🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
A famous victory inside an unfinished campaign
The Qatar 2022 campaign
Saudi Arabia's win over Argentina gave their tournament an exceptional opening. Al Shehri and Al Dawsari overturned Messi's penalty at Lusail, but defeats by Poland and Mexico prevented qualification. The Argentina result became more striking when the beaten team later won the title. It remains a distinct achievement without turning the overall campaign into a knockout success.
Reading the record
Saudi Arabia recorded 1 win, 0 draws and 2 defeats across 3 matches, scoring 3 goals and conceding 5. FIFA’s match summaries record 9 attempts on target from 29 total attempts during their campaign.
Shoot-outs decide which team advances, but their kicks are excluded from the goal totals above. Matches decided on penalties count as draws in this win–draw–loss record; extra-time goals count towards the match score.
Matches to revisit
Read the Argentina victory alongside Poland and Mexico to preserve both the high point and the complete group record.
Final Group C standings
Saudi Arabia finished fourth with 3 points. The top two teams advanced to the round of 16.
| Team | P | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Poland | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Mexico | 3 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
The route, match by match
- 22 Nov · Group C
Argentina 1–2 Saudi Arabia ↗
Saudi Arabia overturn Argentina's lead
Lusail Stadium · 13:00 Qatar time
Match context & statistics - 26 Nov · Group C
Poland 2–0 Saudi Arabia ↗
Poland turn a draw into a winning position
Education City Stadium · 16:00 Qatar time
Match context & statistics - 30 Nov · Group C
Saudi Arabia 1–2 Mexico ↗
Mexico win but cannot bridge the gap
Lusail Stadium · 22:00 Qatar time
Match context & statistics
Sources and method
FIFA’s complete Qatar 2022 match-report hub ↗
Campaign totals are calculated from Saudi Arabia’s match results and the individual FIFA statistical reports linked on each match page. The overview is an editorial retrospective by Qatar22 Editorial.