With Argentina playing on the brink of elimination, Lionel Messi appeared to score the first goal of the triumph of the Saturday 2-0 against Mexico in Qatar-2022, where your partner PSG Kylian Mbappe He achieved a double with which France beat Denmark 2-1 and advanced to the round of 16.
The ‘Bleus’, the first team classified mathematically, lead Group D with six points ahead of Australia (3), Denmark (1) and Tunisia (1).
In key C, Poland won 2-0 at Saudi Arabia with the first goal in a World Cup by Robert Lewandowski.
The two tickets for that key will be decided on Wednesday in a heart-stopping last day in which Poland, the leader with four points, will face Argentina, which dodged elimination, rose to second place with three points and now depends on itself to sort out.
Mexico, Last with one point, they will need at least a win against Saudi Arabia, which has three.
Argentina’s unexpected initial loss to Saudi Arabia forced them into Saturday’s do-or-die duel against Mexico at the imposing stadium Lusail (88,966 spectators), where the two passionate fans created an extraordinary atmosphere in the highest attendance at a World Cup since the United States-94 final (94,194).
With both teams under pressure, the match was even until Messi found the opening to connect a whiplash from outside the area that came in close to the post and opened the scoring in the 64th minute.
The PSG star he released all the tension in the celebration in front of thousands of his fans in the stands. Messi himself enabled Enzo Fernández to make it 2-0 definitively in minute 87 with a cross shot that went past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Messi, who wanted to avoid an early farewell in his fifth and likely last World Cup, enjoyed a magical night in which he caught up with Diego Maradona as the Argentine player who has played the most games, 21, in a World Cup.
for his part Mexico, who disappointed with an unambitious game and continues without scoring in Qatar-2022they need to win yes or yes in the last game against Saudi Arabia and hope that the goal difference will benefit them in the tiebreakers.
Double of Mbappé
Shortly before Messi’s saving appearance, his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé also shone with a brace in France’s 2-1 win over Denmark.
After a goalless first half, Mbappé put the ‘Bleus’ ahead in the 61st minute and, after the Barcelona tie Andreas Christensen (68), sealed the victory by finishing off a cross from Antoine Griezmann (86).
The PSG star who had already scored in his debut against Australia (4-1), reached 31 goals in 61 international games at the age of 23, equaling those achieved by Zinedine Zidane and surpassing two historic French soccer strikers such as Fontaine and Papin.
“Kylian is an extraordinary player… He has that ability to be decisive and make a difference even when opponents try to stop him,” French coach Didier Deschamps praised him.
‘Lewy’s first World Cup goal’
National heroes for their victory against Argentina, the Saudi Arabian players could not repeat the feat this Saturday and fell 2-0 against Poland.
Piotr Zielinski opened the scoring in the 39th minute and Robert Lewandowski scored in the 82nd minute after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saved a Saudi penalty late in the first half at Education City Stadium.
It was the first goal of Lewandowski in a World Cup after five games. The tip of the FC Barcelona took advantage of an error of the defense Abdulelah Al-Malki to get the ball inside the area and beat goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais from below.
The striker, who also provided the assist on both Zielinski, He celebrated it very emotionally with his teammates.
“I think the older I get, the more excited I get,” the 34-year-old Polish captain admitted after the game. “I am aware that it may be my last World Cup and I wanted to be able to say that I have played and scored in World Cups.”
In the other game on Saturday, Australia defeated Tunisia 1-0 on a header from striker Mitch Duke in the 23rd minute.
