ALSO READ: The key for a coach is to adapt: Deschamps ALSO READ: The enduring charm of Pele Ronaldo key as Portugal aim maiden World Cup glory MOSCOW: For two World Cups in succession, Spain are drawing serious opposition in the league stage. Four years ago, the Netherlands set Salvador’s Fonte Nova Arena on fire which left the then defending champions searching for an escape route in their opening game. The 1-5 drubbing turned out to be the biggest debacle for a world champion team defending its title.The parallel is too fresh to ignore in Russia, and no one is letting any opportunity pass to drop hints. Before leaving for Sochi, Portugal’s Joao Mario marked his team’s introductory engagement against Spain as a special occasion.“Matches between Portugal and Spain are always special. We have to give our best and I am sure that the whole team will fight, and not just Cristiano,” the Inter Milan midfielder said at a press conference in Krastovo, their base camp.Captaining the side in Euro 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo performed the task that was left unfinished by Eusebio and Luis Figo’s golden generation.Dating back to the 1920s, the Iberian rivalry is considered one of the oldest in the game. But the contest has gained more importance after the emergence of Ronaldo, who will be leading the current European champions in what’s most likely to be his final appearance in a Copa de Mundo.The two nations have met in a continental event twice in the last eight years, where Spain came out on top - but barely.Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, following an immensely successful league season under Pep Guardiola, is bristling with confidence. In a recent interview to a Spanish newspaper, Silva spoke about Spain’s top billing and high expectations. “But there is Ronaldo with us, the best player in the world and of course, irreplaceable.”Just around the corner, Silva is thrilled at the prospect of lining up alongside Ronaldo in his first opportunity at the highest level. “It is the ambition that sets him apart from the rest,” said the midfielder, primed to take up the mantle once CR7 relinquishes the throne. Overlooked by his childhood favourite Benfica, Silva has finally found his calling at City. And the real possibility of sharing the stage with his captain, with the world’s eyes on them, excites him no end.“He has five Ballon d’Ors and five Champions League titles and has spent 10 years scoring more than 40 goals a season...” Silva rallied. “That he’s managed to maintain that level gives you an idea of what he represents as a player. The majority of players with two or three Ballon d’Ors want to relax and enjoy the life but Cristiano keeps pushing himself. He’s our reference point, an example for everyone and we hope that he’s in his best form. Only if he’s good can Portugal hope to achieve big things.”As talks of Ronaldo’s Portugal career gets annoyingly recurrent, Silva knows that when the time comes, he’s the favourite to replace Ronaldo and it’s hardly an easy task. But Silva would want to slowly slip into his shoes, if that is at all possible.“When he wants to leave, there will be a group with a very high level and I think we can maintain that. I hope to be one of those players, I have ambition and obviously I will give my best to help.”Losing the “best in Portugal” is not in the forefront of Portugal’s worries right now. Challenging Andres Iniesta’s Spain, who the experts have already anointed as the team to beat, is the imminent responsibility. Both Mario and Silva, likely starters on Friday, will draw a lot of succour from the absent Dutch brigade.<doc-sep>Moscow: Lionel Messi's bid for World Cup redemption begins Saturday when he leads Argentina against an unfancied Iceland side intent on springing a surprise in their first appearance on football's biggest stage. Argentina vs Iceland match will take place in Moscow (Spartak). FIFA World Cup 2018 Argentina vs Iceland will kick off at 6:30 pm IST on Friday. The Live coverage of the match on the broadcasting channel will begin at 5:00 pm IST. France vs Australia will be broadcast on Ten 2 and Ten 2 HD in English Commentary. They are the official broadcasters of the tournament. FIFA World Cup 2018 Argentina vs Iceland match live streaming will be available on Sony Liv. You can also catch live action, live updates and live commentary on News18.com. Messi's eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, made history on Friday, when he became only the fourth player to score at four World Cups on his way to a hat-trick against Spain to earn a dramatic 3-3 draw. His fellow superstar Messi is under immense pressure to secure his first major international trophy and make amends for Argentina's loss to Germany in the 2014 final. The Barcelona maestro was not born when the 'Albiceleste' last tasted success in 1986 and, at almost 31, knows that time is running out. If Messi's Argentina are to overcome poor form and injury woes, the five-time world player of the year needs high-profile teammates such as Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain to fire. "I am convinced Argentina will show we are one of the best teams in the world," coach Jorge Sampaoli said ahead of the Group D game. They face a gritty Iceland outfit at Moscow's Spartak stadium who say they respect their illustrious opponents but do not fear them. Spurred on by their fans' thunderous "Viking clap", Iceland famously dumped England out of Euro 2016 and coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he wanted more of the same. "We've shown that if we work together as one unit, like we've been doing, then anything is achievable and it won't come as a shock," he said.<doc-sep>
Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Croatia and Nigeria meet in the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage on Saturday as they bid to get their campaigns off to the right start. The pair are realistically battling for second place in Group D behind Argentina, but kicking off with a win will keep their slim hopes alive of finishing top and avoiding a likely meeting with France in the round of 16. Les Bleus knocked Nigeria out at that stage in the 2014 World Cup, and they'll be eager to avoid a repeat this time around. Date: Saturday, June 16 Time: 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET TV: ITV (UK), FS1 (U.S.) Video Play Button Videos you might like Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.) Team News Per ESPN's Colin Udoh, Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun did not train with the team on Thursday as he was undergoing a scan, and as a result he is a "major doubt" for the clash. According to Transfermarkt, Croatia have no injuries and should therefore have a full complement of players to choose from. Preview Croatia have brought a strong side to Russia, and on paper, they're the strongest team in Group D after Argentina. In attack, they'll have Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic—who scored 11 goals and produced as many assists last season—feeding Mario Mandzukic up top. The striker has netted 30 times for his country, and between the pair, they have scored nine goals at international tournaments with Croatia. Meanwhile, they have some exceptional options in midfield, as noted by Bleacher Report's Alex McGovern: Real Madrid star Luka Modric will be particularly key, and Croatia will look to control the tempo of this match through him. Nigeria are not to be taken lightly, though, particularly after they beat Poland 1-0 in March, which demonstrated their ability to punch above their weight. The Super Eagles have reached the round of 16 at the World Cup on three occasions, so they'll be hoping to do so again despite their tricky group. As BBC Sport's Oluwashina Okeleji noted, Nigeria are the most experienced African side when it comes to the World Cup: The likes of Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses will give them plenty of pace on the counter-attack, while Leicester City star Wilfred Ndidi will prove a formidable opponent to Modric and Ivan Rakitic in midfield, as FourFourTwo demonstrated: Where Nigeria could struggle is scoring goals, particularly in this match. Musa is the top-scoring player in their squad with 13 goals from 72 appearances, and Croatia shipped just five goals in 12 qualifying matches to get here, so breaching their defence will be a big ask for the Super Eagles.