When Argentina lost 2-1 in their first 2022 FIFA World Cup match against Saudi Arabia, many pundits took a step back. They began to question whether the South American nation is a contender for the trophy or if it’s only hype.
Argentina put together a 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday to get back on track and show that the loss to Saudi Arabia was a fluke. However, ESPN FC pundit Frank Leboeuf isn’t buying them and needs to see more before considering Messi and Co. contenders.
“I still have doubts about [Argentina],” Leboeuf said. “When I saw the first half, what they had to offer when I saw the game against Saudi Arabia, it’s to be confirmed not only 45 minutes would be enough for 30 minutes even isn’t enough for me to see that Argentina is back to its best now, especially against the Mexican team who showed nothing.
“So I want to see not maybe the next game, but I guess in the last 16 how they can perform or if we’re back to the 2018 World Cup where they’ve been awful.”
Messi and Argentina will face off against Poland on Wednesday, with the winner of the matchup likely finishing in first place and avoiding the Round of 16 fixture against France.
Should Poland secure a favorable result, then it puts a lot of pressure on Argentina to step up to the plate in an encounter with France in a rematch of the 2018 Round of 16 matchup that saw Les Bleus coming away with the victory.
Watch the full segment below:
