Argentina vs Saudi Arabia - World Cup 2022: Live score and updates

Argentina 1-0 Saudi Arabia LIVE: Messi makes a lively start to his final World Cup as he slots home a penalty before the South Americans have THREE disallowed by tight offside calls in Doha

Follow Sportsmail’s live blog for the World Cup Group C clash between Argentina and Saudi Arabia.

Host commentator

A healthy dose of added time to the added time but we have finally reached the break with Argentina leading Saudi Arabia 1-0.

In a bygone age, they’d be four to the good but VAR and that automated offside system have meant Saudi’s ridiculously high defensive line is just about in tact.

Three goals – two by Lautaro Martinez, one by Lionel Messi – have been chalked off but they still lead thanks to Messi’s early penalty – given by VAR – following some grappling in the box.

But Lionel Scaloni might be a bit irritated at half-time – Argentina should be home and hosed. They’ve also been sloppy with their passing at times. Plenty to work on.

45+4min: Saudi Arabia making a change here – It’s one of their leaders, Salman Al-Faraj, who hasn’t shaken off that knock from a little earlier and will have to admit defeat here. He gets a great reception from the Saudi fans as Nawaf Alabid comes on.

45+3min: Lovely ball into the box by Paredes picks out Di Maria on the right. He can’t quite steer the ball goalwards with enough power.

45min: The fourth official’s added time board becoming more and more of a spectacle at this World Cup. We will have the relatively modest five minutes of added time here.

42min: Argentina have a corner as we fast approach the interval. It leads to Papu Gomez being fouled by Abdullellah Al-Malki.

Messi to deliver the resulting free-kick and it’s cleared to De Paul on the edge of the box, who gets it all wrong as the ball flies into the stands.

39min: The Saudi captain Salman Al-Faraj down with an issue here. Good to see the magic spray remains a part of the game, even at the World Cup. It’s healing powers ensure Al-Faraj is soon back to his feet.

A reminder all this lost time for the stoppage will be added on at the end of the half. Given all those offside calls, we’re probably looking at 10 minutes.

That Saudi Arabia high line…

Argentina have been caught offside six times in this match already – that's more than any team at the 2018 tournament in a match or in this tournament so far.#FIFAWorldCup

35min: The automated graphic finally appears of that disallowed Lautaro Martinez goal. It’s just a tiny bit of his shoulder that would count as offside there – the t-shirt line as the rules state.

Meanwhile, Martinez breaks through to score once again. A bit more clear-cut that time – offside. That’ll be four times Argentina have had the ball in the net now, only one has counted.

The Lautaro Martinez offside 🤯 pic.twitter.com/UhcW0zoEjf

31min: Saudi Arabia attacking now and De Paul brings down Kanno close to the touchline to concede a free-kick in a threatening position. Surely their best hope of an equaliser comes from a set piece?

Not that time though, curled directly into the gloves of Emi Martinez.

The Saudis have been playing a very high line indeed and it’s proving suicidal. Argentina were just biding their time but now they’ve unlocked their opponents once again.

It’s Lautaro Martinez this time, slipping through, going around the keeper and chipping home.

But there will be a VAR check for offside and, unfortunately for Argentina, Martinez had just strayed a fraction offside running through there.

It remains 1-0 despite Argentina netting three times in the first 28 minutes.

4 – With his goal against Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦, Lionel Messi has become the first player to score in four World Cups with @Argentina (2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022), overpassing Gabriel Batistuta (1994, 1998 and 2002) and Diego Maradona (1982, 1986 and 1994). Poker.#ARG #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/V1ojtVYLZE

22min: Just for a split-second there we thought Messi had doubled his tally – he gets in behind the Saudi defence, races through and coolly slots the ball home one-on-one, only to turn and see the raised flag from the assistant.

It’s the correct decision, Messi was just leaning forward beyond the last defender.

20min: Leandro Paredes sweeps the ball wide to the left, where Papu Gomez steps inside and decides to shoot. Wastefully as it transpires as it clears the bar by some distance.

18min: Argentina hustle the ball back in midfield following a spell of Saudi pressure and a ball over the top sets Lautaro Martinez free.

He blasts his shot wide and the offside flag was raised in any case. We do have the usual situation when the flag won’t go up until the last moment.

15min: So the game plan of containment now out of the window for Saudi Arabia, how do they approach this?

Are we already in damage limitation mode with an eye on the upcoming games against Mexico and Poland? Or will they look to attack and get back into this?

They have a free-kickabout 40 yards out but it’s dealt with pretty comfortably by Parades and then Tagliafico.

