From VAR controversy to an Argentina legend bending the rules and more penalties than you can shake a stick at, we round up the talking points from day three at the World Cup. Each day during the tournament, we will be pulling together all the big stories and best reaction right here in a nutshell, so you do not miss a thing. Here are the highlights from day three at the World Cup... The reports France 2-1 Australia Among the tournament favourites, France stuttered to victory against an Australia side who did more than just stifle their opponents, and could have taken the lead before half-time. They eventually fell behind to an Antoine Griezmann penalty, awarded thanks to VAR, before equalising from the spot through Mile Jedinak after Samuel Umtiti handled in a moment of madness. But his blushes would be spared with a late own goal when Paul Pogba's shot struck defender Aziz Behich and looped over Mat Ryan to seal three points. Argentina 1-1 Iceland Argentina were not so lucky as to avoid a disappointing opening result, as Lionel Messi's missed penalty cost them victory against debutants Iceland. Sergio Aguero's shot on the turn put his country ahead early on, but within four minutes they were pegged back when Alfred Finnbogason tapped in after a save from Willy Caballero. Messi stepped up from the spot when Maximiliano Meza was fouled by Hordur Magnusson, but Hannes Halldorsson guessed the right way to keep out his penalty kick. Peru 0-1 Denmark Another tale of a missed spot-kick would cost Peru, in their first finals since 1982 and vastly outnumbering their opposite numbers in the stands in Mordovia. The South Americans were handed the second spot-kick from a VAR review of the tournament, but Christian Cueva blasted over from 12 yards, and later left the pitch in tears at half-time. His misery was compounded when Yussuf Poulsen, who had given away the penalty, finished off Christian Eriksen's slide-rule pass at the near post for the only goal of the game, despite long spells of Peru pressure. Croatia 2-0 Nigeria A surprisingly insipid Nigeria performance was punished by Croatia as an own goal and a Luka Modric penalty took the eastern Europeans top of Group D. Having taken the lead after 32 minutes when Oghenekaro Etebo, who has just signed for Stoke, was struck by the ball from a corner and diverted it into his own goal, Croatia cruised to victory with little fight from their opposition. When Mario Mandzukic was bundled over in the area after the break, Modric's penalty sealed victory. Moment of the day Messi had a lot to live up to less than 24 hours after Cristiano Ronaldo single-handedly led Portugal to a 3-3 draw with Spain - but he could not do it. The Barcelona forward, and five-time Ballon d'Or winner, fluffed his lines from 12 yards when a goal would probably have given Argentina victory. Messi has now missed 17 of the 88 penalties he has taken in his career, but few will be more frustrating than Saturday's saved effort. There was similar, if not worse disappointment for Peru's Cueva, who had to be consoled by his team-mates at half-time when the emotion of his missed penalty against Denmark became all too much. On a brighter note, Finnbogason's goal was Iceland's first at the World Cup, in their first match, with their first shot on target. For a nation with a population less than that of Argentina capital Buenos Aires, it was a joy to behold and one their fans will never forget. The key quotes "I hoped that maybe one time there would be a very honest referee, and in that moment, that he wouldn't go to the video screen. "I saw him standing there. The body language was that he didn't know, from my position." "I looked at a lot of penalties from Messi and I also looked at how I've been behaving during the last couple of penalties. "I tried to get in their minds, so they'd be thinking about me. I had a good feeling he'd go this way today." "He kept looking and he wanted Argentina to win, whatever the analysis of any performance says. I am happy because I know that Leo's commitment to getting us into the next round is still there." Stat of the day 5 - There have now been five penalties taken in the World Cup today (June 16th 2018); the last single day to see more in the competition was June 24th 1998. Spot.#CRONGA #NGA #CRO #WorldCup — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 16, 2018 Tweet of the day This tweet about referee Bakary Gassama got a few on Twitter chuckling on the back of his strong performance refereeing Denmark's win over Peru... Timely reminder that absolutely nobody tells referee Bakary Gassama what to do. pic.twitter.com/AL3gETJG52 — Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) June 16, 2018 What were England up to? Fabian Delph cast aside any suggestion England might be getting too cosy and friendly ahead of their first game with Tunisia on Monday. Delph revealed the starting line-up for the Group G opener has already been revealed by manager Gareth Southgate to his players, but denied there was any chance of complacency among him or his team-mates. Much has been spoken about the unity among the England squad - although Delph said he and his team-mates had no issue "digging each other out" if needed. He said: "Nothing's ever personal, that's what I've found with this squad. As long as it's constructive criticism, people take it on the chin. 0:24 Fabian Delph provides an insight into the competitive nature of England training "We've worked on various different systems with various personnel. "The team's not guaranteed, there could be changes. But from the set-up that we've done, it's pretty clear who's going to be starting." On Sunday, Gareth Southgate and his squad will head to Volgograd, the location of their game with Tunisia, and could be met with temperatures eclipsing 30°C if the early weeks of June are anything to go by. In the news Germany boss Joachim Low said he has no concerns over the fitness of Manuel Neuer or Mesut Ozil in the build-up to the World Cup holders' opening game with Mexico on Sunday. Neuer has missed most of the season with a foot injury, but is in line to begin the World Cup as Germany's No 1, having already started their final warm-up game with Saudi Arabia last week. Mohamed Salah was handed a birthday cake by the hotel the Egypt squad stayed in after their 1-0 defeat to Uruguay on Friday. Having endured a miserable birthday, missing that game as he continues his recovery from injury and watching his side fall to a last-gasp defeat, Salah enjoyed a better day on Saturday, with Egypt boss Ihab Leheta confirming he would be ready to play in Tuesday's do-or-die second game with Russia. He said: "Salah participated in training with his team-mates for the entire session and he is ready to play against Russia according to technical staff." Eight people were injured when a taxi drove into pedestrians not far from the famous Red Square area in Moscow. Amid heightened security across Russia for the World Cup, the driver of the taxi was detained but claimed the incident was unintentional, after he lost control of the vehicle. Moscow next plays host to Germany v Mexico, at 4pm UK time on Sunday. And finally... Never one to play by the rules, Argentina legend Diego Maradona was all smiles when he appeared in the stands for the draw with Iceland. Image: Maradona was pictured in the stands during Argentina's draw with Iceland The 57-year-old, who coached his country at the World Cup eight years ago, soon made himself comfortable, lighting up a cigar in full view of the crowd. Whether or not Maradona was forced to put it out is unconfirmed, but there's no smoke without fire... Who plays on Sunday? Costa Rica v Serbia (Group E) - Samara, 1pm Germany v Mexico (Group F) - Moscow (Luzhniki), 4pm Brazil v Switzerland (Group E) - Rostov-on-Don, 7pm<doc-sep>The World Cup is underway and Friday promises to be an action-packed day at Russia 2018. Hosts Russia beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening clash of the tournament on Thursday, while today sees three mouth-watering contests. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is set to lead the line as Egypt take part in their first World Cup fixture since 1990 against Uruguay, before Morocco face Iran in Group B. All eyes will then be on Sochi as European champions Portugal play a Spain team still getting over the shock exit of manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the competition. Each morning during the tournament we'll bring you an overview of what's coming up that day. Here's what you can expect on day two of the 2018 World Cup… World Cup fixtures World Cup venues Who's playing today? Egypt v Uruguay (Group A) - Yekaterinburg (Central Stadium), 1pm Morocco v Iran (Group B) - Saint Petersburg (Krestovsky Stadium), 4pm Portugal v Spain (Group B) - Sochi (Fisht Olympic Stadium), 7pm What's the deal? Uruguay - who boast a fearsome forward line of Barcelona's Luis Suarez and PSG's Edinson Cavani - get proceedings underway with a lunch-time encounter against Egypt in Yekaterinburg, before attention turns to Group B. Image: Uruguay will look to both Edinson Cavani (left) and Luis Suarez for goals this summer With Spain and Portugal to come, Morocco and Iran will both be desperate to get off to winning starts when they go head to head this afternoon, but it is this evening's contest at the Fisht Olympic Stadium that most people are talking about. The two Iberian rivals meet in one of the standout games of the group phase and who would bet against Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo being the main man in Sochi? Merson's predictions Egypt v Uruguay: I have gone for Uruguay. I just think with Uruguay having Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez in attack, they could be dark horses as they are two of the best forwards about right now. PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2 (5/1 with Sky Bet) Morocco v Iran: I think Morocco will just win this one - it will be an awkward match for both sides, but Morocco will just have too much for Iran. It is one of those games again that whoever loses it is probably out of the World Cup. