Saudi Arabia ready to tackle Argentina and Messi

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s sixth World Cup kicks off on Tuesday with probably the hardest opening game the team has ever had.

Few believe the clash with Argentina, a team that has genuine ambitions of lifting the trophy next month, is a chance for three points but for Herve Renard and his players it is an opportunity to show that the Green Falcons have come a long way since 2018 and the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Russia in Moscow.

There was a carnival atmosphere that day at the Luzhniki Stadium as the hosts got ready for a party. The smiles and sun that were there before kickoff were just as strong after with the Russians getting the result of their dreams. The scoreline might have been a bit harsh on Saudi Arabia, but it was a tough day. As was the 8-0 humiliation at the hands of Germany in 2002.

Saudi Arabia have lost four of their five World Cup opening games and have been unlucky to start 2022 with what could be the toughest of all.

But this is a different Saudi Arabia now, certainly to the one that took the field in Russia’s capital. Renard has been in charge for more than three years and there have been some major improvements.

“It now feels like we’ve known each other for years,” the Frenchman said. “But football is like that — when you win games it’s all rosy. However, we should be ready to face tougher tests as it’s easy to lose a string of games, so we must be mentally resilient as well.”

Qatar showed on Sunday, losing 2-0 to Ecuador in what was a disappointing performance, that knowing and spending time with the players is not always enough. The hosts have lacked competitive action but it could be that Saudi Arabia’s impressive qualification campaign will stand them in better stead.

Defensively, Saudi