Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino entered the World Cup amid several doubts and controversies. Snubs from the 26-man roster turned the media against him, and some believe this could be his final days leading the way for El Tri.
Of course, that only puts more pressure on his shoulders to beat the odds and have a good World Cup, but the big picture in the group is complicated, to say the least. Argentina is desperate for a win, and they couldn’t beat Poland in the debut.
So, with a game against Saudi Arabia on the horizon, the Mexican side would have its backs against the wall if it failed to beat Argentina. But would a loss to the Albiceleste mean elimination for Martino’s team? Let’s break it down.
Qatar 2022: What Happens Is Mexico Lose To Argentina?
A Mexico win would obviously be the best-case scenario for them. They’d have 4 points and would control their own destiny, as they could make it to the knockout stage with a win or a draw vs. Saudi Arabia.
If Poland beats Saudi Arabia, however, Mexico would be forced to beat Argentina. Otherwise, Poland will have 4 points, and Saudi Arabia could still get to the knockout stage with six if they beat Mexico.
However, regardless of what goes down between Poland and Saudi Arabia, Martino’s team wouldn’t be eliminated with a loss to Argentina. They could still qualify with four points as the second-best team in the group.
For that to happen, though, they’d need Argentina to lose or draw their final game, and they’d need to beat Saudi Arabia by a big margin, so the goal differential works in their favor. So, if Mexico wants to control its destiny and avoid going back home early, beating or at least drawing to Argentina will be a must in their second game of the group stage.
