France 3 - 1 Senegal

Iraq 1 - 4 Norway

Argentina 3 - 0 Algeria

Austria 3 - 1 Jordan

Today was a day where the superstars of world football all came to the fore. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland found themselves on the scoresheet in an action-packed day. But it was the magical, incredible Lionel Messi who lit up the day with a hattrick to remind the world that he’s the best player who ever lived.

The day’s highlights:

• Kylian Mbappe became outright all-time leading French goalscorer at a World Cup, surpassing Olivier Giroud and moving ahead of Pele and Messi in the all-nations list. Michael Olise won Player of the Match.

  
  

• Iraq put in a great performance against Norway, but ultimately fell short of earning some much-needed points in a very challenging Group I, Haaland scoring two goals in that game to get his Golden Boot bid off to a great start (tied with Mbappe).

  
  

• Defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi, in his sixth World Cup, entered the competition, facing off against Algeria in their opening game - in which he bagged his first World Cup hattrick in a dominant performance. This was Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina, in which he became the first Argentinian to score in five consecutive World Cup matches.

  
  

• Messi moved to joint-top all-time scorer at World Cup finals with 16 goals, level with Miroslav Klose.

  
  

How were the games? What did we learn?

France v Senegal started off looking like it was going to be another example of a European team being too casual against good opposition, but the second half flipped that on its head. 

Iraq showed themselves to be an extremely good side, too. We expected they would sink without trace in this group, but their tenacity and front-footed style of play against Norway was great to watch, and on a luckier day could have got something out of that game, but for the game-changing talent of Erling Haaland.

And what did we learn about Argentina? Lionel Messi is something beyond human, still, at nearly 39. An absolute genius walks among us still. 

***

France v Senegal

For the first 45 minutes, this one looked like it might go the way of Senegal, or that the African nation might be able to come away with a creditable draw, only for France to find another mode after the 60th minute to ratchet things up a notch and bring home a win. 

In the early stages, Senegal brought the main threat to the game and looked the more likely side to score. A fierce shot from Nicolas Jackson clattering the upright, hitting the back of the sprawled Mike Maignan’s head in goal, and cannoning out of play - much to France’s relief.

At the other end, Edouard Mendy looked imperious, withstanding efforts from Olise and Mbappe. After a reckless slide by Sadio Mane in the box, France had a penalty appeal denied following an on-pitch VAR review by the referee, which had a touch of controversy about it. 

The man in the middle caused chaos by pointing to the spot while saying “no penalty”, which was certainly an interesting way to communicate. Mixed messages, perhaps. 

But it was academic when Olise and Mbappe combined shortly after to see Mbappe fire a shot past Mendy and equal Olivier Giroud’s goalscoring record for France. 

Barcola looked to have settled the match for France, but Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back five minutes into extra time. 

Apparently not content with being level with the goalscoring record, Mbappe promptly surpassed Giroud’s record outright with an early goal of the tournament contender from around 30 yards out. 

If the number 10 heard the criticism ringing around the world following a quiet first half performance, he certainly responded in a fashion that would have silenced them all. For now.

***

Iraq v Norway

Iraq can hold their heads high after a great performance, which ultimately saw them come up short against Norway, partly due to the individual brilliance of Erling Haaland, and a goalkeeping mistake which robbed the Middle Eastern side of momentum at just the wrong time. 

Iraq started the brighter of the two sides before Norway wrested control of the match through a long move which ended with Haaland (who else?) sliding home for his first ever World Cup goal. 

Iraq responded brightly and found themselves back level after a delightful header from Aymen Hussein. But their hard work was to come undone following a mistake at the back from Iraq. An underweight backpass back to the Iraqi keeper saw Erling Haaland ghost in to close down a clearance, which ricocheted back into the goal at pace. 2-1. 

Norway built on that platform, and a goal from Leo Ostigard followed by a controversial late own goal from Hussein with perhaps more than a hint of handball on show meant that Norway brought home the 4-1 win and moved to the top of Group I on goal difference.

***
Argentina v Algeria

I thought Messi had scored in the first five minutes, and I can’t describe the childish excitement I experienced before the linesman raised his flag and ruined it all by signaling a marginal offside. That’s the effect the greatest player to have ever played the game has on me, even now when he’s turning 39, surely now in the very twilight of his career. Little did I know what would follow.

Argentina controlled the early stages, but against the run of play it was Algeria who seemingly took the lead, only for their effort to also be ruled as a marginal offside. Two disallowed goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. 

Shaken a little by that, Argentina tried to get back into the driving seat in what was becoming an open game. And then it happened. Picking the ball up some 40 yards out after a sublime vertical through ball from Alexis Mac Allister, Messi ran forwards, jinked onto his left foot and powered a curled shot into the top right corner. Incredible. 

Messi continued to show great footwork throughout the first half, playing teammates through on more than one occasion to no avail. Algeria had chances too in the first half, most notably through Chaïbi, without testing Martinez much in the Argentinian goal. 

And who should pop up again in the second half? That’d be Messi again. This time a real poacher’s goal as he pounced on a parried save to finish low in the bottom right corner. 

And what happened next? His hattrick, of course. The greatest to ever play the game. A sublime individual performance, and how do you possibly stop him? 3-0.

***

Austria v Jordan

How could this fixture possibly compete with the glamour of Messi, Mbappe and Haaland? The answer is, it couldn’t. But nevertheless, this was an interesting match up between two of the less-fancied tournament teams.

Jordan had the best first opportunity to break the deadlock, hitting a shot into the side netting early on. The game seemed to be ebbing and flowing without much chance of either side breaking the deadlock until out of absolutely nowhere Schmid unleashed a fierce shot into the top right corner. 

Jordan responded by hitting the crossbar down the other end, and it looked like the game had burst to life only to be interrupted by the first “hydration break” of the game. 

But we needn’t have feared, as the open pattern of play continued for a while. Jordan probably had the best chances at the end of the first half as they chased the game, dragging a shot wide in the 45th minute.

And early in the second half Jordan stunned Austria to level the game with a lightning counter attack and a killer finish off the inside of the post from Ali Olwan, who will always go down in history as the first goalscorer for Jordan at a World Cup. 

Austria thought they’d found a way back in it quickly through Marko Arnautovic who pounced on a scrappy ball in the box. VAR took a look at it and judged that there was a handball in the buildup - goal chalked off. Unhappy with that, Arnautovic took matters into his own hands and nodded home to make it 2-1, with the wind taken out of Jordan’s sails and Austria looking in control from that point onwards. Arnautovic could have made it three, but hit straight at the keeper 1 on 1. 

Right at the end of the game, Jordan committed a handball in the box accidentally while sliding in to defend. Penalty given. Penalty scored, Arnautovic. 3-1 at the death, perhaps flattering Austria.

***

So we end today with two goals for Mbappe, two for Haaland, three for Messi. Can Kane have some tomorrow please?

See you then. Bring on day seven!