The mood in Argentina changed in the blink of an eye. Lionel Messi and company had made their way to Qatar 2022 in great fashion, giving plenty of reasons for optimism, but lost to Saudi Arabia in one of the biggest FIFA World Cup upsets in recent memory.
Now, Lionel Scaloni's men find themselves in a tough spot, with plenty of work to do to remain alive in the competition. Their World Cup chances aren't over yet, but they certainly need to do much better.
Losing the first game in a World Cup is always a huge blow for any team, let alone for one that was expected to challenge for the trophy. But Argentina shouldn't enter panick mode yet, as they've already pulled through this kind of situation in the past.
Have Argentina qualified to the World Cup knockout stage after losing in their debut?
This is not the first time Argentina lose in a World Cup debut, so they could learn from the experience to know this isn't over yet. On most occasions, La Albiceleste bounced back after losing in the opening match:
- Italy 1934 - Round of 16 (2-3 vs. Sweden)
- Sweden 1958 - Group Stage (1-3 vs. West Germany)
- Germany 1974 - Second Phase (2-3 vs. Poland)
- Spain 1982 - Second Phase (0-1 vs. Belgium)
- Italy 1990 - Finalist (0-1 vs. Cameroon)
How will they fare this year in Qatar? Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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