Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could face off in the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup given both Argentina and Portugal defeat Round of 16 opponents France and Uruguay respectively.

France's chance against Argentina in the World Cup last 16 might be that Lionel Messi does not benefit from the same support with the national team than at Barcelona, his club team mate Samuel Umtiti says.

"We're sorry we didn't play like world champions. That's why we deserved to be eliminated, as bitter as it is." says Mannschaft.

Nigeria's third choice goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa waited for Messi to come back to the dressing room and promptly asked him for his shirt.

Serbia and Brazil will clash in their third Group E match of the 2018 World Cup at the Spartak stadium in Moscow.

Diego Maradona roared and gesticulated through every anguished second of Argentina's rollercoaster World Cup victory over Nigeria on Tuesday before triggering alarm with a health scare after the final whistle.

A relieved Lionel Messi believes Argentina deserve their place in the last 16 of the World Cup after being saved by Marcos Rojo's late winner against Nigeria as they avoided an embarrassing group-stage exit.

A late goal by Marcos Rojo give Argentina a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nigeria in Group D on Tuesday and send the twice champions through to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Gabriel Jesus started for Brazil in the first two World Cup games against Switzerland and Costa Rica but the 21-year-old Manchester City

A stunning Andre Carrillo volley gave Peru their first World Cup goal in 36 years before captain Paolo Guerrero grabbed a second as the Andean nation condemned Australia to a 2-0 defeat in Sochi on Tuesday and an early exit from Russia.

Winners won matches and losers the hearts in the early hours Tuesday.

Already eliminated Peru get their first World Cup win in 40 years and their first goal in 36 with a 2-0 victory over Australia on Tuesday.

With an attack spearheaded by Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Uruguay are expected to thrill at the World Cup, yet after three straight clean sheets in the group phase, it is their rock-solid rearguard that has impressed the most in Russia.

Morocco were seconds away from handing Spain their first defeat in two years on Monday but their failure to grasp their chance at glory in Kaliningrad was just one in a series of missed opportunities that characterised their World Cup.

Saudi Arabia winger Salem Al-Dawsari scores a last-gasp winner as Mohamed Salah's Egypt suffer a 2-1 loss in their Group A dead rubber in Volgograd on Monday.

England and Belgium face a World Cup conundrum ahead of Thursday's crunch in Kaliningrad -- is it better to finish second rather than win Group G?

Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is set to become the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup after the 45-year-old was named in the team to face Saudi Arabia in Volgograd.

Two Swiss government ministers backs national team players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri after their controversial goal celebrations in Friday's 2-1 World Cup win over Serbia.

After Argentina's terrible start to the World Cup, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has declared that he is ready to fight in order to qualify for the round of 16 and confirmed that he will not retire without having won the World Cup.

With the second series of World Cup group games completed on Sunday, qualification for the knockout rounds is now clearer.