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (9/2 with Sky Bet) Portugal v Spain: I have gone for Portugal to win this one actually. I watched Spain play Tunisia in a friendly on Friday night, and I thought they were poor and had run out of ideas. And Portugal are a better defensive team than Tunisia, you saw that when they won the Euros last time out. And then they have that X-factor in Cristiano Ronaldo, while they will be more of a threat when they break than Tunisia were. So, I have gone for Portugal to win this game. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (9/1 with Sky Bet) Three to watch Luis Suarez: The forward's last World Cup ended in disgrace after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini, resulting in a nine-game ban. However, after another impressive campaign with Barcelona last season, during which time he contributed 31 goals and 18 assists in 51 matches in total, expectations are high back in Uruguay that this could be his tournament. And with 51 international goals to his name, the 31-year-old will be relishing the chance to play an Egypt side appearing in their first World Cup for 28 years. Mehdi Benatia: The powerful Juventus centre back will line up in the heart of the Morocco back line when they kick off their World Cup campaign against Iran this afternoon. Benatia's goal against Ivory Coast in November helped his team qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and if the North Africans can secure a clean sheet in their Group B opener, then three points should be on the cards. Image: Mehdi Benatia will be a key figure in Morocco's defence And as well as being a dominant presence at the back, the defender is also a huge threat in the opposition box from set plays. Isco: There will be a plethora of technically accomplished players on display in Sochi, and none more so than Real Madrid's playmaker. The 26-year-old reminded everyone of his talent when scoring a brilliant hat-trick in his side's 6-1 thrashing of Argentina in a friendly in March and he should have a crucial role to play in their Group B opener with Portugal. Image: Isco could be Spain's main man against Portugal tonight Also look out for… Will Salah be shouldering all Egypt's hopes? Egypt manager Hector Cuper confirmed that Mohamed Salah is "almost 100 per cent" fit to feature against Uruguay in their World Cup opener today. The forward scored 44 goals in total for Liverpool last season, only to injure his shoulder in his side's Champions League final defeat to Real in May. But with Salah having now recovered, the hopes of a nation will once again be resting on his shoulders… 0:11 We have the latest from Eygpt's World Cup preparations, but will Mo Salah be fit to face Uruguay The Spain game Fernando Hierro takes charge of Spain for the first time tonight in their first Group B clash with Portugal and the attention of the world will be on the former Madrid captain. Hierro, who won 89 caps during a glittering career, replaced Julen Lopetegui as Spain boss on Tuesday, immediately plunging the 2010 world champions into crisis. So expect cameras to be firmly fixed on the 50-year-old throughout this encounter as he looks to get his country off to a winning start in Sochi. England news conference Gareth Southgate's players will be back on the training pitch in Repino; catch part of their morning session on Sky Sports News from 9.15am, UK time. One of Southgate's players will also face the media at around 1.30pm. 1:10 England have been training ahead of their World Cup opener on Monday, but there was no Marcus Rashford Stat of the day Cristiano Ronaldo was directly involved in more goals than any other player in the 2018 European World Cup qualifiers (18), scoring 15 goals and assisting a further three. However, he has never scored against Spain (340 minutes). On this day The highest score in a World Cup finals match was recorded. Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 in a group match in Spainin 1982 with Laszlo Kiss being the first substitute to score a hat-trick in the World Cup finals. What the papers say "Hoy Jugamos Todos" (Today we play together) say Marca ahead of Spain's massive Group B clash with Portugal on Friday evening, while Mundo Deportivo say "Como Una Final" (Like a final). Portuguese newspaper O Jogo depict the national team in armour, with the headline "Cortina de Ferro" (Iron Curtain). Make no mistake, this is huge... Image: O Jogo Newspaper ahead of Portugal's clash with Spain Spanish newspaper Sport also weigh in on Antoine Griezmann's decision to stay at Atletico Madrid, calling it "Bochorno" (Embarrassment). La Republica in Uruguay, who kick off against Egypt on Friday, say "Sueno Celeste" (Celestial Dream). Follow every game at the World Cup with our live blogs on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps and get updates on Twitter @SkyFootball.