This is how Lionel Messi did against Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, Argentina's rivals in Group C of the World Cup in Qatar

The Qatar 2022 World Cup draw was held and Argentina was paired in Group C with Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland. They are the three rivals that fate has set in the path of Lionel Messi towards his long-awaited consecration in the FIFA World Cup. The Argentine captain, who will be 35 years old at the time of Qatar 2022, is facing his last big chance to lift a trophy that will make his legend big.

Messi's Argentina will debut next Tuesday, November 22 against the Children of the Desert, which are led by Frenchman Hervé Renard and came to the World Cup as leaders in their area. A few days later, precisely on November 26, will be the match against Tri led by Tata Martino, which arrives very much discussed about stamping his ticket to the world cup event only on the last date. And the closing of the group stage will be on November 30 against Poland, the cast that includes Robert Lewandowski and qualified after a playoff with Sweden.

La Pulga already has in its history some matches against these rivals that will be part of their adventure in the next World Cup, a record that is mostly favorable and helps to fuel the enthusiasm of Argentine fans to see him with the trophy in their hands.

There is a single confrontation between Lionel Messi and Saudi Arabia, his first opponent at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It was a friendly match played in November 2012, at the start of Alejandro Sabella's cycle that culminated in the runner-up in the world two years later. The match was played in Riyadh and ended up tied 0-0. The rosario crack played the 90 minutes, wore the captain's armband and shared the offense with Kun Agüero, Di Maria and Toto Salvio.

The most striking thing that commitment left was not on the playing field of King Fahd Stadium, but in the preview of the match there were moments of tension with a Leo Messi who revolutionized the public with his arrival and he ended up frightened by an officer protecting him and involuntarily pointed a rifle in his face.

The Argentine team won a lackluster draw against a Saudi team that at the time was led by Frank Rijkaard, the Dutch coach who just made Messi debut at FC Barcelona.

For his part, the Mexican national team has already faced him on several occasions: Leo Messi faced the Tri five times, with four victories (two in the World Cups) and a draw. The two victories in the big World Cup event were in Germany 2006, when Albiceleste won the 2-1 extra time with Maxi Rodriguez's goal; and then in South Africa 2010, in a round of 16 match that ended 3-1 in Johannesburg.

Although he could not score goals against the Aztec team in their World Cup matches, he did score on other occasions. The first was in the 3-0 win in the 2007 Copa America semifinals, where La Pulga scored a vaseline goal over goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez. He also did so in a friendly held in the United States in 2008, in which Albiceleste thrashed Mexico 4-1 with a goal from Messi.

The last time the Argentinian star faced Mexico was in a friendly match in September 2015, also held on US territory. Argentina managed to equalize the match 2-2 with a goal over the hour of Messi himself, who at that time was led in the national team by Tata Martino, now the rival's coach.

Although in the cycle of Lionel Scaloni there were also matches against Mexico, they did not have the presence of a Lionel Messi who was absent in 2018 for having rest after the debacle in Russia and also in 2019, although at that time it was because he was suspended for his comments against Conmebol after the 2019 Copa América.

Finally, Messi has no record with the national team shirt against Poland. There was a friendly in 2012 with the cast directed by Checho Batista but the rosarino crack did not attend because the DT decided to take only players who played in Argentine football. The match on November 30 will be the first time that the Polish team will face.

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