Fifa World Cup Today: Messi On Show And France Start Title Defence

Lionel Messi gets his fifth World Cup underway while the champs face Australia
07:00, 22 Nov 2022

Reigning world champions France get their World Cup title defence underway against Australia on Tuesday, while 2014 runners-up Argentina and superstar forward Lionel Messi start their campaign off against Saudi Arabia in Day 3 of the tournament in Qatar. There are two other games in a packed day of international football.

Here is everything you need to know about Tuesday’s action.

Argentina vs Saudi Arabia - Group C

Where: Lusail Stadium, Lusail

When: 10am (GMT) / 1pm (AST)

TV: ITV1, STV and ITV Hub

Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)

Last meeting: Saudi Arabia 0-0 Argentina (Riyadh, 2012)

Argentina’s last five: Won 5-0 v United Arab Emirates, Won 3-0 v Jamaica, Won 3-0 v Honduras, Won 5-0 v Estonia, Won 3-0 v Italy

Argentina’s World Cup record: 18th finals appearance (Best: Winners, 1978, 1986) Total Games: 81, Won 47, Drawn 10, Lost 24. Win percentage 58%

Saudi Arabia’s last five: Lost 0-1 v Croatia, Drew 1-1 v Panama, Won 1-0 v Iceland, Won 1-0 v North Macedonia, Drew 0-0 v USA

Saudi Arabia’s World Cup record: Fourth finals appearance (Best: Round of 16, 1994) Total Games 16, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 11. Win percentage 19%

Argentina squad: 1 Franco Armani, 2 Juan Foyth, 3 Nicolas Tagliafico, 4 Gonzalo Montiel, 5 Leandro Paredes, 6 Gaston Pezzella, 7 Rodrigo De Paul, 8 Marcos Acuna, 9 Julian Alvarez, 10 Lionel Messi, 11 Angel Di Maria, 12 Geronimo Rulli, 13 Cristian Romero, 14 Exequiel Palacios, 15 Angel Correa, 16 Joaquin Correa, 17 Alejandro Gomez, 18 Guido Rodriguez, 19 Nicolas Otamendi, 20 Alexis Mac Allister, 21 Paulo Dybala, 22 Lautaro Martinez, 23 Emiliano Martinez, 24 Enzo Fernandez, 25 Lisandro Martinez, 26 Nahuel Molina

Saudi Arabia squad: 1 Mohammed Al-Rubaie, 2 Sultan Al-Ghannam, 3 Abdullah Madu, 4 Abdulelah Al-Amri, 5 Ali Al-Bulaihi, 6 Mohammed Al-Breik, 7 Salman Al-Faraj, 8 Abdulellah Al-Malki, 9 Firas Al-Buraikan, 10 Salem Al-Dawsari, 11 Saleh Al-Shehri, 12 Saud Abdulhamid, 13 Yasser Al-Shahrani, 14 Abdullah Otayf, 15 Ali Al-Hassan, 16 Sami Al-Najei, 17 Hassan Al-Tambakti, 18 Nawaf Al-Abed, 19 Hattan Bahebri, 20 Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, 21 Mohammed Al-Owais, 22 Nawaf Al-Aqidi, 23 Mohamed Kanno, 24 Nasser Al-Dawsari, 25 Haitham Asiri, 26 Riyadh Sharahili

Preview: Argentina are being tipped by many to go all the way in Qatar in what would be the crowning jewel of Lionel Messi’s career. La Albiceleste are on an unbeaten run of 35 matches, the best current run by any international team, which is why many feel that the script is being written for the fairytale ending in what is likely to be Messi’s final World Cup. If there is one thing missing from the Paris Saint-Germain's star column in the great debate as to whether he or the late Diego Maradona is the greatest ever to play the game, then it is the lack of a World Cup since Maradona won the tournament practically single-handedly in 1986. Success in Qatar over the next month could change that for Messi.

As for Saudi Arabia, no one is expecting anything major from them over the next few weeks. They have been drawn in an unfortunate group, with Poland and Mexico also offering tough competition. The bar for them was set in 1994 when they reached the last 16 in the USA and if they found a way to progress out of this group, it would be an excellent achievement. The Saudis are now being coached by Herve Renard, the former Cambridge United manager who is now in charge of his sixth different national team.

Sportsman stat: This is Argentina's 13th straight appearance at the World Cup finals. Since their last failure to qualify in 1970, the only time they were knocked out in the group was at the finals in South Korea and Japan in 2002.

