Messi, Rojo rescue Argentina from humiliating early exit

SAINT PETERSBURG: Marcus Rojo's stunning finish four minutes from time kept Lionel Messi and Argentina's World Cup hopes alive to see off Nigeria 2-1 on Tuesday and set up a last 16 meeting with France.

Messi's first goal of the tournament got the two-time winners off to a perfect start in Saint Petersburg, but Victor Moses's 51st-minute penalty had Jorge Sampaoli's men headed for a humiliating group stage exit until Rojo's late intervention.

However, Argentina avoided the abyss by the skin of their teeth to fight another day against the highly-fancied French in Kazan on Saturday. Banega's brilliant pass over the top of the Nigerian defence picked out Messi's run perfectly and, after cushioning the ball on his thigh, the five-time world player of the year erased the frustrations of his World Cup so far with an arrowed right-foot finish into the far corner.

Moses confidently stepped up to send Franco Armani the wrong way on his international debut and Argentina back to square one. There was further VAR controversy when Nigeria were denied a second penalty when Rojo headed onto his own arm before substitute Odion Ighalo fired wide.

Sergio Aguero had been thrown on from the bench to join Messi and Higuain in the attack, but it was Rojo who produced a striker's finish on his weaker right foot to spark delirious scenes of celebration among the tens of thousands of Argentines in the stands.

Reuters adds: Croatia completed a perfect three-for-three first round and eliminated Iceland from the World Cup with a 2-1 victory in Rostov on Tuesday. Croatia had already clinched advancement but nailed down victory in the group and a date with Denmark on Sunday in the round of 16.

Croatia rolled out a lineup without many of its stars, including Luka Modric, but scored first in the 53rd minute when Milan Badelj pounced on a loose ball in the box and punched it home. Iceland got some hope 20 minutes later, winning a penalty that was converted by GylfiSigurdsson.