Attack-minded Japan have defied sceptics who said they would flop at the World Cup and instead go into their final group game on Thursday needing just a draw against Poland to reach the last 16.

Lying a humiliating last in a group they were expected to win, Argentina must beat Nigeria on Tuesday to have any chance of progressing and keeping alive captain Lionel Messi's dream of winning a first World Cup.

They were seamless in the last two World Cups, winning five of their six group games and were hardly troubled in making it to the knockout phase. But the two-time World Cup winners and the 2014 runners-up are facing the biggest crisis in their football history in Russia 2018.

Uruguay burnished their World Cup credentials with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Russia on Monday, finishing top of Group A with a perfect record while dampening the hopes of the tournament hosts, who had to settle for second.

Saudi Arabia pulled off a last-gasp 2-1 win over Egypt as the two sides departed from the tournament on Monday, adding to the misery of Egypt's prolific striker Mohamed Salah and giving the Saudis their first victory at a World Cup since 1994.

Ahmed Musa

Neymar received the support of his Brazil teammate Fagner on Sunday after his tears at the end of their World Cup win over Costa Rica and subsequent criticism at home.

Peru captain Paolo Guerrero has promised to give his Australian counterpart Mile Jedinak "a big hug" before Tuesday's match between the teams as a thank you for his personal support in overturning Guerrero's drug suspension.

With their hopes of reaching the World Cup's knockout rounds on a knife-edge, Australia head into their must-win match against Peru under pressure to score goals and with fingers crossed that France will bring their A-game against Denmark.

World Cup contenders France are waiting for star striker Antoine Griezmann to hit his stride as they aim to secure top spot in Group C against Denmark on Tuesday.

Nothing less than a win will do for Iceland against Croatia if they are to emulate their Euro 2016 success by making it to the knockout stage at their first World Cup, but it will be a tall order against a familiar foe that leads Group D.

Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano denied on Sunday that a rift had opened between the players and coach Jorge Sampaoli following

Diego Maradona has requested a meeting with Argentina's players in an attempt to inspire the struggling squad ahead of their crucial final World Cup group game against Nigeria.

Held by Iceland and humiliated by Croatia, Argentina's World Cup could already have been all but over, but Lionel Messi and the rest of Jorge Sampaoli's troubled squad have one final shot at redemption against Nigeria on Tuesday.

Denis Cheryshev, Russia’s hero in this 2018 World Cup so far, found himself in the wrong end as he deflected a Sebastian Laxalt shot into his own net as Uruguay raced to a 2-0 lead after just 23 minutes against the hosts after Luis Suarez had given Uruguay the lead in the 10th minute.

Saudi Arabia winger Salem Al-Dawsari scores a last-gasp winner as Mohamed Salah's Egypt suffer a 2-1 loss in their Group A dead rubber in Volgograd on Monday.

"We are not here to watch him (Messi) playing. We are here to make a result, we are professionals" says Gernot Rohr.

England and Belgium face a World Cup conundrum ahead of Thursday's crunch in Kaliningrad -- is it better to finish second rather than win Group G?

Maradona posted a picture of him with Messi and captioned the image with a short dedication that read `Happy Birthday, Leo Messi’

Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is set to become the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup after the 45-year-old was named in the team to face Saudi Arabia in Volgograd.