Argentina v Australia, 03 December 2022

Kick-off: 10.00pm local (7.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Argentina 3, Australia 38 . Argentina had now reached the Quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 2010 in South Africa. . Argentina had reached the knockout stage for the ninth time in the last ten World Cup tournaments. . Having gone out at this stage in 2018 in Russia, Argentina avoided being eliminated before the Quarter-final at consecutive World Cup finals since the Round of 16 was introduced in 1986. . This was Argentina’s 50th win at the World Cup finals (played 86, lost 24). . This was the 1,000th appearance of 35 year-old Lionel Messi’s career for clubs and country (Argentina 169, Barcelona 778 and Paris St Germain 53). He had now scored a total of 779 goals. . Lionel Messi scored his ninth goal at the World Cup finals, but his first in the knockout stages. Only Gabriel Batistuta had now scored more for Argentina at the tournaments (ten). . Australia reached the knockout stages of the World Cup finals for the second time; previously in 2006 when they lost 1-0 in the Round of 16 to Italy in Kaiserslautern. . Australia opened the scoring in each of their three group games. They did so in two of their 16 games in their five previous participations at World Cup tournaments. . Australia had won their last two games at this World Cup finals; as many as in their previous 17 games at the tournaments (lost 11). . In the group stage, Australia kept a clean sheet in consecutive games at the World Cup finals for the first time. . Prior to this tournament, Australia’s most recent clean sheet at the World Cup finals came in a goalless draw against Chile in Berlin in 1974. . Australia remained without a win in their five games against South American opposition at the World Cup finals (lost four). . Current manager Graham Arnold played in Australia’s only win in the seven previous meetings with Argentina; 4-1 in a Bicentennial Gold Cup game played in Sydney in July 1988 (lost five). .