# 2022 FIFA World Cup Group C

Group C of the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place from 22 to 30 November 2022. The group consisted of eventual champions Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland. The top two teams, Argentina and Poland, advanced to the round of 16. This marked the first time that Mexico did not advance past the first round since 1978.

## Teams

The teams were decided by the World Cup draw that took place on 1 April 2022. The group was set to receive one team from each pot, which sorted all World Cup teams by position on the FIFA World Rankings.
Notes
* ↑ The rankings of March 2022 were used for seeding for the final draw.

## Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advanced to knockout stage |
| 2 | Poland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Advanced to knockout stage |
| 3 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | |
In the round of 16:
* The winners of Group C, Argentina, advanced to play the runners-up of Group D, Australia.
* The runners-up of Group C, Poland, advanced to play the winners of Group D, France.

## Matches

All times listed are local, AST (UTC+3).

### Argentina vs Saudi Arabia

The teams had faced each other four times prior to the tournament, most recently in 2012, a 0–0 draw in a friendly.
Argentina took the lead in the 10th minute with a penalty from Lionel Messi, awarded for a foul on Leandro Paredes, which he rolled into the left corner. Argentina would have three further first-half goals ruled out for marginal offsides, once from Messi and twice from Lautaro Martínez. In the second half, Saudi Arabia would quickly find an equalizer, with Saleh Al-Shehri converting a low shot into the net's right corner in the 48th minute. Saudi Arabia then took the lead five minutes later when Salem Al-Dawsari curled the ball into the right corner of the net from just inside the penalty area. Following nearly fourteen minutes of stoppage time caused by a delay in the match due to Saudi defender Yasser Al-Shahrani colliding with his own goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, Saudi Arabia managed to see out the victory.
Saudi Arabia's victory ended Argentina's 36-match unbeaten streak, dating back to 2019. According to Gracenote, the win was the "most surprising" in World Cup history, with many calling it one of the biggest World Cup upsets of all time. This was also the first World Cup since 1990 in which Argentina lost their opening match. Following their eventual victory in the final, Argentina became just the second side to win the tournament despite losing their first game; Spain did the same in 2010 after losing their opener against Switzerland.
| Argentina | Saudi Arabia |
| GK | 23 | Emiliano Martínez |
| RB | 26 | Nahuel Molina |
| CB | 13 | Cristian Romero | 59' |
| CB | 19 | Nicolás Otamendi |
| LB | 3 | Nicolás Tagliafico | 71' |
| CM | 7 | Rodrigo De Paul |
| CM | 5 | Leandro Paredes | 59' |
| RW | 11 | Ángel Di María |
| LW | 17 | Papu Gómez | 59' |
| CF | 10 | Lionel Messi (c) |
| CF | 22 | Lautaro Martínez |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 25 | Lisandro Martínez | 59' |
| FW | 9 | Julián Álvarez | 59' |
| MF | 24 | Enzo Fernández | 59' |
| MF | 8 | Marcos Acuña | 71' |
| Manager: ||
| Lionel Scaloni ||
| GK | 21 | Mohammed Al-Owais | 90+2' |
| RB | 12 | Saud Abdulhamid | 82' |
| CB | 17 | Hassan Al-Tambakti |
| CB | 5 | Ali Al-Bulaihi | 75' |
| LB | 13 | Yasser Al-Shahrani | | 90+9' |
| DM | 8 | Abdulellah Al-Malki | 67' |
| RM | 9 | Firas Al-Buraikan | | 89' |
| CM | 7 | Salman Al-Faraj (c) | | 45+4' |
| CM | 23 | Mohamed Kanno |
| LM | 10 | Salem Al-Dawsari | 79' |
| CF | 11 | Saleh Al-Shehri | | 78' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Nawaf Al-Abed | 88' | 45+4' | 89' |
| DF | 2 | Sultan Al-Ghannam | | 78' |
| DF | 4 | Abdulelah Al-Amri | | | 89' |
| FW | 25 | Haitham Asiri | | 89' |
| DF | 6 | Mohammed Al-Breik | | 90+9' |
| Manager: ||
| Hervé Renard ||
* Man of the Match:
* Mohammed Al-Owais (Saudi Arabia)
* Assistant referees:
* Tomaž Klančnik (Slovenia)
* Andraž Kovačič (Slovenia)
* Fourth official:
* Maguette Ndiaye (Senegal)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* El Hadj Malick Samba (Senegal)
* Video assistant referee:
* Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Bastian Dankert (Germany)
* Abdelhak Etchiali (Algeria)
* Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Spain)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Nicolas Danos (France)

