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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been the subject of criticism on social media after La Albiceleste lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina faced Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar in their FIFA World Cup opener today (November 22). They went into the game looking to get their tournament off to a winning start, but ultimately had their 36-match unbeaten run by the Green Falcons.
Lionel Messi gave the Copa America champions the lead just 10 minutes into the match. The goal came from the spot after they were handed a penalty for a foul on Leandro Paredes in the box.
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La Albiceleste went into the half-time break with a one-goal lead, but Saudi Arabia pulled level just three minutes into the second half. Saleh Alshehri found the back of the net after a quick build-up, with Messi losing the ball near the halfway line.
The Green Falcons went on to shock Argentina and the world just five minutes later. Salem Aldawsari put his team ahead in the game with a stunning curling shot from the edge of the box.
Lionel Scaloni's men pushed the bring the game back to square one for the rest of the match, but to no avail. The Saudis managed to hold on to their one-goal lead, causing the first major upset of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
A lot has been said since the referee blew the final whistle at the Lusail Stadium, with many fans lauding Saudi Arabia for their efforts. Some supporters have now taken the opportunity to slam Messi for the loss.
Several fans have taken to Twitter to criticize the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar after he failed to lead his team to a win against Saudi Arabia:
One fan claimed that Lionel Messi is not as good as his arch-nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to leadership:
"After scoring a penalty in the group stages Messi couldn’t salvage Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo saved Portugal from a super Spain team in 2018. Messi is no leader."
Lionel Messi's Argentina face Mexico in their next FIFA World Cup match
The win against Argentina will be a huge boost to Saudi Arabia's chances of progressing into the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup. La Albiceleste, on the other hand, will be disappointed to get their tournament off to a bad start.
Lionel Messi and Co. will look to bounce back from their defeat when they face Mexico in their next match on Friday (November 26). They will then face Poland in their final group-stage game on November 30.
