Tag: Argentina

The Arabic call of Saudi Arabia’s stunning game-winning goal against Argentina will give you goosebumps

You have to hear the Arabic call on the game-deciding Saudi Arabia goal.

Saudi Arabia’s shocking win over Argentina on Tuesday has already become part of World Cup history.

The country’s 2-1 decision over the Lionel Messi-led powerhouse is going to become the stuff of legend for Saudi Arabia fans. Some are already regarding it as the biggest upset in World Cup history.

The Arabic call on the game-deciding goal has to be heard if you’ve not seen it yet.

The entire sequence, from the lead up to the goal to the goal being made and the celebration after, will give you goosebumps. It’s why the World Cup continues to be such a singular event, and why this unbelievable underdog story will be one of the defining narratives from this year’s installment.

While Argentina isn’t out of the hunt just yet, Saudi Arabia will have a clearer path to be successful in Group C. Mexico and Poland are also competing in that block of countries.

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Robert Lewandowski, one of the greatest goal-scorers ever, is 2 games away from cementing a brutal World Cup legacy

If he doesn’t get a goal soon, Lewandowski may never live this down.

Whenever he decides to hang his cleats up, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski will be remembered as one of the greatest goal-scorers in the history of soccer. But for as much success as he’s enjoyed on a domestic level with his various clubs, the legendary Polish No. 9  has yet to come through for his country on the biggest international stage.

Lewandowski has not scored a goal for Poland in four career World Cup games. It’s admittedly a small sample size — not to mention the relatively poor quality of the rest of the Polish squad — but it is nonetheless an eyebrow-raising mark for someone as prolific as the striker.

Against Mexico in the opening Group C game of the 2022 World Cup, Lewandowski had a chance to get on the board and give the Poles a potential 1-0 win on a penalty shot. It … did not go well against Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

What makes Lewandowski’s miss more notable (and shocking) is how superb he’s been on penalty kicks throughout his illustrious career. On a club level, he’s made 40 of 45 attempts. On an international level with Poland, he had a perfect 10-of-10 resume. Until Tuesday, that is.

In what might be the 34-year-old’s final World Cup appearance with Poland, this miss against Mexico had to sting a bit more — especially with Argentina’s massive upset defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia earlier in the day. With Poland’s group seemingly wide open, Lewandowski had a chance to potentially give Poland a nice cushion through the rest of group play. Now Poland likely needs a result against a team that just beat Lionel Messi’s squad and, well, Messi’s team himself. Not an ideal spot.

And if Lewandowski doesn’t score in the next two games (while Poland also doesn’t advance) — he may conclude his World Cup career without a goal on the biggest stage. Once again, not ideal!

I’m not sure that Poland finds a way to get to the Round of 16, but I would be shocked if Lewandowski went quietly for his home nation. Bet on this all-time superstar striker finding a way to get a shot or two in the back of the net to at least make the potential end of his World Cup career a good one.

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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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Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina at 18-1 odds was the biggest upset in World Cup history. Here’s proof

The biggest upset EVER.

Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina early Tuesday morning isn’t just one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, it might actually be the biggest.

That’s according to several sportsbooks, many of whom had Saudi Arabia’s odds to win the match at 18-1 or longer.

To demonstrate just how big of an upset it was, Argentina entered the World Cup on a 36-match unbeaten streak, one short of tying the longest streak in men’s international soccer history. At BetMGM, they had the second-shortest odds to win the World Cup at +550. Even after the loss, their odds are tied for fourth-shortest at +850.

Saudi Arabia’s odds were at the very bottom of the 32-team field and remain in the bottom five even after the massive upset. Their odds to beat Argentina were 18-1 at BetMGM.

Those odds grew to 125-1 at PointsBet once Lionel Messi’s penalty kick put Argentina ahead 1-0.

A bet for $100 on Saudi Arabia at that point would have won $12,500.

But I’m no soccer historian. If those numbers aren’t enough to convince you this was the biggest upset in World Cup history, others made the argument too.

2 numbers show how huge of a World Cup upset Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina was

This was an unreal upset.

