Match five at the 2022 World Cup saw one of the biggest upsets in the history of international football. Argentina, one of the favourites to win the tournament, were beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia. In terms of the FIFA rankings, it was the biggest mismatch in the Group Stage in Qatar.
And according to elo ratings, it was the fifth most unlikely international result of all time. It’s only narrowly behind the USA’s defeat of England at the 1950 World Cup, an omen which looms large ahead of those countries meeting on Friday.
While Argentina had more than enough chances to win – taking 15 shots, including two clear-cut opportunities – Saudi Arabia defended well and made the upmost of their attacking moments when they came along. The match felt like some of Liverpool’s this season, where their failure to turn dominance into goals allowed unlikely results to occur. The similarities didn’t end there either.