### Mexico vs Poland

The teams had met eight times previously, including once in the World Cup, a 3–1 first group stage victory for Poland in 1978, and most recently in 2017, a 1–0 win for Mexico in a friendly.
The only shot on target of the first half was from Mexico's Jorge Sánchez, which was punched away by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. In the 54th minute, Poland captain Robert Lewandowski was awarded a penalty after the video assistant referee judged that Héctor Moreno had fouled him inside the penalty area. Guillermo Ochoa saved the penalty taken by Lewandowski, diving to his left, and the game stayed goalless. At the other end of the field, Mexico had a chance to win the game as a ball into the penalty area from Edson Álvarez went towards Henry Martín who attempted to head the ball beyond Szczęsny; however, the Poland goalkeeper managed to beat the ball away.
Poland failed to win their opening match in a World Cup for the eighth time, having won just one of their nine opening tournament games, though for the first time since 1986, they did not lose the opener.
| Mexico | Poland |
| GK | 13 | Guillermo Ochoa (c) |
| RB | 19 | Jorge Sánchez | 29' |
| CB | 3 | César Montes |
| CB | 15 | Héctor Moreno | 56' |
| LB | 23 | Jesús Gallardo |
| DM | 4 | Edson Álvarez |
| CM | 16 | Héctor Herrera | | 71' |
| CM | 24 | Luis Chávez |
| RF | 22 | Hirving Lozano |
| CF | 20 | Henry Martín | | 71' |
| LF | 10 | Alexis Vega | | 84' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 8 | Carlos Rodríguez | | 71' |
| FW | 9 | Raúl Jiménez | | 71' |
| FW | 21 | Uriel Antuna | | 84' |
| Other disciplinary actions: ||
| TS | — | Jorge Theiler | 61' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
| GK | 1 | Wojciech Szczęsny |
| CB | 18 | Bartosz Bereszyński |
| CB | 15 | Kamil Glik |
| CB | 14 | Jakub Kiwior |
| DM | 10 | Grzegorz Krychowiak |
| CM | 13 | Jakub Kamiński |
| CM | 19 | Sebastian Szymański | | 71' |
| RW | 2 | Matty Cash |
| LW | 21 | Nicola Zalewski | | 46' |
| CF | 20 | Piotr Zieliński | | 87' |
| CF | 9 | Robert Lewandowski (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 6 | Krystian Bielik | | 46' |
| MF | 24 | Przemysław Frankowski | 76' | 71' |
| FW | 7 | Arkadiusz Milik | | 87' |
| Manager: ||
| Czesław Michniewicz ||
* Man of the Match:
* Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico)
* Assistant referees:
* Anton Shchetinin (Australia)
* Ashley Beecham (Australia)
* Fourth official:
* Stéphanie Frappart (France)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* Neuza Back (Brazil)
* Video assistant referee:
* Shaun Evans (Australia)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Nicolás Gallo (Colombia)
* Martín Soppi (Uruguay)
* Juan Soto (Venezuela)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Djibril Camara (Senegal)

