Beating Argentina like outsprinting Van Aert and van der Poel says World Cup coach

‘We were with Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogačar and we still crossed the line before them’ says Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard

Wout van Aert
Hervé Renard likened his teams win to outsprinting Wout van Aert at a big classic
(Image credit: Getty Images)

“On paper they should beat them” is a phrase regularly heard in conversations about football.  As people gathered around televisions in their homes as well as pubs, cafes and bars world wide to watch Argentina play Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup it will no doubt have entered conversations once more.

A team containing superstars such as Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Julian Alvarez would “on paper” surely beat Saudi Arabia's line-up of Hattan Bahebri, Saleh Al-Shehri and Riyadh Sharahili?

Apparently not, as the Saudi’s ran out 2-1 winners in the biggest upset of the competition so far. 

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Tom Thewlis
News and Features Writer

After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.