Heading into the World Cup group stage contest Nov. 22 against Saudi Arabia, Argentina was riding a 36-game winning streak. But it all came crashing down in shocking fashion as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Saudis.
Argentina would start out the game on a positive note, taking a 1-0 lead after Lionel Messi hit a first-half penalty kick. However, to begin the second half, Saudi Arabia struck twice in just six minutes to take a 2-1 lead. Throughout the latter half, Argentina applied heavy pressure to Saudi Arabia’s defense, but were unable to land a goal to tie the game.
Prior to the match, Saudi Arabia was placed as a heavy +1800 underdog to win their opening match against Argentina, according to BetMGM. So, for example, if you placed a $10 bet on the Saudis, you would have won $180. The same bet on the Argentinians would have won $1.54 if Argentina was victorious. The massive difference translates to one of the biggest upsets in the recent history of the World Cup. BetMGM stated that Saudi Arabia’s 18-to-1 odds are the largest for any game winner in the tournament.
On the biggest stage, Saleh Alshehri did not miss 💪🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/OWF9RxSftD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 22, 2022
SAUDI ARABIA TAKES THE LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/e9nZLj8g5b
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 22, 2022
SAUDI ARABIA SHOCK THE WORLD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tOFvllbfeD
— 433 (@433) November 22, 2022
When I woke up this morning and started looking through stories to write, I was not expecting to see that Saudi Arabia upset Argentina — a Lionel Messi-led Argentina. It is definitely one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. (RELATED: Host Nation Suffers Loss As World Cup Begins In Qatar)
Let’s hope the United States can achieve a similar feat Nov. 25 against powerhouse England, with Christian Pulisic pulling the tea cup celebration after a goal, just like Alex Morgan. Imagine that, how classic it would be.
And getting us closer to all of that free beer in the process.
‘Merica!