With the 2022 World Cup just days away, we're taking a deep dive into all eight groups, highlighting the star players to watch, examining the biggest storylines to follow, and offering some predictions for how things may play out. Here's everything you need to know about Group C, which features Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland.
Group schedule ?
Argentina ??
Manager: Lionel Scaloni
Nickname: La Albiceleste
FIFA ranking: 3
Best World Cup finish: Champion (1978, 1986)
Betting odds: +550
Player to watch
Lionel Messi. Who else? More than ever before in his career, Argentina's emblematic leader looks happier and more comfortable playing for his national team than his club side. Much of that credit goes to his namesake, Lionel Scaloni, for building a team that integrates Messi instead of relying exclusively on the diminutive megastar to do everything. Messi, 35, heads into his fifth - and final - World Cup with a balanced, harmonious lineup around him, a far cry from previous versions of the Albiceleste that he carried on his shoulders. That cohesion was evident when Argentina captured the Copa America title last year, and it's a major reason this tournament provides Messi with the best chance he's ever had of winning the World Cup.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Acuna; De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Di Maria
Give the ball to Messi and get out of the way? Not anymore. Scaloni's Argentina is a slick-passing team that, unlike previous editions, has balance across the pitch with complementary pieces that fit together properly. Taking over after Jorge Sampaoli's calamitous spell in charge, Scaloni turned a disjointed roster into a collective unit, and the results have been nothing short of stupendous. Argentina is on a 35-match unbeaten run - two games shy of Italy's all-time men's record - and a near-impenetrable defense has been a key factor. Cristian Romero is the best center-back the country has produced in some time and, with Emiliano Martinez behind him, provides a solid foundation for a team that has conceded only twice in its last 14 matches.
Key question
Will Messi get his dream send-off? The little magician has already admitted that Qatar represents his final World Cup appearance, and the potential for a storybook ending is too idyllic to ignore. Everything has come together at the right time to provide Messi with his greatest chance at hoisting the final trophy missing from his overflowing cabinet. There are genuine expectations, both in the country and from neutral observers, that the dream becomes a reality.
There are no lingering lineup concerns or blatant weaknesses, unlike many of the other contenders heading to the desert this winter. The team is settled, has already proven capable of handling top opposition by beating the likes of Brazil and Italy during its aforementioned streak, and, of course, boasts the ultimate ace in the hole. Argentina has all the ingredients to go all the way.
Saudi Arabia ??
Manager: Herve Renard
Nickname: Green Falcons
FIFA ranking: 51
Best World Cup finish: Round of 16 (1994)
Betting odds: +75000
Player to watch
Salem Al-Dawsari. Aside from a brief loan spell at Villarreal, the 31-year-old has spent his entire career with Al Hilal. He's helped lead the Riyadh-based outfit to a pair of AFC Champions League titles and was named the tournament's top player in 2021. Comfortable operating as a winger or moving into more central attacking areas behind the striker, Al-Dawsari carries much of the attacking load for the Saudis, who will be hoping he's at 100% after undergoing appendix surgery in September. If fully fit, expect Argentina, Mexico, and Poland to focus much of their defensive attention on limiting Al-Dawsari's influence during those three group matches.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
Al-Owais; Al-Ghanam, Al-Amri, Al-Bulaihi, Al-Shahrani; Al-Faraj, Al-Hassan, Al-Najei; Bahebri, Al-Shehri, Al-Dawsari
Suave and sophisticated bench boss Herve Renard has crafted a more sturdy team than his predecessor, Juan Antonio Pizzi, whose more expansive brand of football left the Saudis too open and susceptible. Renard, the decorated Frenchman with multiple Africa Cup of Nations titles to his name, will rely on his full-backs to provide energy, Al Hilal veteran Salman Al-Faraj to orchestrate the midfield, and Al-Dawsari to provide the finish. Saleh Al-Shehri, competing with Firas Al-Buraikan for the starting No. 9 role, stepped up with some timely goals in qualifying. He could be an X-factor if Renard decides to use him off the bench instead of from the opening whistle.
Key question
What are realistic expectations for Saudi Arabia? Host nation Qatar is the only other team at the tournament with a squad comprised exclusively of home-based players. Of course, there are some inherent advantages to that, but there's a reason Saudi Arabia heads into the World Cup as the competition's second-lowest-ranked team. How much of this is a simple lack of familiarity with the Saudi players, and how much is the acknowledgment that, ultimately, there is a talent gap at play here? An unfriendly draw didn't do the Green Falcons any favors, either.
"Even though we are in a tough group, you have to be ambitious," Renard said of his outlook. "Going to the World Cup without ambition is pointless. We have to believe we have a chance and push ourselves to the limit."
Mexico ??
