Robert Lewandowski scored his first World Cup goal eight minutes from time to help earn Poland a 2-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in the Group C clash.

Piotr Zielinski opened the scoring six minutes before the break when, after failing to finish Matty Cash’s cross, Lewandowski reacted quickest to cut back to his team-mate who slammed home from six yards out.

Saudi Arabia dominated possession for most of the game and should have had a reward a minute into injury time in the first half when Salem Al-Dawsari’s penalty was saved by Wojciech Szczesny, who then was smart to deny the rebound from Mohammed Al-Breik.

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Although Saudi Arabia were attacking for much of the second half it was Poland who came closest to scoring as Arkadiusz Milik saw a header come back off the crossbar and Lewandowski also saw an effort strike the post.

The game was settled when Abdulelah Al-Malki lost control of the ball on the edge of his box and Lewandowski made no mistake.

The result sees Poland top Group C with four points from two games, the Saudis have three points and are also alive going into the last round of games. Mexico face Argentina later in the day.

It was the Kylian Mbappe show on Saturday evening as he scored twice to help France beat Denmark 2-1 and secure their qualification for the Last 16 of the 2022 World Cup.

Les Bleus were the better side in the first half and created the better chances to score. Eventually, with 61 minutes on the clock, the deadlock was broken. Theo Hernandez combined well with Mbappe and the latter guided a difficult finish from inside the box past Kasper Schmeichel in the Denmark goal.

However, Didier Deschamps’ side only led for seven minutes, as Denmark hit back quickly. Christian Eriksen’s corner from the right-hand side was flicked on by Joachim Andersen to the path of his center-back partner Andreas Christensen, who sent a downward header past Hugo Lloris.

Big chances bypassed both sides in the following moments as the end drew closer, but in the 86th minute, France found the winner they were looking for, and Mbappe had his brace.

The forward did well at the back post to peel away from his man and latched onto Antoine Griezmann’s cross to bundle the ball into the net as Les Bleus booked their place in the knockout stages.

Kevin De Bruyne has said Belgium have “no chance” of winning the 2022 World Cup because they are “too old”.

Although Belgium edged out Canada 1-0 in their opening game, their performance failed to set the world alight.

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The average age of the entire squad is the sixth oldest in Qatar, but more than half of the starting 11 against Canada were 30 years old or above.

Much of Belgium’s “Golden Generation” including Eden Hazard, Jan Vertonghen, and De Bruyne himself will be past their peak by the time 2026 comes around, or may not feature at all.

UGANDAN VOLUNTEERS

It is interesting to find African volunteers in Qatar. Five Ugandans, at least, have been spotted working as World Cup volunteers in Qatar. It is always a heartfelt moment seeing one of your own in a far-flung place like this. It also happens that they are truly and genuinely enjoying what they are doing here.

They are not doing the kind of manual, manipulative, underpaying jobs that have been decried internationally. Some have been here for six months and have understood the dos and don’ts of this deeply religious country.

It is a truly global tournament with volunteers picked from so many different parts of the world to come and offer their services during the biggest sporting event in the world. It was the same story at the last World Cup in Russia where a few Ugandans made it as volunteers.

GETTING AROUND

One of the unique selling points of a World Cup held in such a small country was the proximity between stadiums, meaning fans could attend multiple matches a day.

But there were questions over how it would work in reality and fears over how the city would handle the supposed influx of more than a million visions once the tournament began.

Almost a week in, Doha seems to be coping well and while the $36 billion Metro system is handling a large load – Uber remains king for many Aussie travelers.

There were suggestions rides would be hard to come by, and traffic chaotic, once the tournament started but they are still readily available and cheap – even a half-hour trip out to one of the stadiums on the outskirts of the city can cost less than $A20.

Things can get tricky around the stadiums, where road closures can mean a bit of walking for drop-offs and pick-ups but it’s still the easier option for many.

GETTING A BEER

It’s the thing most people ask when they hear you’re in Qatar – have you found a beer yet?

The tournament’s surprise backflip on selling beer at the stadiums certainly made things a little trickier, but in reality, alcohol isn’t as scarce as you might think.

Qatar has strict rules around alcohol but drinks are allowed to be served in many of the city’s hotels and bars, which haven’t been quite as over-run as feared – perhaps as a result of fewer visitors than expected traveling.

However, there is Budweiser being sold in World Cup stadia. Yes, Budweiser. But it is not Budweiser the beer. It is the non-alcoholic version which is in the kiosks of all stadiums. The host country decided to go back on their word and ban alcohol consumption in and around the stadia.

It has been an unpopular decision among sponsors and senior executives in the world soccer governing body Fifa. Thankfully souvenir Budweiser cups, which would have been offered for every beer purchase, are being handed out to every fan who buys the non-alcoholic Budweiser can.

FOOD & COST

The beers don’t come cheap, of course.  A 500m Budweiser at the fan zone will set you back about $A21. The prices in hotels vary but some aren’t too bad – the cheapest pint was around $A16 (research is a part of the job, you know).

Lionel Messi produced a moment of trademark magic to help keep Argentina’s World Cup hopes alive with victory in a tense encounter against Mexico.

In a cauldron of noise at Lusail Stadium, Messi and Argentina knew defeat would end their hopes of reaching the last 16 after only two games following the stunning loss to Saudi Arabia in their opener.

The tension was mounting as Mexico frustrated Messi in an attritional game, especially in a first half littered with fouls and stoppages that never allowed Argentina to gain any momentum.

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Messi changed all that after 64 minutes when he took one touch to control a pass with his left foot before drilling an unerring finish past Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

The masses of Argentina supporters in a crowd of 88,966 went wild in celebration and relief as their World Cup campaign got back on track.

Enzo Fernandez added a superb second with a curling shot into the top corner three minutes from time but it was Messi who made the breakthrough and the difference.

Victory in a tough final Goup C game against Poland will send them into the knockout phase.