Unbeaten in their previous 36 matches heading into the tournament - dating back to July 2019 and just short of Italy's world record of 37 matches - Argentina took the lead after 10 minutes when Messi converted from the penalty spot. It looked like the first of many goals by a dominant Albiceleste and many were ruled offside.
Lionel Messi's early penalty looked like the first of many goals for Argentina, but Saudi Arabia again pulled off the biggest shock of the World Cup.
But the Saudis hit back and eventually took the lead in the second half through two quick goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Tawsari - an early contender for goal of the match. In another game that stretched beyond 100 minutes, Herve Renard's side held on for more than 40 minutes, resiliently repelling Argentine attacks.
The final whistle prompts scenes of jubilation inside the iconic Lusail Stadium as Argentina capitulate to an unlikely team outside the top 50 in the FIFA world rankings.
Argentina can take some heart from the fact that they lost their first game in a World Cup, bounced back and eventually went to the final (more on that in a moment). But the loss to Saudi Arabia in Qatar goes straight into the history of shocks in the history of the tournament, along with other shock results.