Manager: Gerardo Martino
Nickname: El Tri
FIFA ranking: 13
Best World Cup finish: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986)
Betting odds: +15000
Player to watch
Hirving "Chucky" Lozano. The Napoli winger is, by a wide margin, Mexico's most explosive talent. He'll shoulder much of the attacking burden this winter, especially with Raul Jimenez's fitness a major question mark and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona missing out through injury. Lozano, 27, is a crafty dribbler who excels when isolated against a full-back. His ability to win free-kicks is also vital for a team that struggles to score goals from open play. Lozano's relentless desire to run at defenders could prove invaluable in a tournament setting where one set piece could make all the difference.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
Ochoa; Gallardo, Moreno, Montes, J. Sanchez; Guardado, E. Alvarez, C. Rodriguez; Antuna, Jimenez, Lozano
Gerardo "Tata" Martino has endured a difficult spell since taking over El Tri in 2019. Mexico has the pieces to be an entertaining team that can either play aggressively with high-pressing full-backs or keep possession and dictate the tempo when the moment calls for it. But the reality is grimmer. Mexico, as it showed in CONCACAF qualifying, has difficulty imposing itself on the opposition for 90 minutes and gets bogged down too easily. Fans have become restless, too, questioning the Argentine manager's tactics and openly calling for his dismissal during games; chants of "Fuera Tata" - Tata out - became commonplace in 2022. Some 40,000 Mexican fans are expected to travel to Qatar this month for the World Cup. Will the chant persist?
Key question
Can Mexico finally - mercifully - break its "quinto partido" curse? El Tri have reached the round of 16 in seven consecutive World Cups. And they've promptly fallen at that hurdle in each of them, failing to advance to the fifth game - the "quinto partido" - every time. Mexico hasn't tasted the quarterfinals since 1986. Considering the discord engulfing Martino's team right now, it seems unlikely that will change in Qatar. There are simply too many glaring questions to overlook.
Martino is under enormous scrutiny after Mexico's wobbly showing in qualifying, and the team actually seems to be regressing as the World Cup approaches. Perhaps underpromising and overdelivering is the recipe to break the curse?
Poland ??
Manager: Czeslaw Michniewicz
Nickname: Bialo-Czerwoni (White and Red)
FIFA ranking: 26
Best World Cup finish: Third place (1974, 1982)
Betting odds: +12500
Player to watch
Robert Lewandowski. One of the elite finishers of his generation, Lewandowski needed little time to acclimate to Barcelona after his move from Bayern Munich, translating his illustrious goal-scoring ways from the Bundesliga to Spanish football. He's not quite so prolific for Poland - the veteran striker has notched 76 tallies in 134 international matches - but he clearly remains the unquestioned focal point of this team. In what will very likely be his final World Cup, the 34-year-old will have added motivation to help his country advance beyond the group stage for the first time since 1986.
Projected starting XI (3-4-2-1)
Szczesny; Bednarek, Glik, Kiwior; Cash, Krychowiak, Linetty, Zalewski; Zielinski, Szymanski; Lewandowski
Czeslaw Michniewicz hasn't had much time to sculpt this Polish side, taking over in January after the shocking - and ill-received - resignation of Paulo Sousa, who departed for Flamengo in December. Michniewicz, formerly at Legia Warsaw, stepped in. While his style isn't the most proactive, it delivered results by guiding the team to Qatar via a playoff win over Sweden. His hybrid formation relies on counterattacking down the flanks, though he can use multiple systems to find the right setup to provide service to Lewandowski. Creative midfielder Piotr Zielinski, a key part of the free-flowing Napoli machine this season, is vital in this regard. Michniewicz also has the option of playing Karol Swiderski up front alongside his captain and superstar.
Key question
Will Poland be liberated by the lack of a "dark horse" designation? The Poles have been viewed in recent major tournaments as a team capable of upsetting the perennial contenders but have consistently failed to deliver on that optimistic outlook. There's little of that chatter this time, though, which could prove beneficial for Michniewicz, Lewandowski, and Co.
As always, the support Lewandowski receives will determine Poland's level of success. Often asked to carry too much of the load on his own, the Barca hitman has an intriguing collection of players around him in Qatar. However, Lewandowski's recent record - two goals in his last six outings for the national team - suggests Michniewicz isn't extracting the maximum out of him.
Predictions ?
To the surprise of nobody, Opta gives Argentina - one of the tournament favorites - an enormous 90.2% chance of reaching the knockout stages. There's a razor-thin margin in the battle for second place, though. Winning your first match at a major tournament is always paramount. When Mexico and Poland open their respective World Cup campaigns against one another on Nov. 22, it may well decide who advances and who goes home early.
Argentina
Mexico
Poland
Saudi Arabia
World Cup preview: Everything you need to know about Group C?
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