Handsome Herve Renard and Saudi Arabia stun Argentina in all-time World Cup upset

Argentina had Messi, but the Saudis had skill, savvy and a hot coach on their side

You wouldn’t necessarily have blamed Argentina for overlooking Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener.

After all, the Albiceleste were riding a 36-game unbeaten run and were tipped as one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, came in ranked 51st in the world, having only advanced past the World Cup group stage once in its history, in 1994.

But on Tuesday, the impossible happened in one of the most stunning results in World Cup history: Saudi Arabia 2, Argentina 1.

It all started normally enough when Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina with a 10th-minute penalty. From there, Argentina would’ve expected to kick on and hammer their overmatched foe.

But, despite a myriad of chances, the Argentines were unable to find a second goal. And at the start of the second half, Saudi Arabia hit its opponent with a stunning one-two punch: Saleh al-Shehri scored in the 48th minute and Salem al-Dawsari scored a stunner five minutes later.

The Saudis hung on from there to secure what will almost certainly be the biggest upset of this World Cup on just the third day of play.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts disappointed during the World Cup group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

The result was a major feather in the cap for Hervé Renard, Saudi Arabia’s well traveled and extremely handsome French head coach.

Renard has fashioned himself as a tournament specialist during his coaching career, leading a host of Asian and African teams to major success.

The 54-year-old led Zambia to a shocking triumph at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, before leading Ivory Coast to the title in the same competition three years later.

Renard then took over Morocco after a brief stint in club management with Lille, leading the African nation to the 2018 World Cup, the first time it had qualified for the tournament in 20 years.

Even amid a host of other accomplishments, Tuesday’s win over Argentina stands out for Renard, who is becoming known worldwide for far more than just his stunning features.

Watch Saudi Arabia stun Argentina

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