Group C of the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place from 22 to 30 November 2022. The group consisted of national association football represeting 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.
| Draw position | Team | Pot | Confederation | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
FIFA Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | October 2022 | |||||||||
| C1 |  Argentina |
1 | CONMEBOL | CONMEBOL Round Robin runners-up | 16 November 2021 | 18th | 2018 | Winners (1978, 1986) | 4 | |
| C2 |  Saudi Arabia |
4 | AFC | AFC Third Round Group B winners | 24 March 2022 | 6th | 2018 | Round of 16 (1994) | 49 | |
| C3 |  Mexico |
2 | CONCACAF | CONCACAF Third Round runners-up | 30 March 2022 | 17th | 2018 | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) | 9 | |
| C4 |  Poland |
3 | UEFA | UEFA Second Round Path B winners | 29 March 2022 | 9th | 2018 | Third place (1974, 1982) | 26 | |
Summary[]
The first match of the group was between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. The two teams had faced each other four times prior to the tournament, most recently in 2012, a 0–0 draw in a friendly game, though Argentina beat Saudi Arabia 3–1 back in the 1992 King Fahd Cup. Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina and ended their 36-match unbeaten streak. According to Gracenote, the win was the "most surprising" in World Cup history, with many calling it one of the biggest World Cup upsets in history.
This was also the second consecutive time that Argentina did not win their opening match at a World Cup, after drawing 1–1 with Iceland in 2018; and the first time since 1990 that Argentina lost their opening match. Argentina had taken 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. They also had three goals ruled out for offside. Saudi Arabia equalized in the 48th minute with a low shot to the right corner from Saleh Al-Shehri. They 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.
The second match was held between Mexico and Poland. They had met eight times previously including once in the World Cup, in Poland's 3–1 first group stage victory in 1978, and most recently in 2017 in a 1–0 win for Mexico in a friendly. The only shot on target of the first half was from 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 the Poland captain 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 game in a World Cup for the eighth time having won just one of their nine opening World Cup games, though for the first time since 1986, Poland did not lose the opening game of a World Cup.
Poland and Saudi Arabia had faced each other four times prior to the tournament most recently in 2006, a 2–1 win for Poland in a friendly game. Piotr Zieliński for Poland scored the opening goal in the 39th minute. At the end of the first half, Saleh Al-Shehri was fouled in the box and was alwarded a penalty kick. Salem Al-Dawsari attempt was saved by Wojciech Szczęsny in the first minute of stoppage time. In the second half, an error by Abdulellah Al-Malki led to Robert Lewandowski scoring his first World Cup goal in the 82nd minute as Saudi Arabia were defeated by Poland 2–0. The result meant that Poland did not lose their two opening World Cup games for the first time since 1986.
After a goalless first half between Argentina and Mexico, Messi put Argentina into the lead in the 64th minute. Enzo Fernández made it 2–0 and secured the win in the 87th minute with a curled finish to the right corner of the net.
The third matchday encounter between Poland and Argentina was the third time the two nations met in a FIFA World Cup. Wojciech Szczęsny made a penalty save in the first half to deny Lionel Messi's goal, only to concede twice for the first time in this FIFA World Cup when Argentina scored two goals in the second half on close range by Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez as Argentina trounced Poland 2–0 to avert their own crisis, topping the group with two wins. Despite this, Poland would eventually join Argentina in the last sixteen thanked to a superior goal difference than Mexico.
Around the same time, Saudi Arabia and Mexico met for the first time in a FIFA World Cup knowing both must win to survive. After a goalless first half, Mexico struck twice in the second half with a volley from a corner kick by Henry Martín in 47th minute before Luis Chávez doubled Mexico's lead with a thunderous free kick in 52th minute. However, Mexico failed to find a third and Salem Al-Dawsari finally buried Mexico's hope to progress in 95th minutes of injury time with a goal, which confirmed both teams' elimination from the tournament as Mexico claimed the 2–1 win over the Persian Gulf opponent.
Standings[]
| Team | Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advance to knockout phase |
| Poland
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| Mexico
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | |
| Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
In the round of 16:
- The winners of Group C will advance to play the runners-up of Group D.
- The runners-up of Group C will advance to play the winners of Group D.
Matches[]
All times listed are local, AST (UTC+3).
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia[]
The two teams have faced each other four times, most recently in 2012, a 0–0 draw in a friendly game.
In one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina and ended their 36-match unbeaten streak.
| 22 November 2022 13:00 |
Argentina
|
1–2 | Saudi Arabia
|
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Attendance: 88,012 Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Messi  10' (pen.)
|
Report | Al-Shehri 48' S. Al-Dawsari 53'
|
          Argentina
|
     Saudi Arabia
|
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Mexico vs Poland[]
The teams have met eight times including once in the World Cup, in Poland's 3–1 first group stage victory in 1978.
| 22 November 2022 19:00 |
Mexico
|
0–0 | Poland
|
Stadium 974, Doha Attendance: 39,369 Referee: Chris Beath (Australia) |
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| Report |
     Mexico
|
    Poland
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Poland vs Saudi Arabia[]
The two teams have faced each other four times, most recently in 2006, a 2–1 win for Poland in a friendly game.
| 26 November 2022 16:00 |
Poland
|
2–0 | Saudi Arabia
|
Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Attendance: 44,259 Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zieliński 39' Lewandowski 82'
|
Report |
Poland
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Saudi Arabia
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Argentina vs Mexico[]
The teams have met thrice in the World Cup, in Argentina's 6–3 group stage victory in 1930, 2–1 round of 16 win in 2006, and another round of 16 victory by 3–1 in 2010.
| 26 November 2022 22:00 |
Argentina
|
2–0 | Mexico
|
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Attendance: 88,966 Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messi 64' Fernández 87'
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Report |
Argentina
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Mexico
|
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Poland vs Argentina[]
The teams have met eleven times including twice in the World Cup, in Poland's 3–2 first group stage victory in 1974 and Argentina's 2–0 second group stage win in 1978.
| 30 November 2022 22:00 |
Poland
|
0–2 | Argentina
|
Stadium 974, Doha Attendance: 44,089 Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Mac Allister 46' Álvarez 67'
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Poland
|
     Argentina
|
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Saudi Arabia vs Mexico[]
The two teams have faced each other five times, most recently in 1999, a 5–1 win for Mexico at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup.
| 30 November 2022 22:00 |
Saudi Arabia
|
1–2 | Mexico
|
Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail Attendance: 84,985 Referee: Michael Oliver (England) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Al-Dawsari 90+5'
|
Report | Martín 47' Chávez 52'
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    Saudi Arabia
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Mexico
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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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;
| Team | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Points | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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| Argentina
|
1 | 1 | −2 | ||||||||||
| Poland
|
1 | 3 | 1 | −5 | |||||||||
| Mexico
|
2 | 4 | 1 | −7 | |||||||||
| Saudi Arabia
|
6 | 2 | 6 | −14 | |||||||||
External links[]
| 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Knockout stage · Final Other: Qualification · Bids · Broadcasting rights · Controversies (Garcia Report) · Officials · Opening ceremony · Seeding · Squads · Statistics · Match Schedule Official symbols: Al Rihla (ball) · "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)" (song) · La'eeb (mascot) |
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Argentina v Croatia · Argentina v France · Croatia v Brazil · Croatia v Morocco · England v France · England v Iran · England v Senegal · England v United States · France v Denmark · France v Morocco · Morocco v Portugal · Netherlands vs Argentina · Qatar v Ecuador · Spain v Germany · Wales v England |