Messi leads Argentina v Saudi Arabia in final World Cup quest

Argentina's 35-year-old captain and all-time top scorer Lionel Messi shrugged off some fatigue niggles to lead the line on Tuesday in the Group C opener against Saudi Arabia where he begins his last quest for an elusive World Cup trophy.

With Paulo Dybala still not recovered from injury, Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria were up front with Messi in a star-studded team who are one of the favourites to win in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard kept captain and midfielder Salman Al-Faraj in the team despite a recent shoulder injury. He has been a cornerstone of Al Hilal's dominance of Asian club football in recent years.

Their team is entirely home-based, with the local league's financial clout ensuring few leading players aspire to play overseas.

(Reuters)