In Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Argentina defeated the United Arab Emirates 5-0 with goals from Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, and Joaquin Correa. On November 22, Saudi Arabia will face Lionel Scaloni's team.
An unbeaten streak of 36 games was extended by Argentina as they smashed the United Arab Emirates 5-0 in their World Cup warm-up game on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. Angel di Maria scored twice, while Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, and Joaquin Correa all scored.
Argentina grabbed the lead in the 17th minute thanks to a goal by Alvarez, who was set up by Messi after receiving a pass from Di Maria and finding himself with the goalie to beat. The audience at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium cheered Argentina on.
Eight minutes later, Di Maria doubled Argentina's advantage with a beautiful volley after Marcos Acuna crossed the ball in from the left side. The two-time World Cup champions found their rhythm ahead of the tournament, which begins on Sunday in Qatar.
The striker scored in the 36th minute as Argentina humiliated their opponents. Before scoring, the attacker dribbled past several UAE defenders after recovering from a hamstring injury last month to secure a position in manager Lionel Scaloni's World Cup squad.
A minute before halftime, Messi contributed to the excitement with a superb deflected shot after receiving the ball from Di Maria.
At halfway, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made four substitutions but decided not to bench his best player, keeping Messi in the game for the entire 90 minutes.
In his last five Argentina matches, Messi has now netted 10 goals, extending his career total to 91.
At the hour mark, Joaquin Correa of Inter Milan completed the thrashing in the 60th minute with a goal that was deflected.
On November 22, Argentina plays Saudi Arabia to open the World Cup. Poland and Mexico are its other opponents in Group C.
Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul stated, "We're confident. But many people will be playing their first World Cup, therefore the opening game will be crucial.
Argentina’s Full World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal).
Defenders: Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon).
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriquez (Real Betis).
Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain).