### Poland vs Saudi Arabia

The teams had previously faced each other four times, most recently in 2006, a 2–1 win for Poland in a friendly match.
Piotr Zieliński scored the opening goal for Poland in the 39th minute when he shot high to the net from six yards out after the ball was passed from the right. At the end of the first half, Saleh Al-Shehri was fouled in the box and awarded a penalty kick. However, Salem Al-Dawsari's attempt was saved by Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny diving low to his right. In the second half, an error by Abdulellah Al-Malki led to Robert Lewandowski winning the ball and scoring his first World Cup goal in the 82nd minute shooting low to the net, as Poland would win the match 2–0.
The result meant that Poland went unbeaten in their opening two World Cup games for the first time since 1986.
| Poland | Saudi Arabia |
| GK | 1 | Wojciech Szczęsny |
| CB | 18 | Bartosz Bereszyński |
| CB | 15 | Kamil Glik |
| CB | 14 | Jakub Kiwior | 15' |
| RM | 2 | Matty Cash | 16' |
| CM | 6 | Krystian Bielik |
| CM | 10 | Grzegorz Krychowiak |
| LM | 24 | Przemysław Frankowski |
| AM | 20 | Piotr Zieliński | | 63' |
| CF | 7 | Arkadiusz Milik | 19' | 71' |
| CF | 9 | Robert Lewandowski (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 13 | Jakub Kamiński | | 63' |
| FW | 23 | Krzysztof Piątek | | 71' |
| Manager: ||
| Czesław Michniewicz ||
| GK | 21 | Mohammed Al-Owais |
| RB | 12 | Saud Abdulhamid |
| CB | 4 | Abdulelah Al-Amri | 45+4' |
| CB | 5 | Ali Al-Bulaihi |
| LB | 6 | Mohammed Al-Breik | | 65' |
| DM | 8 | Abdulellah Al-Malki | 20' | 85' |
| CM | 16 | Sami Al-Najei | | 46' |
| CM | 23 | Mohamed Kanno |
| RW | 9 | Firas Al-Buraikan |
| LW | 10 | Salem Al-Dawsari (c) |
| CF | 11 | Saleh Al-Shehri | | 85' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Nawaf Al-Abed | | 46' | 90+5' |
| DF | 2 | Sultan Al-Ghannam | | 65' |
| FW | 20 | Abdulrahman Al-Aboud | | 85' |
| MF | 24 | Nasser Al-Dawsari | | 85' |
| FW | 19 | Hattan Bahebri | | | 90+5' |
| Other disciplinary actions: ||
| TS | — | Laurent Bonadéi | 27' |
| Manager: ||
| Hervé Renard ||
* Man of the Match:
* Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
* Assistant referees:
* Bruno Boschilia (Brazil)
* Bruno Pires (Brazil)
* Fourth official:
* Kevin Ortega (Peru)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* Michael Orué (Peru)
* Video assistant referee:
* Drew Fischer (Canada)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Armando Villarreal (United States)
* Nicolás Taran (Uruguay)
* Leodán González (Uruguay)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Martín Soppi (Uruguay)

### Argentina vs Mexico

The teams had faced each other at the FIFA World Cup on three previous occasions, with Argentina winning all three matches: a 6–3 group stage victory in 1930, a 2–1 round of 16 win in 2006, and another round of 16 victory by a 3–1 scoreline in 2010.
After a goalless first half, Lionel Messi put Argentina in the lead in the 64th minute with a shot from outside the penalty area. Enzo Fernández made it 2–0 and secured the win in the 87th minute with a curled finish in the top right corner of the net. Messi's assist for Fernández's goal made him the first player to record assists at five different World Cups. The match's reported attendance of 88,966 was the highest for a World Cup fixture since the 94,194 spectators at the Rose Bowl for the 1994 final.
| Argentina | Mexico |
| GK | 23 | Emiliano Martínez |
| RB | 4 | Gonzalo Montiel | 43' | 63' |
| CB | 19 | Nicolás Otamendi |
| CB | 25 | Lisandro Martínez |
| LB | 8 | Marcos Acuña |
| CM | 7 | Rodrigo De Paul |
| CM | 18 | Guido Rodríguez | | 57' |
| RW | 11 | Ángel Di María | | 69' |
| LW | 20 | Alexis Mac Allister | | 69' |
| CF | 10 | Lionel Messi (c) |
| CF | 22 | Lautaro Martínez | | 63' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 24 | Enzo Fernández | | 57' |
| FW | 9 | Julián Álvarez | | 63' |
| DF | 26 | Nahuel Molina | | 63' |
| MF | 14 | Exequiel Palacios | | 69' |
| DF | 13 | Cristian Romero | | 69' |
| Manager: ||
| Lionel Scaloni ||
| GK | 13 | Guillermo Ochoa |
| CB | 2 | Néstor Araujo | 22' |
| CB | 3 | César Montes |
| CB | 15 | Héctor Moreno |
| RWB | 26 | Kevin Álvarez | | 66' |
| LWB | 23 | Jesús Gallardo |
| CM | 24 | Luis Chávez |
| CM | 16 | Héctor Herrera | 66' |
| CM | 18 | Andrés Guardado (c) | | 42' |
| CF | 22 | Hirving Lozano | | 73' |
| CF | 10 | Alexis Vega | | 66' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 14 | Érick Gutiérrez | 50' | 42' |
| FW | 9 | Raúl Jiménez | | 66' |
| FW | 21 | Uriel Antuna | | 66' |
| FW | 25 | Roberto Alvarado | 89' | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
* Man of the Match:
* Lionel Messi (Argentina)
* Assistant referees:
* Ciro Carbone (Italy)
* Alessandro Giallatini (Italy)
* Fourth official:
* István Kovács (Romania)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* Ovidiu Artene (Romania)
* Video assistant referee:
* Massimiliano Irrati (Italy)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Paolo Valeri (Italy)
* Roberto Díaz Pérez del Palomar (Spain)
* Jérôme Brisard (France)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Jerson dos Santos (Angola)