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If you’re waking up on Tuesday and you’re a soccer fan, your jaw must be on the floor.

Because Argentina — with all-time legend Lionel Messi — a team considered among the favorites to win in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup … just lost to Saudi Arabia, 2-1. The second-lowest ranked team in the tourney just WON!

I am no huge soccer fan. But even as someone who pays attention minimally during the World Cup, I couldn’t believe this one.

There were some Argentina goals called off due to offside calls — three (!!!!) to be exact. So, sure, blame it on VAR.

But it’s over. And there were two numbers that stood out in that unbelievable loss.

The first is: The number 36. As in, Argentina had won 36 international matches in a row from 2019 … until Tuesday. That was one win away from tying Italy’s 2018 to 2021 run. Oof.

The other is: +1800. That was the moneyline bet you could make on Saudi Arabia before the game. As in, if you bet $100, you could have won $1,800. That’s an upset of epic proportions.

WOW!

Quick hits: Zach Wilson replacements in 2023? … Puppy race fail! … Lane Kiffin clapbacks … and more.

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

— Sorry, Jets fans, Zach Wilson stinks. But maybe there are some names in 2023 who could replace him?

— Check out this hilarious, adorable failure of a puppy race during halftime of a Pacers game.

— Is Lane Kiffin leaving for Auburn? There was a report about it on Monday that the Ole Miss coach savagely responded to on Twitter.

— Here’s Troy Aikman ripping the Cardinals’ defense.

10 best players (Lionel Messi! Cristiano Ronaldo!) at the 2022 World Cup who have never won it all

A look at some of the greatest to ever play the game who have never tasted ultimate international glory.

As the soccer world rolls through Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there’s inevitably going to be a lot of discussion about “legacy” and superstars who have never quite broken through with a glorious moment in this competition.

I’m talking, of course, about some of the top dynamos in men’s soccer history who have never won the World Cup. To be clear, the players on this list aren’t necessarily to blame for their countries never standing on top of the international soccer world. This is still a team sport where everyone has to play in unison. And the best team — not the best player (awarded the Golden Ball at every tournament) — wins far more often than not.

From perhaps the greatest player in the history of the world’s most popular game to a prolific, talented striker with genuinely no realistic hope of ever winning the World Cup — here’s a look at the 10 best active players who haven’t won the prestigious championship, along with their respective odds to win this year’s Golden Ball. Note: We’re highlighting players who have been around for a good while but have still never made it to the top of the summit.

(All odds courtesy of BetMGM)

Hey, is that a MLS player on Argentina’s World Cup roster?

Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada will be joining Lionel Messi and co. in Qatar

By most accounts, Argentina is the favorite, or at least co-favorite to win the World Cup.

And now, in something of a milestone for MLS, the league will feature a player on said World Cup favorite: Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni called Almada into his World Cup squad on Thursday as an injury replacement, with the 21-year-old joining Ángel Correa as the pair replacing Nicolás González and Joaquín Correa.

Almada joined Atlanta United from from Vélez Sarsfield prior to the 2022 season for a reported league-record transfer fee of $16 million.

In his debut MLS campaign, Almada put up six goals and 12 assists en route to being named the MLS Newcomer of the Year.

That form earned Almada his first Argentina cap in September and although he did not make the country’s initial 26-man roster, he was named as an alternate and got the nod after two players went down injured.

After making his international debut, Almada was praised by none other than his teammate Lionel Messi.

“Thiago is very fresh,” Messi said. “He’s a very fast player who can play one-v-one. He’s clever and isn’t afraid of anything.”

Almada is the first active Atlanta United player to represent his country at a World Cup, and the first MLS player to represent Argentina at the tournament.

For MLS, Almada is one of a league-high 37 players who are on World Cup rosters. Canada (11) and the United States (9) make up over half that amount, but there is also representation from Australia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Poland, Switzerland, Uruguay, and now, Argentina.

No active MLS player has ever won a World Cup. Almada is clearly the strongest candidate the league has ever had to break that streak.

