(Football news) Argentina will kick off their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia in the Group C opener at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. La Albiceleste will hope to secure their third World Cup in history, having previously won in 1978 and 1986 while Saudi Arabia will hope to prove their doubters wrong and not finish at the bottom of the group. It’s very likely that this is Lionel Messi’s last ever World Cup and the seven time Ballon D’Or winner will undoubtedly hope to guide his team all the way for the Jules Rimet trophy, a fitting end to his illustrious career. It has been 36 years since Argentina last won the tournament and they won’t have a better chance than this one, with arguably their best ever player more motivated than ever before alongside a fantastic squad comprising youth and experience.

Since Argentina’s 2-0 loss to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America, the team have embarked on an astonishing 36 game unbeaten run across all competitions, qualifying for the 2022 World Cup without a single loss and winning each of their last five games across all tournaments. If that wasn’t all, La Albiceleste's recent victories has seen the team not concede a single goal while scoring an impressive 16 goals against their opposition (at least three per game). Their last match was a warm-up friendly against the United Arab Emirates which ended in a scoreline of 5-0 for the South American team. Their 2018 World Cup was a bitter disappointment as Argentina were knocked out of the last 16 with only a single win in the competition, especially considering that they were finalists in 2014 but they appear to have turned a corner this time around.

Back in 2018, Saudi Arabia were matched against hosts Russia in the opening fixture of the tournament, a result that ended in a 5-0 defeat. The scoreline is expected to be similar this time around against an even more formidable opponent. Their challenge this time around will be to not finish in the bottom of Group C, however, that’s easier said than done as the other two teams are Mexico and Poland. Saudi Arabia won’t lack home support though, as Qatar is just a drive away from the country and the conditions of the match would be something the Arabian Falcons are already familiar with. It was back in 1994 when Saudi Arabia finished in the last 16 but the team didn't arrive in Qatar in the best of form, winning just two from 10 matches in all tournaments in the build up to the World Cup.

In team news, concerns were raised about Messi’s involvement after the 35 year old trained individually despite no reports claiming that he was suffering from an injury. However, the likes of Lisandro Martinez (discomfort) and Guido Rodriguez (illness) are doubtful while Joaquin Correa has been replaced by Thiago Almada in the squad. If fit, Messi is expected to partner  Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria in a formidable attacking lineup while Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi are expected to feature in defense. As for Saudi Arabia, midfielder Riyadh Sharahili has sustained a muscle injury but defender Hassan Tambakti is available for selection after resuming training. Salem Al-Dawsari is expected to feature on left wing while Saleh Al-Shehri will play on the opposite side. A straightforward victory for Argentina is the most likely outcome of the match.

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