Argentina play Australia at the World Cup as the knockout stage continues in Qatar. Lionel Messi will continue his quest to win the World Cup against an Australia who defied the odds to reach the last-16, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. Netherlands defeated the USA in the early match, so the winner here will face the Dutch on Friday 9 December.
Australia are looking to make history by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time, but the Socceroos have already exceeded expectations by beating Denmark and Tunisia to second place in Group D. Graham Arnold’s side may lack star power but they more than make up for it in togetherness and team spirit, as the nation dreams of pulling off what would perhaps be the biggest upset in World Cup history.
Argentina finished top of Group C after recovering from their shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, with wins over Mexico and Poland steering La Albiceleste towards the last 16. Argentina’s defeat to Suadi Arabia will show Australia that anything is possible, but Messi and his team-mates will also know that they cannot afford to underestimate the Socceroos here.
Follow all the action with our live blog below, following reaction to Netherlands vs USA in the early match.