Betfred match odds: Argentina 1/6, Saudi Arabia 16/1, draw 11/2

Favourites for first goalscorer: Lionel Messi (Argentina) 9/4, Julian Alvarez (Argentina) 7/2, Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) 7/2

Featured bet: Over 3.5 Argentina goals 5/2

To qualify from Group C: Argentina 1/12, Saudi Arabia 11/2

ERIKSEN RETURNS TO THE FINALS STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS COLLAPSE
ERIKSEN RETURNS TO THE FINALS STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS COLLAPSE

Denmark v Tunisia - Group D

Where: Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan

When: 1pm (GMT) / 4pm (AST)

TV: ITV1, STV and ITV Hub

Referee: Cesar Arturo Ramos (Mexico)

Last meeting: Denmark 2-1 Tunisia (Wakayama, 2002)

Denmark’s last five: Won 2-0 v France, Lost 1-2 v Croatia, Won 2-0 v Austria, Lost 0-1 v Croatia, Won 2-1 v Austria

Denmark’s World Cup record: Sixth finals appearance (Best: Quarter-finals, 1998) Total games: 20, Won 9, Drawn 5, Lost 6. Win percentage 45%.

Tunisia’s last five: Lost 1-5 v Brazil, Won 1-0 v Comoros, Won 3-0 v Japan, Won 2-0 v Chile, Drew 0-0 v Botswana 

Tunisia’s World Cup record: Sixth finals appearance (Best: Group Stage, 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018) Total games: 15, Won 2, Drawn 4, Lost 9. Win percentage 13%

Denmark squad: 1 Kasper Schmeichel, 2 Joachim Andersen, 3 Victor Nelsson, 4 Simon Kjaer, 5 Joakim Maehle, 6 Andreas Christensen, 7 Mathias Jensen, 8 Thomas Delaney, 9 Martin Braithwaite, 10 Christian Eriksen, 11 Andreas Skov Olsen, 12 Kasper Dolberg, 13 Rasmus Kristensen, 14 Mikkel Damsgaard, 15 Christian Norgaard, 16 Oliver Christensen, 17 Jens Stryger Larsen, 18 Daniel Wass, 19 Jonas Wind, 20 Yussuf Poulsen, 21 Andreas Cornelius, 22 Frederik Ronnow, 23 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 24 Robert Skov, 25 Jesper Lindstrom, 26 Alexander Bah

Tunisia squad: 1 Aymen Mathlouthi, 2 Bilel Ifa, 3 Montassar Talbi, 4 Yassine Meriah, 5 Nader Ghandri, 6 Dylan Bronn, 7 Youssef Msakni, 8 Hannibal Mejbri, 9 Issam Jebali, 10 Wahbi Khazri, 11 Taha Yassine Khenissi, 12 Ali Maaloui, 13 Feriani Sassi, 14 Aissa Laidouni, 15 Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, 16 Aymen Dahmen, 17 Ellyes Skhiri, 18 Ghailene Chaalali, 19 Seifeddine Jaziri, 20 Mohamed Drager, 21 Waidi Kechrida, 22 Bechir Ben Said, 23 Naim Sliti, 24 Ali Abdi, 25 Anis Ben Slimane, 26 Mouez Hassen

Preview: Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark were the surprise package at Euro 2020 last year after they rallied in the aftermath of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest in their tournament opener. The squad had a good blend of youth and experience, and that should serve them well for the World Cup. Mikkel Damsgaard and Joakim Maehle were two of their standout stars in the Euros, and with Eriksen back in the fold there is another creative outlet for Denmark to embark on another exciting journey.

Tunisia have always been grateful to just qualify for the World Cup finals, and the most recognisable name in the squad is former Sunderland forward Wahbi Khazri. A lesser known star-in-the-making is Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri who is spending this season on loan at Birmingham City. The midfielder’s ferocious nature in the defensive side of the game is perfectly balanced with calmness on the ball. He could be one to keep an eye on during the tournament.

Sportsman stat: Denmark are unbeaten against African opposition at the World Cup (Won two, drawn two) while Tunisia have never beaten European opposition at the tournament (drawn three, lost seven).

