Lionel Messi of Argentina reacts to fans as they warm up prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium on November 22, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Argentina’s 35-year-old captain and all-time top scorer Lionel Messi shrugged off some fatigue niggles to lead the line on November 22 in the Group C opener against Saudi Arabia where he begins his last quest for an elusive World Cup trophy.
With Paulo Dybala still not recovered from injury, Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria were up front with Messi in a star-studded team who are one of the favourites to win in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard kept captain and midfielder Salman Al-Faraj in the team despite a recent shoulder injury. He has been a cornerstone of Al Hilal’s dominance of Asian club football in recent years.
Their team is entirely home-based, with the local league’s financial clout ensuring few leading players aspire to play overseas.
Teams:
Argentina: Emeliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Alejandro Gomez, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Lionel Messi (c), Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria.
Saudi Arabia: Mohamed Al-Owais, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Mohamed Kanno, Saud Abdulhamid, Abdulelah Al-Malki, Saleh Al-Shehri, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Salman Al-Faraj (c), Salem Al-Dawsari, Firas Al-Buraikan.