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Attendance: 44,190
Argentina national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 16, 2018 at 2pm UK
 
Iceland national football team

1-1

Aguero (19')
FT(HT: 1-1)

Lionel Messi: 'Argentina deserved to beat Iceland'

Messi: 'We deserved to beat Iceland'
© Reuters
Lionel Messi stresses that Argentina were superior to Iceland in their World Cup opener and deserved to get more out of the Group D opener than a 1-1 draw.

Lionel Messi has claimed that Argentina were superior to Iceland in their World Cup opener and deserved to get more out of the Group D encounter than a 1-1 draw.

The two-time world champions took the lead in the first half through Sergio Aguero, but the tournament debutants hit back at the Otkrytiye Arena through Alfred Finnbogason.

Messi had the chance to put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot, but his tame effort was easily kept out by Hannes Halldorsson as the spoils were shared in Moscow.

"We had a hard time creating chances," Messi is quoted by Mundo Albiceleste as saying. "We're going to go out there to beat Croatia [on June 21].

"We were superior [to Iceland]. We tried but it wasn't to be. Missing the penalty hurt.

"Worried? No, I'm angry and it hurts because I missed the penalty. I feel responsible for not having the three points. It would have changed everything.

"We are calm. We don't have to go crazy. We just started and we know it won't be easy. It hurts because we deserved to win."

Iceland failed to record a single shot in the second half, while Argentina had 16 attempts on Iceland's goal in that period.

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Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi in action during an international friendly with Haiti on May 29, 2018
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Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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