Saudi Arabia have shocked one of the favourites to win the 2022 World Cup after beating Argentina 2-1 in Lusail. So, what are La Albiceleste’s worst defeats at the FIFA tournament?
Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari hit home to award the Green Falcon a surprise result after a Lionel Messi penalty. The Argentina hero broke the deadlock after only 10 minutes at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. Yet Lionel Scaloni’s side were rarely up for the fight they faced.
Herve Renard’s Saudi Arabia squad dug in deep to whether the South American’s attacking might. They also survived three first-half goals as Messi and Lautaro Martinez (twice) sent the ball past goalie Mohammed Al Owais only to see the assistant raise the flag for offside.
Saudi Arabia deal Argentina one of their worst World Cup defeats to date
It took Saudi Arabia just three second-half minutes to pull level when Al-Shehri seized on a moment of hesitation from Cristian Romero. Firas Al-Buraikan threaded the ball through to the striker. Al-Shehri drilled a low shot to the far corner from a tight angle for the equaliser.
The Green Falcon were dogged in their defending and Al Dawsari rewarded their efforts on 53 minutes. He fired in a stunning solo effort beyond Emiliano Martinez after bringing the ball under control and beating two Albiceleste defenders to complete the shock comeback.
Saudi Arabia won their Group C meeting with Argentina having only taken three shots and directed two on target. WhoScored recorded La Albiceleste as attempting 15 with just six on target and three blocked. Al Owais made five saves through an inspired display in goal.
Losing to Saudi Arabia stunned Argentina’s players having suffered only a fifth defeat in 51 games under Scaloni to date. The South Americans were also unbeaten in 36 games dating back to July 2019. Yet the side FIFA ranks third in the World lost to the nation ranked 51st.
Argentina also attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as the reigning Copa America winners. They edged FIFA’s top-ranked nation, Brazil, in the final for Messi’s first international title. Now, Argentina have suffered one of their worst defeats at the World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
So, what are Argentina’s five worst defeats at the FIFA World Cup excluding losing to Saudi Arabia in their opening encounter in Group C for Qatar 2022? HITC Football takes a look…
Sweden dealt Argentina one of their worst World Cup defeats way back in 1934
Sweden dealt Argentina one of their worst defeats at the World Cup in 1934 at the second edition. La Albiceleste had finished as runners-up to Uruguay at the 1930 tournament after losing the final 4-2. They only briefly led their South American rivals during the first period.
Yet from taking the silver medal in 1930, Argentina went home in 1934 at the first hurdle. The tournament in Italy only featured 16 teams and started with knockout stage matches.
FIFA drew Argentina to face Sweden in Bologna on May 27 at the Stadio Littoriale. Ernesto Belis would afford La Albiceleste the perfect start, too, when he broke the deadlock after just four minutes. But it only took Sven Jonasson five minutes to draw Blagult level again.
Argentina would start quickly again when the second half commenced as Alberto Galateo restored their lead on 48 minutes. Yet while the South Americans would start quickly, the Europeans could reply as Jonasson again drew Sweden level after trailing for nine minutes.
This time, there would be no Argentine response as Knut Kroon sent La Albiceleste home in the 79th minute. His goal proved to be the difference in Bologna. But neither Kroon nor Jonasson could write their names on the scoresheet as Germany won the quarter-final 2-1.
Argentina suffered one of their worst World Cup defeats to the Netherlands in 1974
The 1974 World Cup in West Germany featured two group stages to decide the nations for the knockout rounds. Argentina came through the first phase by finishing second in Group 4 to Poland after losing 3-2 in Stuttgart before dawing 1-1 with Italy and beating Haiti 4-1.
Yet Group A in the second phase would see Argentina crash out without a win after losing 4-0 to the Netherlands and 2-1 to South American rivals Brazil. They also could only draw 1-1 with East Germany. The Netherlands’ three victories saw them go straight to the final.
Oranje also had goal difference on their side had they drawn with Brazil in their final game of Group A. Rinus Michels’ Dutch squad ran riot in Gelsenkirchen to beat Argentina 4-0. It also only took Johan Cruyff 11 minutes to score the first of his double to thrash La Albiceleste.
Ruud Krol (25’) and Johnny Rep (73’) added to the Netherlands’ scoreline on either side of half-time. Cruyff crept in to put another nail in La Albiceleste’s coffin in the 90th minute. It was the perfect performance from an Oranje side clearly a cut above their opponent then.
Such was their dominance that day that Marca notes Dutch goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed only touched the ball once. But captain Cruyff and his colleagues would go on to lose to West Germany in the final. Oranje still remain one of the best sides yet to win a World Cup now.
