Lionel Messi, Argentina under pressure for Mexico game

A chant has been doing the rounds among Saudi Arabia supporters — and e ven some from Brazil — in the f an park s and streets of Doha at the World Cup.

"Where is Messi? We broke his eye!" they sing in Ar abic, using a slang expression meaning to bring shame on a person.

Messi and his Argentina team are being mocked after a humbling 21 loss to Saudi Arabia that has left their presence at the t ournament in big — and complet ely unforeseen — danger.

Argentina needs t o immediately bounce back ag ainst Me xico on Saturday, otherwise an embarrassing early exit awaits.

"We always said we were going to look to win every game," Messi said, "and now more than ever."

A compatriot — indeed the team's former coach — could mastermind the f atal blow t o Argentina.

Gerardo Martino led his nati ve Argentina fr om 2014-16, losing the Copa America final in back-toback years in that time before quitting.

Now Martino is Me xico's coach and looking to guide the team into the last 16 — perhaps at the e xpense of Argentina — and beyond. After all, Mexico has famously lost its first mat ch of the knock out stage in each of the last se ven World Cups, twice to Argentina, in 2006 and 2010.

This tim e,the t eams' meeting comes in the group stage but it already has the feel of a do-or-die occasion ju stse ven da ys int o the tournament.

Especially for Argentina.

"I don't think the result they had (against Saudi Ar abia) changes their way of playing," said Martino, whose team tied its opening Group C game with Poland 1-1.

With Argentina, something has to change, that's for sure.

Mexico has never beaten Argentina in three attempts at the World Cup, and Martino's worst defeat as Mexico coach was at the hands of his countrymen. That was in September 2019, when Lautaro Martínez scored a hat trick in a 40 win.

Giroud and Mbappe hungry for goals as France faces Denmark

Olivier Giroud will overtake Thierry Henry to become France's all-time leading scorer with 52 goals if he scores against Denmark at the World Cup on Saturday. If Kylian Mbappe finds the net he will move level with another France great.

A victory against the Danes at Stadium 974 will also qualify Les Bleus for the knockout round, and as group winners if Tunisia and Australia draw in the other Group D game.

Giroud and Mbappe looked sharp together and both scored in Tuesday's 4-1 win against Australia.

Another goal for Mbappe would bring his tally to 30 for France.

That would move him level with Just Fontaine, whose 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup remains a tournament record.

In those days players were not earning massive salaries or endorsements, so Fontaine's prize for leading scorer in Sweden was a hunter's rifle.

It was an appropriate reward for such a ruthless sharpshooter, who scored his 30 in just 21 games before his career was wrecked by a knee injury.

So Giroud and Mbappe are in illustrious company, and they're doing well together. Mbappe scored one goal and set up Giroud's second against Australia.

The Danes beat France twice during the Nations League this year and Deschamps thinks they don't get enough credit.

"I think they are underestimated considering their true quality," Deschamps said.

"They're able to change systems easily throughout a match and that causes problems."

But even if the Danes have what it takes to cause the French problems in defense, the question is whether their own defense can stop France's new-look attack.

After Messi comes Lewandowski for Saudi Arabia at World Cup

First it was Lionel Messi. Next up, it's Robert Lewandowski. The bigname opponents keep coming for Saudi Arabia.

After shocking Messi's Argentina in one of the biggest World Cup upsets, the Green Falcons turn their attention to Lewandowski and his Poland team on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia, the second lowestranked team in the tournament, could even book its place in the second round with a win – a remarkable achievement for a side with no foreign-based players.

Al-Shehri and Salem AlDawsari's goals blew open Group C and left the other rivals scrambling for points after Mexico's 0-0 draw with Poland.

It was Lewandowski's fourth World Cup game and his fourth without scoring, too.

Veteran Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa saved Lewandowski's penalty in the second half to keep the game goalless.

Scoring is second nature to Lewandowski, Poland's record goal-scorer with 76 goals.

He netted 312 goals in 384 Bundesliga games before switching to Barcelona in the offseason. He has 13 goals in 14 La Liga games for Barcelona so far.

But scoring for Poland is not as easy in coach Czeslaw Michniewicz' 4-3-2-1 formation. Lewandowski has never made any secret of his preference for playing with a strike partner, and not alone, waiting for service from deep-lying teammates.

"There's room for improvement going forward, we have to risk more," Lewandowski said.

"It's very hard for a forward to track so far back. But if the coach has these tactics, then we have to adjust. Of course, as a forward I wish for more of the ball."

Arab fan support key for Tunisia vs. Australia at World Cup

Expect "TUN-is, TUN-is, TUN-is" chants to reverberete around the Al Janoub stadium as Tunisia enjoys overwhelming home-like support when it takes on Australia in each team's second match at the World Cup on Saturday.

One of the four Arab teams at the first World Cup in the Middle East, Tunisia had arguably the loudest set of fans in the first round of games when it held European Championship semifinalist Denmark to a 0-0 draw.

And the support isn't just from Tunisians. Fans waving Palestinian flags have been following Tunisia, and there are also supporters of the squad from Egypt and Algeria.

Tunisia's team bus was mobbed by red-clad fans upon arrival in Qatar last week.

Both teams will have higher expectations, after Australia was beat 4-1 by defending champion France in its Group D opener.

All four of France's goals came from attacks down the flanks, with three of them headed in.

"Conceding three goals from wide areas is obviously a very clear lesson for us to learn," Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine said. "We obviously have to deal with the crosses better."

Tunisia's spirit is embodied by combative midfielder Aïssa Laïdouni, who earned player of the match honors against Denmark in his first career World Cup match.

Laïdouni set the tone in the very first minute when he stripped Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen of the ball with an aggressive sliding tackle — then stood up and pumped his arms menacingly, gesturing to the crowd to get even more fired up.