FIFA WC, Day 3 Recap: Saudi Arabia inflict biggest upset, Denmark vs Tunisia ends goalless

The third day of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar witnessed one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history when Saudi Arabia stunned Lionel Messi's Argentina in their campaign opener. Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the tournament from the penalty spot, but some poor defensive display led to the team's downfall. Besides Argentina's shock defeat, dark horses Denmark were held to a goalless draw by Tunisia, while Mexico managed to hold Poland. The final match of the day saw defending World Cup champions France kick off their campaign with a crushing win over Australia. We take a look at the key takeaways from yet another action-packed day in Qatar.

Argentina's over-reliance on Lionel Messi suffers blow

The Argentina squad at the FIFA World Cup 2022 has no shortage of world-class players, but the team still relies heavily on their talisman Lionel Messi to do the job for them. During Argentina vs Saudi Arabia match, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored the opening goal of the tournament for his country but the lacklustre performance from other players led to the downfall against Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's splendid defensive display

Argentina had a phenomenal record in the buildup to the tournament and were heavy favourites to win their opening match against the Saudi Arabia side. However, the fans were stunned by the incredible defensive display from the Saudi team which made the Argentine frontline look average. Despite having the majority of the possession, Argentina never quite managed to penetrate the Saudi defence with players being found offside on ten different occasions. 

Tunisia's gritty display denies Denmark full points 

Going by the teams in Group D, many would have predicted Tunisia to be an easy opponent for the other three teams in Group D. However, much to everyone's surprise, Tunisia battled it hard against the European Championship semi-finalists Denmark to earn a well-deserved point. 

Guillermo Ochoa stands like a wall for Mexico against Poland 

Robert Lewandowski’s failure to convert the penalty in the 58th minute has made the group even more competitive after Argentina’s shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. Mexico will thank goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa for his splendid goal-saving effort. The 37-year-old goalkeeper, playing in his fifth World Cup, will look to continue his impressive display.

Injury-hit France dominates the show

Despite missing out on some of the key players due to injuries, France started their title defence by handing Australia a 4-1 thrashing. The Les Bleus were stunned by Australia in the 9th minute after a goal by Craig Goodwin. However, a brace from Olivier Giroud along with goals from  Rabiot and Mbappe saw Didier Deschamp's team secure an impressive win. Giroud also went on to equal Thierry Henry's record as France's top-scorer.