Lionel Messi quickly announced his arrival at the 2022 World Cup.
After registering a shot on goal in the second minute, Messi scored his first goal of the tournament in the 10th minute on a penalty kick against Saudi Arabia.
The penalty came after a VAR review determined that Leandro Paredes was taken down in the box by Abdulelah Al Malki. That gave Messi the PK opportunity, which he did not miss.
Messi calmly ran up to the ball and knocked it into the left side of the net with his left foot to give Argentina an early 1-0 lead.
With the goal, Messi became the first Argentinian player to score in four different World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022). He now has seven career goals in the World Cup.
The 35-year-old has said that Qatar will be his last World Cup appearance. Argentina, placed in Group C with Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, is one of the favorites to make a run at the title.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
