Messi and co. on knees. Lewandowski failed. The master was losing, finally he shot himself

Argentina were the second biggest favorites for gold after Brazil according to the bookies. The team around the star captain Messi was in excellent form before the tournament, winning five times in a row with a score of 19:0. He has not lost in 36 games since June 2019. However, the great series was ended by the least expected opponent.

Although the favorite led after the first half thanks to Messi’s penalty kick, the Saudis surprised everyone shortly after the break when they turned the score around after goals from Sálih Šahrí and Násir Davsári. The Argentines were drowning in convulsions and could no longer answer.

The Mexicans entered the group stage with a 0:0 draw with Poland. His star captain Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty in the 58th minute at Stadium 974 in Doha. The Barcelona striker is still waiting for his first goal at the world championships.

The Poles will face Saudi Arabia in the second round of the “céček” on Saturday in Doha at the Education City Stadium. The Mexicans will take on Argentina.

Today’s match was the first at the World Cup to be played in a stadium made up of 974 recyclable shipping containers. The arena will be dismantled after the tournament.

The Poles often looked for the 34-year-old striker Lewandowski, who was, however, well guarded by the Mexican defense. In the end, the Barcelona gunner failed in the best chance of the match and did not beat Ochou, who knocked out Lewandowski’s unsuccessful shot. The historically best scorer of the Polish national team with 76 goals did not score even in his fourth game at the World Cup.

Szczesny then held off the opponents of the Czech team in the upcoming qualification for Euro 2024 with an excellent save against Martín’s header. Mexico did not lose the opening match at the World Cup for the seventh time in a row, while Poland, on the other hand, did not win in it for the seventh time in a row.

Before that, the opening game of Group D between Denmark and Tunisia produced the first goalless draw of the championship. In a match with few chances, the Danes were closer to victory, twenty minutes before the end they were stopped by a post on their way to three points.

The Tunisians have never beaten a European team at the World Cup. In the last championship, however, they tormented England in the opening match in Russia and lost only with a goal in the last minute, and today they were more than equal opponents to the Danes in Doha.

France entered the World Cup in Qatar with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Australia. The defending champions were trailing from the ninth minute to a Craig Goodwin goal in their opening Group D appearance, but Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud turned the score around before the break. In the 68th minute, Kylian Mbappé added insurance and Giroud closed the score immediately after, who equaled the French record holder Thierry Henry with his 51st goal in the national team.

The French defeated Australia in their opening game at the championship for the second time in a row, winning 2-1 four years ago.

The defending champions were trailing from the ninth minute after Craig Goodwin’s goal, but Adrien Rabiot and Olivier Giroud turned the score around before the break. In the 68th minute, Kylian Mbappé added insurance and Giroud closed the score immediately after, who equaled the French record holder Thierry Henry with his 51st goal in the national team.

The defending champion won the opening match of the WC for the first time since 2006.

The French, who won only for the second time in the last seven duels, will face Denmark in the next match of the group on Saturday. The Australians will face Tunisia.