In their second Group C match of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi’s Argentina will face Mexico at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Saturday (Sunday IST). This match will be a must-win game for Argentina if they want to keep themselves alive in the race to win this year’s competition. Argentina suffered a shock 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia in their Group C opener on Tuesday (November 22) at the same stadium. With 0 points, they sit at the bottom of the group C points table. If they lose against Mexico in Lusail, then surely Argentina will get knocked out of the World Cup. A draw would still keep them alive, but a defeat would be the end for Messi and company.
Because if they suffer a second straight defeat, Argentina will be without any points after two matches, and in comparison, Mexico will reach four, which they will not be able to match. Also, the other group game is between Poland and Saudi Arabia, and irrespective of who wins it, one team will definitely reach at least four points, which again cannot be matched. So, Argentina’s only chance to stay alive is by avoiding defeat in this game against Mexico.
Since the turn of the century, Argentina has faced Mexico twice in the FIFA World Cup (in 2006 and 2010), and on both occasions, they managed to secure a win. In 2006, Argentina won the game by a margin of 2-1, and in 2010, the scoreline read 3-1. They would hope to complete a hat-trick of wins, whereas the Mexican team would back themselves to get lucky in the third attempt.
For Argentina, all eyes will be on superstar Lionel Messi. It will be interesting to see how he performs in this all-important match for the South American giants. He scored via a penalty against Saudi Arabia, but that didn’t prove to be enough.
Which team will win the FIFA World Cup Group C match between Argentina and Mexico? Millions of Argentina and Lionel Messi fans all around the world will hope that the 35-year-old will be at his best on Saturday (Sunday IST) in Lusail and inspire Argentina to a famous win over Mexico, which would not just keep them in the tournament but also revive their campaign. Apart from Messi, Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, and Emiliano Martinez’s performances will also have a big say in Argentina vs. Mexico’s match result. But with their campaign on the line and no margin for error, one can expect Argentina to go on and win this going-to-be epic encounter.
