DOHA, Qatar — From the very beginning, the World Cup’s Group C has been a hotbed of drama. From the first match on the first four-game day in Qatar, down to the final whistle in Lusail on Wednesday, which sealed Mexico’s fate and was a sound of relief and celebration for Poland. Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina ultimately set a course that nearly wound up being sorted by fair-play points and counting cards. And when the dust had settled both in Lusail and Doha, Argentina and Poland were through, Mexico and Saudi Arabia were out and the most chaotic group in Qatar was finally put to rest.
The day began with the possibility that Lionel Messi and Argentina could be ousted. It concluded with La Albiceleste comfortably through as a group winner—thus avoiding France in the last 16 for a second straight World Cup and setting a date with Australia—and while an improved Argentina staked its knockout place with a 2–0 win over a largely supine Poland, the fight for the second spot had Robert Lewandowski’s side and Mexico simultaneously fighting in a battle controlled by all four teams.
For a long time, with Mexico and Argentina both leading 2–0, it had seemed Poland would make it through by dint of having received two fewer yellow cards, which perhaps conditioned its weirdly unadventurous approach, looking to cling on and risk nothing against an opponent that was already through. The plan almost went awry as Nicolás Tagliafico, overlapping on the left, chipped a finish over Wojciech Szczęsny only for Jakub Kiwior to head off the line—and that was before Mexico had conceded to Saudi Arabia, meaning, had it gone in, Poland would’ve been on the outside of the top two via tiebreaker.
