Video: Argentina fall behind to stunning Salem Al-Dawsari strike for Saudi Arabia at World Cup in Qatar: ‘Oh my word!’

ByEurosport

Updated 22/11/2022 at 16:48 GMT

Salem Al-Dawsari produced one of the most extraordinary moments of the 2022 World Cup thus far on Tuesday when he took a wonderful touch and then curled an unstoppable shot into the corner. It gave Saudi Arabia a shock 2-1 lead against Argentina at the 2022 Qatar World Cup in the second-half after the South American giants had taken the lead thourgh Lionel Messi.

This World Cup has more or less been played by the form book but on Tuesday morning Saudi Arabia looked to throw the form book out the window.

Having gone behind to a Lionel Messi penalty Saudi Arabia equalised in the second-half through Saleh Al-Shehri but the goal they scored to go ahead was a thing of beauty.

Salem Al-Dawsari plucked the ball out of the air on the left-hand side of the penalty area, produced a wonderful turn and then curled an unstoppable shot into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with no chance.

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It was a remarkable effort. “Oh my word” shouted Sam Matterface on commentary. “Who saw this coming?!”

Alongside him on commentary for ITV was former Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon.

“Wow,” he said. “When he cuts in there’s so many bodies in front of him, it looked from here that it got a deflection because it went in the goal so slow

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“When he gets hold of the ball the touch is brilliant then he just checks, just there Martinez gets a hand on it. He can’t palm it away. I thought we had a game on our hands, well think again.”

Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia scores his team's second goal past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium on November 22, 2022 in Lusail City, Qata

Image credit: Getty Images

Argentina had come into the tournament as one of the favourites.

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