Argentina became the second big-name casualty of the World Cup today, joining reigning champions France on an early plane home from the Far East.

The South Americans were expected to become world champions for a third time, particularly in the wake of such an impressive qualifying display when they lost just one of their 18 matches, scoring 42 goals en route.

But in a tournament full of sensational surprises, Juan Sebastian Veron's side failed to qualify for the second round for the first time in their last eight tournaments, stretching back to 1962.

Southampton's Anders Svensson was the Swedish hero, brilliantly curling home a 27-yard free-kick to effectively seal Argentina's fate and set up coach Tommy Soderberg's side for a second round clash with another of the competition's underdogs, Senegal.

Few critics will have backed Sweden to top the 'Group of Death' in which Argentina have effectively been slain, along with Nigeria, leaving England as runners-up.

For Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, it was another of those frustrating matches in which he and the rest of his squad will be left wondering just how they failed to qualify.

They dominated the Swedes, enjoying 65 per cent possession in the first half, but failed to find the goals their superiority deserved until it was too late.

Pablo Aimar, starting ahead of the benched Veron, was the pivotal figure, spraying the ball out wide to either Ariel Ortega and Javier Zanetti on the right, or Claudio Lopez down the left.

But as much as Valencia star Aimar was driving on Argentina, so Celtic centre-back Johan Mjallby was a rock at the heart of the Sweden defence, clearing virtually every cross which was driven or curled into the area.

When Argentina did open up the Swedish backline, Juan Sorin twice headed over in the opening 45 minutes when well positioned, while Claudio Lopez failed to find the target with a number of drives from a variety of angles.

The first half ended in bizarre fashion when Rangers' Claudio Caniggia, who failed to kick a ball in the entire tournament, was dismissed from the dugout, presumably for mouthing off at an official close by.

Argentina continued their control of the game in the second half, but when Matias Almeyda brought down Svensson, up stepped the Saints star with a beauty of a free-kick on the hour.

An end-to-end finish to the game saw Magnus Hedman save superbly from Zanetti, who ended up wearing the armband following Gabriel Batistuta's withdrawal in the 59th minute moments before Svensson's strike, the Roma star bidding a sad farewell to his international career.

When substitute Mattias Jonson brought down Ortega four minutes from time, Argentina were given a lifeline, with Hernan Crespo firing in the rebound after the River Plate star's spot-kick had been saved by Hedman.

But even with four minutes of injury-time, Argentina failed to find the winner which would have given them a dramatic reprieve into the knockout stages.