Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand have hailed Wojciech Szczesny after the goalkeeper saved a Lionel Messi penalty during Poland's loss on Wednesday night.
Poland were defeated 2-0 by Argentina in their final group game, but have qualified for the knockout stages on goal difference. They could have been heading home though had Szczesny not denied Messi from 12 yards in the first-half.
Mexico's win over Saudi Arabia left them and Poland on three points, but Poland's one-better goal difference sent Robert Lewandowski's side through ahead of the Central Americans. And both Shearer and Ferdinand believe that it should be Szczesny who takes the credit.
The decision to award the penalty proved highly controversial, with Szczesny appearing to barely touch Messi as he tried to push away Julian Alvarez's cross. Even so, Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot after checking the pitch-side VAR monitor.
Messi stepped up but Szczesny guessed the right way and stuck up his right hand to push the ball away from danger. Shearer hailed the "magnificent" Juventus star for that crucial save.
"It's a really good save. Poland have got their goalkeeper to thank for getting them through to the next round. He was magnificent tonight," he told BBC Sport.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who has been the player of the World Cup so far? Comment below.
"The penalty save, one or two other saves, particularly in the second half when it was just relentless pressure from Argentina. I mean this is wonderful. It should never have been a penalty in the first place.
"But he guesses the right side and not only that but he has the strength to keep that out there, brilliant. What a save with that right hand."
Ferdinand also believes that the Poland star is one of the best in the world when it comes to facing penalties. And he picked out a key attribute that Szczesny has which sets him apart from his fellow keepers.
"Szczesny is one of the best penalty keepers in the world. Goalkeepers and coaches will be analysing him. If he doesn't play and perform the way he does today, Poland are out, simple as," Ferdinand said.
"It's remaining concentrated though and that's what top goalkeepers, the one's who concentrate."
Messi's spot-kick was the second penalty Szczesny has saved in this World Cup, having denied Salem Al-Dawsari in his second game. Following the defeat to Argentina, Szczesny he had made a bet with Messi about the decision to award the spot-kick.
"We spoke before the penalty and I told would bet him €100 that he [referee] wasn't going to give it. So I've lost a bet against Messi," Szczesny told TV2.
"I don't know if that's allowed at the World Cup - I'm probably going to get banned for it! But I don't care right now. I'm not going to pay him either - he doesn't care about €100 I think he has enough."
He later added to RAI Sport: "I was fortunate twice this competition. It's a great moment in the career of a player, the World Cup is the maximum and this is special. There's a bit of work that goes into it too."
"But in order to save a Messi penalty, you need some luck as well. We’ve got to do more against France. It was strange approaching a game where we knew a draw would be enough.”
