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12 unforgettable moments from the World Cup group stage

NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP / Getty

And breathe.

It was a group stage unlike any other, as Video Assistant Referee made a memorable debut during an opening round of the World Cup that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

Here are 12 of the most unforgettable moments from a thrilling group stage at the World Cup:

Russia explodes for five in opener

Russia was supposed to be one of the worst teams to ever host a World Cup. Instead, Stanislav Cherchesov's men emerged from the group stage as one of the tournament's highest scoring teams, thanks in large part to their dominant display against Saudi Arabia. Russia was the lowest-ranked team of the 32 nations that qualified, but kicked off its World Cup campaign in style by scoring a handful of goals to secure one of the most lop-sided victories of the group stage.

Ronaldo's hat-trick

The image of Cristiano Ronaldo's strike curling around Sergio Busquets' head is one that will live long in the memory of Portugal supporters. The Real Madrid star capped off his best performance at the World Cup with a sensational late goal from a set-piece, securing his first hat-trick at the tournament. Ronaldo's mastery helped Portugal earn a valuable point against a Spanish side comprised of players well aware of the threat posed by a striker who's terrorised La Liga defences for almost a decade.

Messi's miss

A day after Ronaldo put Portugal on his back to win a point against Spain, Lionel Messi had a day to forget when his missed penalty cost Argentina a chance to win its opening match against inferior Iceland. Two years removed from exceeding expectations at Euro 2016, Iceland's fairy tale looked like it would end when Messi stepped up for a penalty with the two sides tied. But it wasn't meant to be, as Hannes Thor Halldorsson became a national hero after turning away Messi's lackluster effort.

Mexico races past world champs

The shock wave produced by Mexico's opening goal at the World Cup went well beyond Russia's border. Mexico came out flying against Germany, whose vulnerability on the break saw Hirving Lozano cap off a dominant 35 minutes with a game-winning goal that sent Mexico's supporters into a frenzy. There was perhaps no bigger celebration than the one that took place in Mexico City, where jubilant fans produced an artificial earthquake in the capital as they celebrated their team's unexpected lead against the 2014 World Cup winner.

Kane's late winner

England's path to victory against Tunisia was anything but straightforward in a match that saw Gareth Southgate's men squander plenty of opportunities to put it out of reach. It wasn't until the dying moments that England could breath a sigh of relief, as Harry Kane added his second goal of the tie in dramatic fashion with an injury-time header, helping the Three Lions open a major tournament - including the World Cup and European Championship - with a victory for the first time since 2006.

Croatia trounces Argentina

If panic hadn't fully set in after Argentina's draw with Iceland, a 3-0 thrashing against Croatia should've done the trick. Willy Caballero's horrendous blunder opened the floodgates for one of the most lopsided and surprising results of the group stage, as Messi failed to make his mark in a match that ended up being Argentina's heaviest defeat in the opening round at the World Cup in 60 years.

England pots half-dozen

Fuelled by Harry Kane's hat-trick, England recorded its largest margin of victory at a World Cup, as well as its best-ever start to the competition, after destroying Panama 6-1 to secure a spot in the last 16. Despite wins against inferior opponents, there seems to be an overwhelming belief in England that "football is coming home." Let's see if that lasts heading into the knockout stages.

Swiss players make political statement in comeback

Emotions were running high on a night when two Switzerland players celebrated their goals against Serbia with controversial double-eagle hand gestures. Goals from Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka helped Switzerland become the first team at the 2018 World Cup to recover from a losing position to win a match. But it was their celebrations that attracted plenty of attention, as they honoured their Kosovo heritage with the recreation of the Albanian flag to commemorate those who'd been oppressed in the former Yugoslavia.

Kroos' perfect strike

Germany was staring down the barrel of elimination against Sweden when the Group F fixture entered injury time. Although a draw wasn't enough to eliminate Joachim Low's side, Germany's fate would've been out of its hands heading into the final fixture. A frantic finish to the match culminated in wild celebrations on the German bench after Toni Kroos uncorked a bullet into the top corner to give the 2014 World Cup winner a fighting chance ahead of its final match against last-place South Korea.

Group B's furious finish

There was no greater example of VAR's impact at the World Cup than the final matches of Group B. It was utter madness in the closing minutes of the final two matches, as Portugal went from topping the group one second to being runners-up the next after Iago Aspas' offside goal for Spain was adjudged to be onside, while VAR awarded Iran with a penalty that brought the country level with the Selecao. The wild ending resulted in Portugal getting a tougher round of 16 opponent in Uruguay, while Spain will fancy its chances against Russia.

Rojo rescues Argentina

Argentina flirted with elimination until an unlikely hero came to the rescue. The South American nation was on the brink of bowing out of the World Cup before Marcos Rojo's late volley against Nigeria triggered wild scenes of jubilation that saw Messi leap onto the defender's back to celebrate Argentina's great escape.

Reigning champ crashes out

The highest of highs in Brazil was followed by misery in Russia after Germany's dismal campaign ended with a stunning 2-0 loss to South Korea. In a match that saw Joachim Low's side dominate possession, Germany lacked quality in the final third to become the third successive defending World Cup champion to get knocked out in the group stage after South Korea confirmed the champion's fate with two injury-time goals.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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