World Cup countdown: 50 days, Argentina moment number 39, Pablo ZABALETA
As part of the 50 days, 50 Argentina World Cup moments, we will be counting down the top 50 Argentina moments at a World Cup using the daily number.
We are just 39 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup and in 39th place we have Pablo ZABALETA playing in his 39th match for Argentina, a 1-0 win against Iran at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
After having picked-up a 2-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their first match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and a 1-0 win against Iran in the second game, Alejandro SABELLA’s men were up against a very familiar opponent. For the second consecutive World Cup, Argentina were pit in the same group as Nigeria.
This time around, the match had many goals. Lionel MESSI opened the scoring in the third minute, Ahmed MUSA equalised a minute later, at the stroke of half time in injury time, Lionel MESSI added to his World Cup tally scoring a fantastic free kick. Two minutes into the second half, Ahmed MUSA scored once more and three minutes after that, Marcos ROJO finally put an end to the goals in the match as he scored the winner in a 3-2 win.
For Pablo ZABALETA, it wasn’t his best of matches, having struggled against the speedy Nigerian players. However, ZABALETA’s team mates were able to make sure that his 39th match with his country was a memorable victory.
Here was Argentina’s starting XI for the match:
1. Sergio ROMERO
2. Ezequiel GARAY
4. Pablo ZABALETA
5. Fernando GAGO
7. Angel DI MARIA
9. Gonzalo HIGUAIN
10. Lionel MESSI
14. Javier MASCHERANO
16. Marcos ROJO
17. Federico FERNANDEZ
20. Sergio AGUERO
Pablo Zabaleta: Argentina International Caps – Senior Level
| # | Opponent | Competition | Date | Result |
| 1 | Hungary | Friendly | August 17, 2005 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 2 | Paraguay | 2006 World Cup Qualifiers | September 3, 2005 | Final 1-0 Paraguay |
| 3 | Brazil | Friendly | September 3, 2006 | Final 3-0 Brazil |
| 4 | Spain | Friendly | October 11, 2006 | Final 2-1 Spain |
| – | Catalonia | Unofficial Friendly | May 24, 2008 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 5 | Peru | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | September 10, 2008 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 6 | Republic of Ireland | Friendly | August 11, 2010 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 7 | Portugal | Friendly | February 9, 2011 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 8 | Nigeria | Friendly | June 1, 2011 | Final 4-1 Nigeria |
| 9 | Poland | Friendly | June 5, 2011 | Final 2-1 Poland |
| 10 | Albania | Friendly | June 20, 2011 | Final 4-0 Argentina |
| 11 | Colombia | 2011 Copa America | July 6, 2011 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 12 | Costa Rica | 2011 Copa America | July 11, 2011 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 13 | Uruguay | 2011 Copa America | July 16, 2011 | Final 1-1 (5-4 P) Uruguay |
| 14 | Venezuela | Friendly | September 2, 2011 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 15 | Nigeria | Friendly | September 6, 2011 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 16 | Chile | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 7, 2011 | Final 4-1 Argentina |
| 17 | Venezuela | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 11, 2011 | Final 1-0 Venezuela |
| 18 | Bolivia | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | November 11, 2011 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 19 | Colombia | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | November 15, 2011 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 20 | Switzerland | Friendly | February 29, 2012 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 21 | Ecuador | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | June 2, 2012 | Final 4-0 Argentina |
| 22 | Brazil | Friendly | June 9, 2012 | Final 4-3 Argentina |
| 23 | Germany | Friendly | August 15, 2012 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 24 | Uruguay | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 12, 2012 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 25 | Chile | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 16, 2012 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | Friendly | November 14, 2012 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 27 | Sweden | Friendly | February 6, 2013 | Final 3-2 Argentina |
| 28 | Venezuela | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | March 22, 2013 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 29 | Colombia | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | June 7, 2013 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 30 | Paraguay | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | September 10, 2013 | Final 5-2 Argentina |
| 31 | Peru | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 11, 2013 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 32 | Ecuador | Friendly | November 15, 2013 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 33 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Friendly | November 18, 2013 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 34 | Romania | Friendly | March 5, 2014 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 35 | Trinidad and Tobago | Friendly | June 4, 2014 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 36 | Slovenia | Friendly | June 7, 2014 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 37 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 15, 2014 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 38 | Iran | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 21, 2014 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 39 | Nigeria | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 25, 2014 | Final 3-2 Argentina |
| 40 | Switzerland | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 1, 2014 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 41 | Belgium | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 5, 2014 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 42 | Netherlands | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 9, 2014 | Final 0-0 (4-2 P) Argentina |
| 43 | Germany | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 13, 2014 | Final 1-0 Germany |
| 44 | Germany | Friendly | September 3, 2014 | Final 4-2 Argentina |
| 45 | Brazil | Friendly | October 11, 2014 | Final 2-0 Brazil |
| 46 | Hong Kong | Friendly | October 14, 2014 | Final 7-0 Argentina |
| 47 | Croatia | Friendly | November 12, 2014 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 48 | El Salvador | Friendly | March 28, 2015 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 49 | Uruguay | 2015 Copa America | June 16, 2015 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 50 | Jamaica | 2015 Copa America | June 20, 2015 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 51 | Colombia | 2015 Copa America | June 27, 2015 | Final 0-0 (5-4 P) Argentina |
| 52 | Paraguay | 2015 Copa America | June 30, 2015 | Final 6-1 Argentina |
| 53 | Chile | 2015 Copa America | July 4, 2015 | Final 0-0 (4-1 P) Chile |
| 54 | Paraguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 13, 2015 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 55 | Uruguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | September 1, 2016 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 56 | Venezuela | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | September 6, 2016 | Final 2-2 Draw |
| 57 | Peru | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 6, 2016 | Final 2-2 Draw |
| 58 | Brazil | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | November 10, 2016 | Final 3-0 Brazil |
If you missed it, here are our 50 World Cup moments:
50: Sergio ROMERO gets 50th cap vs. Switzerland at 2014 FIFA World Cup.
49: Roberto AYALA scores in the 49th minute vs. Germany at 2006 FIFA World Cup.
48: Angel DI MARIA’s 48th cap for Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina at 2014 FIFA World Cup.
47: Mario KEMPES scores Argentina’s 47th goal all time at the 1978 FIFA World Cup vs. Peru.
46: Jorge VALDANO scores in the 46th minute at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
45: Javier ZANETTI scores in the 45th minute vs. England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
44: Gabriel BATISTUTA scores goal number 44 in his Argentina career at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
43: Gonzalo HIGUAIN receives cap number 43 for Argentina vs. Germany in the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
42: Pedro PASCULLI scores in the 42nd minute for Argentina vs. Uruguay at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
41: Maxi RODRÍGUEZ scores in the 41st minute for Argentina vs. Serbia & Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
40: Roberto AYALA plays in his 40th match for Argentina vs. Jamaica at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
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