France needed the help of the first World Cup penalty awarded after a video review and a deflected Paul Pogba goal to get their World Cup campaign underway with a 2-1 win over Australia on Saturday.

You can’t ask for a better start to a World Cup as far as the first couple of days of Russia 2018 is concerned.

You can’t ask for a better start to a World Cup as far as the first couple of days of Russia 2018 is concerned. The hosts got off to a dream start with a 5-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium on the opening day.

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli, revealing his starting line-up a day early, is going for safety-first experience in pairing Javier Mascherano and Lucas Biglia in midfield to contain Iceland in Saturday's World Cup Group D opener.

Edgardo Bauza bemoaned the timing of Lionel Messi's suspension after Argentina's woes were compounded in a stunning loss to Bolivia as the head coach remained defiant.

The unthinkable prospect of a World Cup without Argentina or Lionel Messi could move a step closer to becoming reality on Thursday as the South American giants prepare to face arch-rivals Chile in a crucial battle on the road to Russia 2018.