Cameroon stunned La Albiceleste to record a 1-0 win at the San Siro in 1990
Cameroon arrived at Italia 90 to make only their second appearance at a World Cup. They had also lost each of their three fixtures on debut in 1982. Yet Les Lions Indomptables put on a shock showing to stun Argentina in their opening Group B match held at the San Siro.
It was one of the all-time World Cup upsets – which Saudi Arabia’s win now joins after they dealt Argentine one of the South American’s worst defeats at the FIFA tournament to date at Qatar 2022. And like in 2022, the 1990 affair featured an Argentine icon in Diego Maradona.
The legendary playmaker captained Argentina in Italy but would not lead his nation to beat Cameroon. Instead, the central African nation put their continent on the footballing map in Milan. Yet it could have been oh-so different when Claudio Caniggia charged on the wing.
Caniggia burst down the right flank and surprised many when he refused to go to ground under a lunging challenge. Time was running out and the substitute striker remained on his feet under a second tackle, too. It took a robust foul from Benjamin Massing to stop him.
French referee Michel Vautrot would send Massing off for the wild lunge and reduce Les Lions Indomptables to nine men. He had already sent Andre Kana-Biyik off on 61 minutes for a straight red card foul. Massing left Vautrot with no choice after his waist-high attack.
A red card was worth the price for Massing, though, as it denied Caniggia his chance to put Argentina level. Francois Omam-Biyik had handed Cameroon a shock lead six minutes after Kana-Biyik blew kisses as he walked off the hallowed turf to inspire their underdog story.
Bulgaria beat the South Americans 2-0 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 1994
Bulgaria made the sixth of their seven appearances at the World Cup in 1994 and enjoyed their best tournament finish. They had only previously advanced from the group stage on one occasion. Yet Lavovete went all the way into the semi-finals before finishing in fourth.
In making the final four after losing in their only previous knockout stage match, Bulgaria also dealt Argentina one of their worst World Cup defeats yet in Group D. La Albiceleste went into their final tie meeting topping the table. Yet a 2-0 defeat saw them finish third.
It was still enough for Argentina to make the knockouts with the top three advancing but all they needed was a point to finish first. Instead, Hristo Stoichkov broke the deadlock on the hour mark before Nasko Sirakov secured Bulgaria’s surprise result with a 93rd-minute goal.
Losing at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas meant Argentina met Romania in the last 16 instead of Italy like Nigeria or Mexico like Bulgaria. And from the Round of 16 meetings, it would only be Bulgaria who would represent Group D come the quarter-finals after Romania won 3-2.
Argentina were on the back foot at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena from the 11th minute when Ilie Dumitrescu broke the deadlock. The forward would also restore Romania’s lead in the 18th minute after Gabriel Batistuta had replied from the penalty spot in the 16th minute.
Gheorghe Hagi then got in on the act in the 58th minute to give Romania some breathing room. But Abel Balbo ensured La Albiceleste would remain in touch when he scored on 75 minutes. Yet it was too little too late for the South Americans who lost in the final in 1990.
Croatia thrashed Argentina 3-0 in a costly Group D meeting at Russia 2018
Argentina will fear their shock defeat to Saudi Arabia now leading to a repeat of their 2018 World Cup in Russia. La Albiceleste failed to beat Iceland in their opening match as Alfreo Finnbogason equalised on 23 minutes. Sergio Aguero had scored first in the 1-1 stalemate.
A trip to Nizhny Novgorod to face Croatia followed for Argentina but La Albiceleste would not have expected what was to come. Vatreni had needed an own goal from Oghenekaro Etebo and a Luka Modric penalty to beat Nigeria 2-0. Yet Croatia would run out 3-0 victors.
Ante Rebic beat Willy Caballero to break the deadlock at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on 53 minutes. But the goal was through the making of the Albiceleste goalkeeper after failing horribly at an attempted chipped pass. It fell invitingly for Rebic to volley into an empty net.
Messi struggled to conjure up much magic for the South Americans at the other end of the pitch, either. Substitutes Gonzalo Higuain and Pablo Dybala also struggled to make enough of an impact. Then, on 80 minutes, Modric produced a moment of beauty to go 2-0 ahead.
The midfielder curled a delightful attempt beyond Caballero before Ivan Rakitic completed the job in stoppage time with a tap-in. It left Argentina needing to beat Nigeria in their last tie to reach the last 16. And they did, just, via Marcos Rojo’s 86th-minute strike to win 2-1.
Yet Croatia winning all three of their Group D games saw Argentina face Group C winners France in the last 16. It was there, at the Kazan Arena, where their journey would end in 2018. Antoine Griezmann, Benjamin Pavard and Kylian Mbappe (twice) hit for a 4-3 result.
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