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section World Cup Mohamed Salah remained on the bench against Uruguay despite coach Hector Cuper saying he could "almost 100% assure" he would feature Mohamed Salah is fit for Egypt's World Cup group match with Russia on Tuesday, says the Egyptian Football Association. Salah, 25, was an unused substitute in his country's 1-0 defeat by Uruguay in their opening group game on Thursday when he was also declared fit. He injured his shoulder playing for Liverpool in the Champions League final on 26 May. "He was fit to play against Uruguay but the coach did not want to take the risk," said the EFA. Without Salah, who scored 44 times for Liverpool this season, Egypt lacked a cutting edge but had looked on course to earn a point in their first match at a World Cup finals since 1990 before Jose Gimenez's 90th-minute goal. After the game, Egypt coach Hector Cuper said: "Mo Salah is an extremely important player for us, nobody can deny that, but you need to have a good team, and we have a good team. "Perhaps if Mo had been on the pitch today the outcome would have been different but we can't know that. "Certainly he has contributed a great amount to the team and will contribute in future matches. "We wanted to avoid any risks in this match, but I think he will be fine for the next game." The EFA added that midfielder Tarek Hamed, 32, will also be fit to face Russia at the St Petersburg Stadium after he left the pitch against Uruguay with a back injury. "Hamed had an X-ray and he is good and will be fit for the second match," they said.<doc-sep>
It's an action-packed Saturday at the World Cup, with Lionel Messi and Christian Eriksen among those set to feature. After France beat Australia with the help of VAR, there is a tournament debut for Iceland, who face the daunting prospect of Argentina (2pm). Peru will be making their first appearance at the World Cup since 1982 when they take on Denmark (5pm), with Croatia and Nigeria rounding off Saturday's bumper offering (8pm). Each morning during the tournament we'll bring you an overview of what's coming up that day. Here's what you can expect on day two of the 2018 World Cup… World Cup fixtures World Cup venues Who's playing today? France 2-1 Australia (Group C) Argentina v Iceland (Group D) - Moscow (Spartak), 2pm Peru v Denmark (Group C) - Saransk, 5pm Croatia v Nigeria (Group D) - Kaliningrad, 8pm What's the deal? Iceland make their debut at the tournament, taking on Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and co when they face Argentina in Moscow in the opening fixture in Group D. Attentions then switch back to Group C as Peru take on Denmark in Saransk. The day is rounded off with Croatia taking on Nigeria in Kaliningrad in the second game of Group D, with many hoping to see the Super Eagles in their eye-catching home strip. 1:40 Who will come out on top in the striking stakes between Sergio Aguero and Gylfi Sigurdsson? Merson's predictions France v Australia: I have gone for France to win this. Yes, they had a bad warm-up result against USA last weekend. But I just expect Australia to sit back and defend and it will just be a matter of time before France break them down. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Peru v Denmark: This will be a hard game for Denmark as Peru are a good team - they play some decent football and should not be underestimated. They have no massive stars in their team, but they get the ball down, pass and move, so I think this will be a good game and I am going for a 1-1 draw. Denmark have done well, but Peru could be the dark horses to come out of what is a hard group. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 Argentina v Iceland: I have gone for Argentina to beat Iceland. We all remember Iceland from when they beat us at the last Euros, but they are not that good a team and the next game they got destroyed by France. Meanwhile, Argentina will be good going forward, although I do worry about them at the back - but I expect them to win this one. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 1:15 Croatia face Nigeria in their Group D opener at the World Cup with Dejan Lovren looking to contain the Super Eagles stiker Kelechi Iheanacho Croatia v Nigeria: I think Croatia will beat Nigeria. I watched Nigeria in the first half against England recently, and they were terrible. But they have already beaten Argentina last year and this is the problem - you get sides who are so inconsistent that you do not really know which one is going to turn up. Meanwhile, I do like Croatia, they are a good football team. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Ones to watch Lionel Messi: It will be hard to take your eyes off the Argentina frontman when he captains his country against Iceland and much of their World Cup hopes will be on his shoulders. After a torrid qualification campaign, it was Lionel Messi's hat-trick against Ecuador that secured Argentina's spot in Russia - avoiding a nail-biting play-off - and added another treble in a pre-tournament friendly against Haiti. Luka Modric: Another La Liga talent, Luka Modric will be the key man for Croatia, who often have the air of the talented underdog and should not be underestimated. Much has been made about Modric's ability to play in Croatia's midfield alongside Ivan Rakitic - think Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard for England - but Zlatko Dalic appears to have found a system where both can shine. Modric appears to have settled into his new No 10 role for his country with ease, and will surely be pulling the strings for Croatia this summer. Also look out for… Return of the Thunderclap?