Topics: Lionel Messi, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022
The Green Falcons came from a goal down to end La Albiceleste's impressive 36-game unbeaten run, sending shockwaves around the world along the way.

Argentina took on Saudi Arabia in Tuesday's early 2022 FIFA World Cup kick-off, and despite everyone predicting the South American giants to thrash their opponents, the Middle Eastern side pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the century!

La Albiceleste went 1-0 up after only 10 minutes, with none other than Lionel Messi giving the Copa America winners the lead courtesy of a penalty. However, the two-time World Cup champions could have–and probably should have–scored more in the first half, with the Argentines seeing three other goals ruled out for offside.

And as a result, with a mere one-goal lead heading into the break, Lionel Scaloni's men entered the second half knowing things could easily get complicated. Lo and behold, three minutes after the break, Saleh Al-Shehri equalized for the Green Falcons to breathe life back into the game. Five minutes later, everyone's jaws dropped to the floor as Saudi Arabia scored a brilliant goal to go 2-1 up.

This time, Salem Al-Dawsari provided the moment of magic, with the Al-Hilal winger beating a few Argentines before whipping in an unstoppable shot into the top corner. From then on, it became a question of whether Messi and Co. could break down Hervé Renard's side.

The answer was no. Breathtaking displays from Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais and his defense prevented the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria, Julian Alvarez, and even Argentina's seven-time Ballon d'Or winner from having a sniff at goal.

And when the full-time whistle arrived, the entire stadium burst into a roar as the crowd celebrated what some are describing as the biggest upset in FIFA World Cup history. Given that La Albiceleste are one of the favorites for the title while Saudi Arabia are ranked outside the top 50, it is easy to understand why.

Not only was this a major upset, but Salem Al-Dawsari and Co. also reached a number of milestones. First of all, the Gulf nation ended the South American giants' impressive 36-game unbeaten streak, which is a huge shock as many expected the Argentines to break Italy's record for the longest unbeaten run in international football (37). Additionally, the Green Falcons became the first Asian team in history to score more than one goal against La Albiceleste in FIFA World Cup history.

"The Saudi national team is the first Asian team to score against Argentina with more than one goal in the history of the World Cup" 

This was also the first time Argentina have lost a game in which Messi scored since going down to Spain in 2009. The question for Scaloni's side is whether they can quickly turn this around in order to avoid the worst-case scenario: a group-stage exit in Leo's final World Cup. Next up for them is showdowns with Mexico and Poland, which are now must-win games for the South Americans.