Betfred match odds: Denmark 9/20, Tunisia 13/2, draw 16/5

Favourites for first goalscorer: Kasper Dolberg (Denmark) 4/1, Jonas Wind (Denmark) 4/1, Andreas Cornelius (Denmark) 9/2

Featured bet: Both teams to score 5/4

To qualify from Group D: Denmark 4/11, Tunisia 7/2 

MUCH IS EXPECTED OF LEWANDOWSKI AFTER A DECENT EURO 2020
MUCH IS EXPECTED OF LEWANDOWSKI AFTER A DECENT EURO 2020

Mexico v Poland - Group C

Where: Stadium 974, Doha

When: 4pm (GMT) / 7pm (AST)

TV: BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Referee: Chris Beath (Australia)

Last meeting: Poland 0-1 Mexico (Gdansk, 2017)

Mexico’s last five: Lost 1-2 v Sweden, Won 4-0 v Iraq, Lost 2-3 v Colombia, Won 1-0 v Peru, Lost 0-1 v Paraguay

Mexico’s World Cup record: 17th finals appearance (Best: Quarter-finals, 1970, 1986) Total games: 57, Won 16, Drawn 14, Lost 27. Win percentage 28%

Poland’s last five: Won 1-0 v Chile, Won 1-0 v Wales, Lost 0-2 v Netherlands, Lost 0-1 v Belgium, Drew 2-2 v Netherlands.

Poland’s World Cup record: Ninth finals appearance (Best: Third place, 1974, 1982) Total games: 34, Won 16, Drawn 5, Lost 13. Win percentage 47%

Mexico squad: 1 Alfredo Talavera, 2 Nestor Araujo, 3 Cesar Montes, 4 Edson Alvarez, 5 Johan Vasquez, 6 Gerardo Arteaga, 7 Luis Romo, 8 Carlos Rodriguez, 9 Raul Jimenez, 10 Alexis Vega, 11 Rogelio Funes Mori, 12 Rodolfo Cota, 13 Guillermo Ochoa, 14 Erick Gutierrez, 15 Hector Moreno, 16 Hector Herrera, 17 Orbelin Pineda, 18 Andres Guardado, 19 Jorge Sanchez, 20 Henry Martin, 21 Uriel Antuna, 22 Hirving Lozano, 23 Jesus Gallardo, 24 Luis Chavez, 25 Roberto Alvarado, 26 Kevin Alvarez

Poland squad: 1 Wojciech Szczesny, 2 Matty Cash, 3 Artur Jedrzejczyk, 4 Mateusz Wieteska, 5 Jan Bednarek, 6 Krystian Bielik, 7 Arkadiusz Milik, 8 Damian Szymanski, 9 Robert Lewandowski, 10 Grzegorz Krychowiak, 11 Kamil Grosicki, 12 Lukasz Skorupski, 13 Jakub Kaminski, 14 Jakub Kiwior, 15 Kamil Glik, 16 Karol Swiderski, 17 Szymon Zurkowski, 18 Bartosz Bereszynski, 19 Sebastian Szymanski, 20 Piotr Zielinski, 21 Nicola Zalewski, 22 Kamil Grabara, 23 Krzysztof Piatek, 24 Przemyslaw Frankowski, 25 Robert Gumny, 26 Michal Skoras

Preview: It says much about the nature of Poland's relationship with Fifa World Cup finals tournaments that their great 1980s coach Antoni Piechniczek is the only man ever to lead them into more than one World Cup. The latest person to be given the opportunity to take them deep is Czeslaw Michniewicz, and he will be hoping to coax some positive performances out of Robert Lewandowski. The Barcelona striker has been accused of falling short on the big stage in the past but his three goals in their group-stage exit at Euro 2020 were some sort of consolation for another disappointing early departure.

Mexico are staples in the World Cup these days, with their last seven visits to the finals all ending in the round of 16. They will be expected to make it that far again in Qatar, although this opening game will have a big bearing in that. Defeat first up, and with Saudi Arabia expected to be uncompetitive they may have too much left to do against Argentina. They've brought another experienced line-up to the tournament, even if the evergreen Rafael Marquez has finally retired. A spine of Guillermo Ochoa, Hector Moreno, Andres Guardado and Raul Jimenez ought to help them overcome most difficult moments.

Sportsman stat: Only Brazil (with nine) have made more consecutive knockout stage appearances heading to Qatar than Mexico's run of seven.

