Argentina enters the field against Mexico at 4 pm this Saturday (26) at risk of early elimination in the Qatar Cup.
This will happen if the selection led by Messi loses the match.
With the second defeat –the first was to Saudi Arabia, in the debut–, Argentina will remain zero in the leaderboard.
The final game of the Argentines in Group C will be on Wednesday (30), against Poland, which, with the victory over the Saudis, reached 4 points.
That is, even if they win, Argentina will be behind the European team.
The other match in the final round of that bracket, on the same day, is Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia.
If the Mexicans beat the Argentines, they will enter the field in the last match with 4 points, also unreachable by the two-time world champion team. The last time the Argentines fell in the group stage was in the Korea/Japan Cup in 2002.
A draw, however, serves for Argentina to stay alive in the Qatari World Cup, and may even reach first place.
With 1 point, the Argentines can match the Poles on points if they win the final game of the group stage.
In this scenario, Mexico would have 2 points and, if they beat Saudi Arabia, they will add 5 and will be the leader.
A draw in that duel would eliminate the Mexicans and would result in equality of points (4) between Argentina, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Goal difference will be the first tiebreaker.
Finally, a victory in the match at the Lusail stadium will leave Argentina in a very viable condition to finish at the top of Group C.
It will have 3 points and, beating Poland, it would go to 6 and surpass that opponent, also not being able to be reached by Mexico.
If Saudi Arabia overcomes the Mexicans, it will reach 6 points, and the champion of the key would be defined by the tiebreaker criteria.
Argentina vs Mexico scenarios
- Argentina win: Messi’s team depends only on itself to qualify in the last round.
- A tie: Argentines will need to beat Poland, and the decision of the qualifiers may be based on tiebreakers.
- defeat of Argentina: two-time world champion team is eliminated.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
