Just from traveling to the Lusail Stadium by Metro, you get a sense this match will have one of the best atmospheres of the World Cup so far.
It’s no surprise that Saudi Arabia’s fans are here in force, given the short distance between the two countries, but their numbers seem more than matched by those in Argentina shirts.
For the last week, the iconic blue and white jerseys have been spotted all over Doha and you get the sense they’re all here for one man: Lionel Messi.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is likely playing his last ever World Cup in Qatar and people have come from all over the world to see him play.
CNN spoke to fans from South Kerala, India, who have come to Doha to support the South American side purely because of the draw power of the diminutive Argentine.
“His posters are everywhere, he’s the best,” one said.
Messi led his team out for the warmup and those already in their seats erupted with applause as the 35-year-old waved to the crowd.
They’ve been singing his name ever since.
These are the squads for Argentina and Saudi Arabia’s Group C match today
Saudi Arabia:
Manager: Hervé Renard
Goalkeepers: Muhammad Al-Owais, Muhammad Al-Yami, Nawaf Al-Aqidi
Defenders: Ali Al-Bulaihi, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdullah Madu, Muhammad Al-Breik, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Saud Abdulhamid
Midfielders: Nasser Al-Dawsari, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdulelah Al-Maliki, Mohamed Kanno, Riyad Sharahili, Abdullah Otayf, Sami Al-Najei, Salman Al-Faraj, Salem Al-Dawsari, Hattan Bahebri, Nawaf Al-abed, Abdulrahman Al-Aboud
Forwards: Saleh Al-Shehri, Firas Al-Buraikan, Haitham Asiri
Argentina:
Manager: Lionel Scaloni
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, Franco Armani
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Germán Pezzella, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Marcos Acuña, Nicolás Tagliafico, Juan Foyth
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Guido Rodríguez, Alejandro Gómez, Enzo Fernández, Exequiel Palacios
Forwards: Ángel Di María, Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González, Joaquín Correa, Paulo Dybala, Lionel Messi