### Poland vs Argentina

The teams had met eleven previous times, including twice in the World Cup; Poland's 3–2 first group stage victory in 1974 and Argentina's 2–0 second group stage win in 1978.
Argentina were awarded a first-half penalty when Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny was adjudged to have made illegal contact with Lionel Messi while attempting to punch the ball away. However, Szczęsny would then keep out Messi's subsequent spot kick, saving a penalty for the second match in a row. Szczęsny would nevertheless concede for the first time in the tournament after Argentina scored twice in the second half; the first goal came from Alexis Mac Allister with a low shot to the left corner immediately following the restart, and the second from Julián Álvarez with a shot to the top right of the net, as the Argentines won 2–0 and topped the group with six points, reaching the knockout stage for the thirteenth time in their last fourteen World Cup appearances.
Szczęsny became just the third goalkeeper to save multiple penalties at a single World Cup (excluding shoot-outs), following compatriot Jan Tomaszewski in 1974 and Brad Friedel in 2002. Despite defeat, Poland would still join Argentina in the last 16 thanks to a superior goal difference to Mexico, ending their 36-year knockout stage drought.
| Poland | Argentina |
| GK | 1 | Wojciech Szczęsny |
| RB | 2 | Matty Cash |
| CB | 15 | Kamil Glik |
| CB | 14 | Jakub Kiwior |
| LB | 18 | Bartosz Bereszyński | | 72' |
| RM | 20 | Piotr Zieliński |
| CM | 6 | Krystian Bielik | | 62' |
| CM | 10 | Grzegorz Krychowiak | 78' | 83' |
| LM | 24 | Przemysław Frankowski | | 46' |
| CF | 9 | Robert Lewandowski (c) |
| CF | 16 | Karol Świderski | | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 26 | Michał Skóraś | | 46' |
| MF | 13 | Jakub Kamiński | | 46' |
| MF | 8 | Damian Szymański | | 62' |
| DF | 3 | Artur Jędrzejczyk | | 72' |
| FW | 23 | Krzysztof Piątek | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Czesław Michniewicz ||
| GK | 23 | Emiliano Martínez |
| RB | 26 | Nahuel Molina |
| CB | 13 | Cristian Romero |
| CB | 19 | Nicolás Otamendi |
| LB | 8 | Marcos Acuña | 49' | 59' |
| DM | 24 | Enzo Fernández | | 79' |
| CM | 7 | Rodrigo De Paul |
| CM | 20 | Alexis Mac Allister | | 83' |
| RF | 11 | Ángel Di María | | 59' |
| CF | 10 | Lionel Messi (c) |
| LF | 9 | Julián Álvarez | | 79' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 5 | Leandro Paredes | | 59' |
| DF | 3 | Nicolás Tagliafico | | 59' |
| DF | 6 | Germán Pezzella | | 79' |
| FW | 22 | Lautaro Martínez | | 79' |
| MF | 16 | Thiago Almada | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Lionel Scaloni ||
* Man of the Match:
* Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina)
* Assistant referees:
* Hessel Steegstra (Netherlands)
* Jan de Vries (Netherlands)
* Fourth official:
* Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* Helpys Raymundo Feliz (Dominican Republic)
* Video assistant referee:
* Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Bastian Dankert (Germany)
* Kathryn Nesbitt (United States)
* Juan Soto (Venezuela)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Anton Shchetinin (Australia)

