Argentina’s chance of qualifying the Round of 16 at World Cup. At the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi, will play Poland in their final group-stage matchup today, November 30. Along with Saudi Arabia and Mexico, who are now playing each other in their final match, the two teams are in Group C. Currently, depending on how today’s games turn out, any two of the group’s four teams could advance to the Round of 16.
One of the favorites to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2022 is Argentina. However, they had a terrible start to their campaign, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia on November 22. After defeating Mexico in their most recent match on November 26, they are presently ranked second in the standings with three points.
Today’s match against Poland is a must-win for Messi and the company because a loss would mean their elimination from the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Argentina could qualify with a draw, but only if specific requirements are completed. La Albiceleste advances based on goal differential in the event that both games are drawn.
The Saudis will be eliminated if Mexico defeats them by more than three goals and Lionel Scaloni’s team only manages to draw with Poland. Meanwhile, Poland will advance even with a draw and will win the group with a victory. The South American team was far from their best in their loss to Saudi Arabia, despite being one of the favorites to win the trophy. In their crucial game against Mexico, they again had a subpar first half.
However, Argentina was more composed and in charge of the game following Messi’s spectacular goal in the 64th minute. Scaloni commented on this after the game, saying, “Obviously, after a win against Mexico, we are feeling better emotionally. Our current course is correct. Having achieved the [Messi] goal, have we reclaimed our identity? Depending on how you look at it, we had to do whatever we needed to defend the outcome at that point. Football is that. It’s hard.”
Additionally, he said, “We had a few opportunities to have a greater result after the goal; towards the conclusion of the game, we were able to do it, and that’s what counts. We strive to be powerful and fight for every ball; that is who we are. We asked our players that question prior to the game, and what we observed on the field greatly reassured us. We saw our players fighting, even though the first half wasn’t great. Argentina and Messi must perform at their peak against Poland, who have defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 in a hard-fought victory.”
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