Well, talk about calm and collected. Messi simply strokes the penalty home, sending the keeper diving the wrong way. The perfect start to the game and the tournament for Argentina.

That is the PSG star’s 92nd international goal.

7min: Rodrigo de Paul is fouled and Argentina have a free-kick just to the left of the Saudi box that offers Messi an inviting chance to swing the ball in.

But there’s a pause because the referee has been summoned over to the VAR monitor for a penalty check. There was all manner of pushing when that corner was taken.

It was Paredes whose shirt was being grabbed and he was dragged down inside the box. Similar to the one Harry Maguire didn’t get yesterday.

And, yes indeed, there was an infringement in there. Argentina are awarded the penalty and Messi will have the chance to put them ahead from 12 yards.

6min: Papu Gomez this time picked out by a quarterback ball from deep. He wins Argentina a corner despite the best efforts of Saud Abdulhamid.

A bit of pushing and shoving but it’s decisively cleared.

2min: Argentina immediately into their groove and they should be ahead – Angel Di Maria is picked out on the right hand side and plays a pass into the centre, where it’s teed up perfectly for Lionel Messi. You’d expect him to score but it’s a strong hand by the Saudi keeper Al-Owais.

There had been some pre-tournament concerns that Al-Owais was lacking game time because he isn’t the first choice for Al-Hilal. He is for his country, however, and he was sharp with the low save there.

Messi, though, has to score surely.

The Saudi players don’t quite grasp there is a countdown to kick-off but we are belatedly underway.

Warm smiles and handshakes between the two coaches – Lionel Scaloni of Argentina and Herve Renard of Saudi Arabia.

Argentina in their iconic blue and white shirts, with the Saudis in their traditional green.

And so we’re ready to begin on day three of the World Cup and in Group C as well.

The decibel levels go up another level as the two sets of players walk out at the Lusail Iconic Stadium and line up for the anthems.

First, the Argentina player link arms for stirring the Himno Nacional Argentina.

That’s followed by the Saudi anthem ‘An-Nasid al-Waani as-Su’udi’ which translates as ‘Long Live the King.’ The Saudi player pivot towards their flag at one end of the stadium and place hands on hearts.

Argentina: Damian Martinez, Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Di Maria, Messi, Gomez, Lautaro Martinez
Substitutes: Armani, Foyth, Montiel, Pezzella, Acuna, Alvarez, Rulli, Palacios, Correa, Almada, Rodriguez, Mac Allister, Dybala, Jeremias, Lisandro Martinez

Saudi Arabia: Al-Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Al-Bulayhi, Al-Shahrani, Al-Shehri, Kanno, Al-Malki, Salem Al-Dawsari, Al-Faraj, Al-Buraikan
Substitutes: Al-Rubaie, Al-Ghanam, Madu, Al-Amri, Al-Burayk, Otayf, Al-Hassan, Al-Naji, Al-Abed, Bahbri, Al-Aboud, Al-Aqidi, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Asiri.

Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)

We are almost ready for the players to emerge at the Lusail Iconic Stadium as the announcer whips up a crowd that, to be honest, probably doesn’t need much encouragement.

A mass of green at one end, a sea of blue at the other as the opening ceremony begins.

We all know who the favourite is here as Messi’s Last Dance begins but the World Cup has shocked us before!

Argentina typically play a 4-2-3-1 shape which allows Messi to occupy that No 10 role but also a free rein to drift out to the flanks and weave his magic. Papu Gomez is likely to be on the left side, with Angel Di Maria on he left. Lautaro Martinez will lead the line.

Rodrigo de Paul and Leandro Paredes will be the link men in defensive midfield.

The Saudis are probably going to go with a 4-4-1-1. The two banks of four will have to work overtime to keep the Argentina side at bay. Firas Al Buraikan will lead the attack with Salman Al Faraj playing just off him, but will they get any service?

Mohamed Kanno and Abdulelah Al Malki in defensive midfield are going to have to play outstandingly well, likewise Al-Hilal keeper Mohammed Al Owais.

The players just finishing off their warm-ups as the crowd take their seats at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

This is the first 1pm local time kick-off in the tournament and temperatures, while still around the 27C mark, are not unbearable for this one.

Lionel Messi will lead Argentina to World Cup glory if he emulates Gareth Bale’s match-winning prowess, which was on display during Wales’ crucial 1-1 draw against USA on Monday.

The Welsh captain won and dispatched a late penalty to equalise after Timothy Weah’s first-half opener, keeping Wales’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages very much alive in Group B.

Sportsmail’s Martin Samuel believes Messi must become for Argentina what Bale is for Wales, channeling the Welshman’s knack of stepping up in the biggest moments.