### Saudi Arabia vs Mexico

The teams had met five previous times, most recently in 1999, a 5–1 win for Mexico at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
After a goalless first half, Mexico struck twice in the second half, first with a volley from a corner by Henry Martín in the 47th minute, and then with a thunderous free kick by Luis Chávez in the 52nd minute. However, Mexico failed to find a third goal, which they needed to overtake Poland on goal difference; Mexico had received more yellow cards than Poland and would have been eliminated on this basis if the teams finished level on points, goal difference, and goals scored. Salem Al-Dawsari, however, would score for Saudi Arabia in the fifth minute of added time with a goal after a one-two, confirming both teams' elimination as Mexico claimed the 2–1 win.
This was the first time Mexico failed to advance to the knockout stage at a FIFA World Cup since 1978; meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's knockout stage drought extended to 32 years, having failed to progress past the group stage since the country's tournament debut in 1994, standing as the second longest knockout stage drought after that of North Korea.
| Saudi Arabia | Mexico |
| GK | 21 | Mohammed Al-Owais |
| CB | 17 | Hassan Al-Tambakti | 52' |
| CB | 4 | Abdulelah Al-Amri | 90+1' |
| CB | 5 | Ali Al-Bulaihi | | 37' |
| RM | 2 | Sultan Al-Ghannam | | 88' |
| CM | 15 | Ali Al-Hassan | 34' | 46' |
| CM | 23 | Mohamed Kanno |
| LM | 12 | Saud Abdulhamid |
| RF | 9 | Firas Al-Buraikan |
| CF | 11 | Saleh Al-Shehri | 28' | 62' |
| LF | 10 | Salem Al-Dawsari (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 26 | Riyadh Sharahili | | 37' |
| DF | 3 | Abdullah Madu | 81' | 46' |
| FW | 20 | Abdulrahman Al-Aboud | | 62' |
| FW | 19 | Hattan Bahebri | 90+7' | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Hervé Renard ||
| GK | 13 | Guillermo Ochoa (c) |
| RB | 19 | Jorge Sánchez | | 86' |
| CB | 3 | César Montes |
| CB | 15 | Héctor Moreno |
| LB | 23 | Jesús Gallardo |
| CM | 4 | Edson Álvarez | 16' | 86' |
| CM | 24 | Luis Chávez |
| RW | 22 | Hirving Lozano |
| AM | 17 | Orbelín Pineda | | 77' |
| LW | 10 | Alexis Vega | | 46' |
| CF | 20 | Henry Martín | | 77' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 21 | Uriel Antuna | | 46' |
| FW | 9 | Raúl Jiménez | | 77' |
| MF | 8 | Carlos Rodríguez | | 77' |
| DF | 26 | Kevin Álvarez | | 86' |
| FW | 11 | Rogelio Funes Mori | | 86' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
* Man of the Match:
* Luis Chávez (Mexico)
* Assistant referees:
* Stuart Burt (England)
* Simon Bennett (England)
* Fourth official:
* István Kovács (Romania)
* Reserve assistant referee:
* Vasile Marinescu (Romania)
* Video assistant referee:
* Massimiliano Irrati (Italy)
* Assistant video assistant referees:
* Paolo Valeri (Italy)
* Alessandro Giallatini (Italy)
* Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)
* Stand-by assistant video assistant referee:
* Ciro Carbone (Italy)

## Discipline

Fair play points would have been used as tiebreakers if the overall and head-to-head records of teams were tied. These were calculated based on yellow and red cards received in all group matches as follows:
* first yellow card: −1 point;
* indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
* direct red card: −4 points;
* yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
Only one of the above deductions was applied to a player in a single match.
| Team | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Points |
| Argentina | | 1 | 1 | −2 |
| Poland | 1 | 3 | 1 | −5 |
| Mexico | 2 | 4 | 1 | −7 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6 | 2 | 6 | −14 |