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Periodista entrevista a Messi y se conmueve hasta las lágrimas

Messi solo pudo agradecer las muestras de cariño que ha recibido en Argentina y a la gente que lo ha acompañado a lo largo de su carrera

Un hecho insólito ocurrió en Argentina con el periodista Pablo Giralt quien cumplió el sueño de entrevistar a Lionel Messi lo cual lo conmovió hasta las lágrimas.

Fue al final de la charla uno a uno entre Giralt y el astro argentino cuando el periodista rompió en llanto al asegurar que estaba cumpliendo un sueño a lo que Messi solo atinó a darle unas palmaditas completamente sorprendido por la reacción de su entrevistador.

“Soy un pibe de Venado Tuerto, mi ciudad, que soñó toda mi vida con hacer esto. Pero jamás pensé que iba a tener la suerte de poder acompañarte con mi relato, con mi amor para tu carrera y te lo agradezco de todo corazón”, dijo Pablo Giralt a Messi.

El astro argentino solo pudo agradecer las muestras de cariño que ha recibido en Argentina y a la gente que lo ha acompañado a lo largo de su carrera. Sin duda Messi salió de su zona de confort y se mostró un poco más humano con el periodista que posteriormente agradeció a la pulga la entrevista compartiendo sus relatos de los goles de Lio.

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Lionel Messi confirms 2022 will be his final World Cup

The tournament in Qatar will be Messi’s fifth World Cup

Lionel Messi has confirmed that the upcoming World Cup in Qatar will be his last.

The 2022 tournament will be the fifth for Messi, who made his World Cup debut in 2006. The closest Messi has come to winning the World Cup came in 2014, when he helped Argentina reach the final only to fall to Germany in extra time.

“It’s my last World Cup for sure,” Messi said in an interview with ESPN Argentina. “I feel good, physically, I was able to have a good preseason this year that I hadn’t been able to have the year before. It was essential to start in a different way and to arrive as I did, with a great mentality and a lot of illusion.”

Messi is 35 and will be 39 by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around. It is unclear whether he will retire from the Argentina national team following the tournament in Qatar.

The PSG star, considered one of the all-time greatest players, has been capped 164 times by Argentina, scoring 90 goals.

Though there will be pressure on Messi to help win Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986, some of that pressure was lifted last summer when Messi and Argentina won the Copa America, the superstar’s first major trophy at senior level with Argentina.

“I couldn’t believe it, I can’t explain it. It’s one of the goals I needed to close everything. It was fundamental for me to win something with the national team, otherwise I would always be left with the thorn of losing finals,” Messi said.

Argentina will be among the favorites to win the World Cup in Qatar, but Messi has insisted that other countries should be considered more likely to lift the trophy than his own.

“We arrived at a good time with a very strong team, but anything can happen,” he said. “All the games are very difficult. The favorites are not always the ones that end up winning or going the way that it was expected.

“I don’t know if we are the biggest favorites, but Argentina is always a candidate, because of its history and what it means. But we are not the top favorites, there are other teams that are above us.”

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Gonzalo Higuaín is calling it quits at the end of the 2022 MLS season

The 34-year-old striker reached some of the biggest heights in the game over a 17-year career

Gonzalo Higuaín has announced that his illustrious career will end at the conclusion of the 2022 MLS season.

The Inter Miami striker will call time on a 17-year professional career that has seen him reach the highest levels of the game, including stops at River Plate, Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus, AC Milan, and Chelsea.

Higuaín also earned 75 caps for Argentina, scoring 31 goals and playing at three World Cups including the 2014 World Cup final.

“I can now retire as I always dreamed, scoring goals and having fun playing the game,” Higuaín said at an emotional press conference on Monday.

Higuaín started the 2022 season slowly, scoring twice in his first 18 games. But the striker has roared into life for playoff-chasing Inter, scoring 12 goals in his last 14 games.

After scoring the game-winning goal in a vital 1-0 win at Toronto FC over the weekend, Higuaín said: “This is one of the happiest times of my career. I am enjoying playing so much right now.”

Inter Miami currently holds the seventh and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with two matches to go.

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