The vote of the national team: Argentina’s defeat against Saudi Arabia ousted Big Brother and was the most watched of the year on TV

The Argentina national team from Lionel Scaloni Today he unexpectedly let go of his unbeaten record of 36 matches, losing in his debut at the Qatar World Cup in view of Saudi Arabia by 2 to 1. The match was seen live by a large number of Argentinian (and not so much) fans present in the imposing Lusail stadium. But those who weren’t lucky enough to get on a plane to get to the Middle East followed him on television, leaving a very high rating.

It is that Argentina has lost and complicated its stay in the Middle East, but the TV had a happy morning statistically. This was stated by IBOPE, the measurement company that usually publishes this type of conclusions related to television ratings. If you add up the numbers recorded by Public TV and TyC Sport broadcasts, the match had an accumulated rating of 55.5, with a slight advantage of the state channel over the sports signal. These are the provisional data from the household register, between 6:40 and 9:12, according to what was announced IBOPE.

In this way, the debut of Scaloni and company in Qatar became the most watched program of the year, surpassing Big Brother. However, it is estimated that this condition can only last a few days. Is that Argentina will play against on Saturday Mexico at 16:00, a much more “televised” schedule and with the tension that will generate a duel that could be transcendental for the aspirations of the Albiceleste in Asia.

final for the undefeated

Argentina have been looking to match the highest unbeaten record by a national team in football history, which belongs to Italy with 37 between October 2018 and October 2021. La Scaloneta have therefore amassed 36 games without losing since their previous defeat, against Brazil, July 2, 2019.

Since that defeat in Belo Horizonte for the 2019 Copa América, Argentina has racked up 25 wins and 11 draws which has allowed them to end a 28-year drought without titles.

In that period, the national team was champion of the Copa América 2021 after beating Brazil in the final at the Maracanà in Rio de Janeiro and then crowned the Final against Italy, holders of the European title, at the legendary Wembley in London.

Scaloni, at the helm of the team after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, surpassed the best unbeaten streak (33 games) that the Albiceleste recorded between 1991 and 1993 during Alfio Basile’s first technical cycle.

The joy of the DT of Saudi Arabia

The coach of the Saudi national team, surprising executioner of Argentina (2-1) in the debut match of both at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, expressed his satisfaction with the victory and underlined that he had made “football history”, a situation that “will remain forever”

“We have made football history and that will remain forever,” said the 54-year-old French coach at a press conference held at the Lusail stadium, after finishing the first match in group C of the ecumenical competition.

About twenty-four hours ago, the charismatic DT – who was also able to lead the Moroccan team and qualified for the previous 2018 World Cup in Russia – announced that an event of these characteristics “is full of surprises”.

“Anything can happen in football. You have to believe in yourself,” said the coach of the Arab team, who recorded their first success against a select world champion.

“We have shown that we are competitive. We didn’t come to a World Cup to have fun,” said the technical director, who began his career in Saudi Arabia three seasons ago.

Renard, who was a humble footballer who served as a defender at Cannes in his home country, led two teams that qualified as Africa Cup of Nations winners: 2012 Zambia and 2015 Ivory Coast.

Saudi Arabia will play their second match in zone C this Saturday, starting at 10:00 in Argentina, when they face the Polish team.