ARGENTINA vs SAUDI ARABIA FULL MATCH REPLAY

Saudi coach Herve Renard then got two very nice goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari In a four-minute span early in the second half.

Argentina out-attempted the Saudis 15-3 and held a 2.23-0.14 expected goals advantage but all that matters very little as Poland and Mexico will both feel a chance to win the group.

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Here is everything you need for Argentina vs Saudi Arabia.

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How to watch Argentina vs Saudi Arabia live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 5am ET, Tuesday
Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail
TV channels en Español: Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Key storylines, players to watch closely

Can Saudi Arabia slow Messi, let alone Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, et cetera, et cetera?

Will this be the blast-off for the international careers of Alexis Mac Allister or Julian Alvarez?

And can a Saudi player catch the eye of the international community and even draw the player away from the nation’s domestic league?

Argentina quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 3
World Cup titles: 2 (1978, 1986)
World Cup appearances: 17
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from CONMEBOL (2nd place)
Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Key players: Lionel Messi, Angel de Maria, Lautaro Martinez

Saudi Arabia quick facts

Current FIFA world ranking: 51
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances: 5
How they qualified: Qualified automatically from AFC (Won Group B)
Coach: Herve Renard
Key players: Salem Al-Dawsari, Fahad Al-Muwallad, Mohammed Al-Owais

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Saudi Arabia comeback stuns Argentina after Messi scores early originally appeared on NBCSports.com