A Quick look back at Match day 1 of the World Cup 2018

Oh! what a start this World Cup has had. From Portugal’s epic comeback against Spain to Germany’s surprise defeat to Mexico, the first match day lived up to the hype and more. With 32 teams still competing for a spot in the last 16, and 2 more match days to go, the first round is far from over. As match day 2 commences, let’s do a quick recap of the major events from match day 1 that have already shaken up football fans and pundits worldwide.

RUSSIA THUMPED SAUDI ARABIA

What a game to begin the World Cup 2018 with. The hosts were in-charge of the game from the kick-off and after scoring their first, Russia were relentless in pursuit of the win, scoring 4 more and ending the match with a 5-0 record.

URUGUAY EDGED PAST EGYPT

A very close match with exceptional performances from both sides; unfortunately for Mo Salah, his team couldn’t hold out for long and an 89^th minute goal from Jose Gimenez sealed their fate in their first game.

SPAIN 3 – 3 RONALDO

The game of the first match day, the two football giants went head to head in a game that saw both teams one up each other after every goal and when everyone assumed that Spain had taken the match with their third goal, Ronaldo scored a spellbinding free-kick to finish the game a 3-3- draw.

ICELAND VIKING CLAPS ARGENTINA TO A STALEMATE

Iceland, the team that stole everyone’s heart in the Euro 2016, managed to enthrall everyone with their outstanding performance against the South American giants. With a strong defensive display and quick counter-attacking prowess, this allowed them to draw the game 1-1; Messi’s missed spot-kick didn’t help the Argentinians either.

MEXICO LUCHADORS IT’S WAY THROUGH GERMANY

The fighting spirit on display by the Mexicans flabbergasted the 2014 FIFA World Cup champions. A game that was assumed to be one-sided in favour of Germany, quickly turned into a game where everyone started supporting the underdogs after their surprise goal in the 35^th minute, ending the game 1-0.

BRAZIL DRAWS WITH SWITZERLAND

After a traditional, out-of-the-box Philippe Coutinho goal in the 20^th minute, the Brazilians thought they had the game in the bag, but a header from Steven Zuber in the 50^th minute changed everything. It also didn’t help that this was probably Neymar’s worst game but he has 2 more matches left to make a comeback.

BELGIUM EASES PAST PANAMA

A volley from Mertens, an ecstatic cross from De Bruyne and finish from Lukaku, and a De Bruyne x Hazard x Lukaku wrap-up, ended any chances Panama had of getting a hold on the Red Devils’ 3-0 win. This is one team to watch out for this World Cup.

ENGLAND FIGHTS BACK TO A WIN

An opener from Harry Kane in the 11^th minute sent the stadium roaring in support of the Three Lions, which was soon after met with a divisive penalty decision in the 35^th minute in favour of the Tunisians. Sassi scoring from the spot for Tunisia looked to have ended the celebrations for England, but a last minute header from, the man, Harry Kane earned 3 very deserving points, ending the game 2-1.

JAPAN SHOCKED COLOMBIA TO A WIN

The fastest ever Red Card shown at a World Cup since 1986, Colombia was down to 10 men from the 3^rd minute itself as Carlos Sanchez Moreno was sent off for blocking a shot with his hands. Soon after the game looked lost for the Colombians – even though they managed to get one goal in, it wasn’t enough for Japan that took their opposition’s 10-man disadvantage and ran to a 2-1 win.

The first match day of the 2018 FIFA World Cup has left many surprised and we cannot wait to watch what the second and third match days bring. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the latest in sportswear, trends and more.

WORLD CUP 2018

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