Group C, Introduction
Argentina
As one of the traditional powerhouses in the World Cup, it would appear the experienced Argentinian squad will still be a major force. Beyond simply being competitive, this tournament also brings the bittersweet storyline for Argentina that this will likely be the last World Cup appearance for one of the great players of all time.
Lionel Messi is slowly entering the final stages of his career and he has indicated that Qatar will be his last chance to win a World Cup trophy. Messi has scored six goals in his 19 FIFA World Cup matches spanning four editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018).
Without any doubt, Messi will be the star name for Argentina – who are heading to Qatar as the 2021 Copa America champions, beating their rivals Brazil last year – but there are others on the Argentinian roster, such as Di Maria and Lo Celso, who will play important roles in this tournament.
Current FIFA world ranking: No. 3 (October, 2022)
Regional ranking: 2nd (CONMEBOL)
World Cup titles: 2
World Cup appearances, last appearance: 17, Russia 2018
Recent record (2-year span for all game styles):
2022: 5W-0L-1D
2021: 10W-0L-6D
Key players (club, country): Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Angel Di Maria (Juventus, Italy), Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal, Spain)
Poland
Robert Lewandowski led Poland to a 2-0 victory over Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden in the UEFA playoff to book their ticket to the 2022 World Cup. Poland was given a pass straight to the finals after FIFA banned their opponent, Russia, after the invasion of Ukraine. It would have been more interesting if FIFA would’ve given another country an opportunity to take Russia’s spot. Who knows how the playoff would have ended had the Poles not been given extended rest leading up to the final.
Aside from that, Poland’s roster is loaded with experienced players who are able to support Lewandowski in their nation’s hopes for a deep run in the tournament. One to keep an eye out for is Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski, who will be the likely assister for many of Lewandowski’s goals.
Poland enters the group stage confidently, having only lost two matches throughout their qualifiers.
Current FIFA world ranking: No. 26 (August, 2022)
Regional ranking: 15th (UEFA)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances, last appearance: 8, Russia 2018
Recent record (2-year span for all game styles):
2022: 4W-2L-3D
2021: 6W-4L-5D
Key players (club, country): Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Spain), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli, Italy), Matty Cash (Aston Villa, England)
Saudi Arabia
The last four appearances in the World Cup for Saudi Arabia were rather brief as they were sent home in the group stages – and we’re likely to see the same result this time around. This team deserves applause for passing Australia in the qualifying rounds, but the strength of the squads in their group will be a much tougher task to overcome.
With the entirety of Saudi Arabia’s roster playing for clubs within their home country, the team doesn’t have much exposure to international football, which puts them at an instant disadvantage for what they’re up against. After scoring only two goals total in their last World Cup appearance, the Saudi’s are hoping that their prolific strikers can provide the much-needed fire power in the group stage.
Current FIFA world ranking: No. 51 (October 2022)
Regional ranking: 6th (AFC)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances, last appearance: 6, Russia 2018
Recent record (2-year span for all game styles):
2022: 4W-3L-6D
2021: 10W-2L-2D
Key players (club, country): Saleh Al Shehri (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Salman Al Faraj (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
Mexico
In the final round of CONCACAF qualification Mexico was runners-up to Canada. They extended their World Cup appearance streak to eight, beginning in 1994.
Many of Mexico’s main players are featured in North America and Europe. The experience they gain from that, especially in Europe, will be a major factor in their hopes to advance over either Argentina or Poland in the group stage. After losing Seville FC forward Jesus Corona to injury, Wolves’ striker Raul Jimenez will be absolutely crucial to Mexico’s success.
Averaging around one goal per match in the qualifying round, Mexico does not score many goals; but they also do not allow many goals. A proper, “grind-it-out” game plan can have a few of their matches coming down to the bitter end, giving Mexico a better chance at success.
Current FIFA world ranking: No. 13 (October, 2022)
Regional ranking: 1st (CONCACAF)
World Cup titles: 0
World Cup appearances, last appearance: 16, Brazil 2018
Recent record (2-year span for all game styles):
2022: 8W-3L-5D
2021: 12W-6L-4D
Key players (club, country): Raul Jimenez (Wolves, England), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo, USA), Hirving Lozano (Napoli, Italy)
Prediction
| Advances |
Argentina | Yes |
Mexico | No |
Saudi Arabia | No |
Poland | Yes |
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