"2 changes in the starting team" - Journalist says Argentina will change playing XI for next match and the squad is united behind Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and Argentina remain focused on qualifying for the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup despite suffering a defeat to Saudi Arabia in their first match.

Argentina took the field for the first time at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday (November 22). They went into their match against Saudi Arabia looking to build on their 36-match unbeaten run.

However, La Albiceleste were in for a shock as the Green Falcons earned a demoralizing 2-1 victory over them. The win was so huge that Saudi Arabia declared a public holiday on Wednesday (November 23).

Meanwhile, Argentina will look to bounce back from the setback when they face Mexico in their second group-stage match on Saturday (November 26). Despite the upset, they are focused on getting back to winning ways in their next game, according to journalist Gaston Edul.

Edul has claimed that Lionel Messi and Co. have already put their disappointment of losing to Saudi Arabia behind them. The journalist also stated that Lionel Scaloni will make at least two changes to the team that lost on Tuesday when they face Mexico. He wrote on Twitter:

"The Argentine National Team trains. Turned the page. The squad is united behind Leo Messi's message. There will be at least 2 changes in the starting team. Surely there might be some more. Focussed [on qualifying] for the Round of 16."

It now remains to be seen who among those who started against the Saudis will be dropped from the line-up on Saturday. Cristian Romero and Alejandro Gomez were two players who struggled on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mexico will go into the match on the back of a 0-0 draw against Poland in their FIFA World Cup opener. Both teams will thus be looking for their first win of the tournament.

---

What did Lionel Messi say after Argentina's shock defeat to Saudi Arabia?

Speaking after the loss to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi stressed the need for Argentina to owe up to their mistakes. He said:

"We knew that Saudi Arabia is a team with good players, that they move the ball well and that they advance their defensive line a lot. We worked on it, but we accelerated a bit. There are no excuses. We are going to be more united than ever."

Lionel Messi went on to back his teammates to bounce back from their defeat in the next match:

"This group is strong and has shown it in the past. It's a situation we haven't gone through in a long time. Now, we have to show that this is a real group. It's a very hard blow for everyone. We didn't expect to start like this but things happen for a reason. You have to prepare for what's coming. We have to win and it depends on us."

Lionel Scaloni's men will be hopeful of boosting their chances of qualifying for the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup with a win against Mexico.