Betfred match odds: Mexico 17/10, Poland 7/4, draw 2/1

Favourites for first goalscorer: Robert Lewandowski (Poland) 7/2, Henry Martin (Mexico) 5/1, Raul Jimenez (Mexico) 11/2

Featured bet: Poland to win and both teams to score 11/2

To qualify from Group C: Mexico 10/11, Poland 10/11

HARMONY IS ARGUABLY FRANCE'S BIGGEST QUESTION MARK
HARMONY IS ARGUABLY FRANCE'S BIGGEST QUESTION MARK

France v Australia - Group D

Where: Al Janoub Stadium, Al-Wakrah

When: 7pm (GMT) / 10pm (AST)

TV: BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Referee: Victor Gomes (South Africa)

Last meeting: France 2-1 Australia (Kazan, 2018 World Cup)

France’s last five: Lost 0-2 v Denmark, Won 2-0 v Austria, Lost 0-1 v Croatia, Drew 1-1 v Austria, Lost 1-2 v Denmark.

France’s World Cup record: 16th finals appearance (Best: Winners 1998, 2018) Total games: 66, Won 34, Drawn 13, Lost 19. Win percentage 51%Australia’s last five: Won 2-0 v New Zealand, Won 1-0 v New Zealand, Drawn 0-0 (5-4) v Peru, Won 2-1 v United Arab Emirates, Won 2-1 v Jordan

Australia's last five: Won 2-0 v New Zealand, Won 1-0 v New Zealand, Drew 0-0 v Peru, Won 2-1 v United Arab Emirates, Won 2-1 v Jordan

Australia’s World Cup record: Sixth finals appearance (Best: Round of 16, 2006) Total games: 16, Won 2, Drawn 4, Lost 10. Win percentage 13%

France squad: 1 Hugo Lloris, 2 Benjamin Pavard, 3 Axel Disasi, 4 Raphael Varane, 5 Jules Kounde, 6 Matteo Guendouzi, 7 Antoine Griezmann, 8 Aurelien Tchouameni, 9 Olivier Giroud, 10 Kylian Mbappe, 11 Ousmane Dembele, 12 Randal Kolo Muani, 13 Youssouf Fofana, 14 Adrien Rabiot, 15 Jordan Veretout, 16 Steve Mandanda, 17 William Saliba, 18 Dayot Upamecano, 20 Kingsley Coman, 21 Lucas Hernandez, 22 Theo Hernandez, 23 Alphonse Areola, 24 Ibrahima Konate, 25 Eduardo Camavinga, 26 Marcus Thuram

Australia squad: 1 Mathew Ryan, 2 Milos Degenek, 3 Nathaniel Atkinson, 4 Kye Rowles, 5 Fran Karacic, 6 Martin Boyle, 7 Mathew Leckie, 8 Bailey Wright, 9 Jamie Maclaren, 10 Aidin Hrustic, 11 Awer Mabil, 12 Andrew Redmayne, 13 Aaron Mooy, 14 Riley McGree, 15 Mitchell Duke, 16 Aziz Behich, 17 Cameron Devlin, 18 Danny Vukovic, 19 Harry Souttar, 20 Thomas Deng, 21 Garang Kuol, 22 Jackson Irvine, 23 Craig Goodwin, 24 Joel King, 25 Jason Cummings, 26 Keanu Baccus

Preview: France will be hoping to avoid a common trend that involves the reigning world champions suffering a premature exit when defending their title. No one is disputing that France still have one of the very best squads in the world, but with their Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema and key players from 2018 Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante unavailable a lot is going to be asked of the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni. Didier Deschamps has a point to prove despite having led Les Bleus to glory four years ago, with last year's Euro 2020 exit to Switzerland coming again the backdrop of infighting within the wider group. Harmony might be every bit as important as Kylian Mbappe's form in Qatar.

For the Socceroos the main task will be to final get some goals from open play in the World Cup. Their three goals in the last 429 minutes of World Cup play have all come from the penalty spot, with their last from open play being scored by Tim Cahill - who is now 42 - against the Netherlands in 2014. Head coach Graham Arnold has promised to take the game to France, but that would not be in keeping with the way they have approached recent visits to the biggest show in the footballing world.

Sportsman stat: Australia reached the round of 16 in their final tournament under the banner of the Oceania Football Confederation in 2006 but have been eliminated in the group stage of every tournament since subsequently joining the Asian section.

Betfred match odds: France 1/4, Australia 11/1, draw 9/2

Favourites for first goalscorer: Kylian Mbappe (France) 11/4, Karim Benzema (France) 7/2, Olivier Giroud (France) 7/2

Featured bet: France to win both halves 17/10

To qualify from Group D: France 1/12, Australia 10/3

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