This summer’s tournament in Brazil has got off to a stunning start and Goal takes a look at whether 10 of the world-class names present have lived up to their top billing
| LIONEL MESSI V BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA |
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Messi’s marked his arrival at the World Cup in sensational fashion as Argentina beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 at the Maracana. Up to that point, the captain had looked out of sorts. However, that iconic winner sets him apart from mere mortals. |
| KARIM BENZEMA V HONDURAS |
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Benzema is carrying France’s hopes on his shoulders after his two-goal salvo against Honduras on matchday one. He could even have had a third only for the goalpost to keep his effort out and the rebound was diverted over the line in contentious circumstances. |
| MESUT OZIL V PORTUGAL |
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Played a significant part in Germany’s 4-0 demolition of Portugal, linking the play together in attack and executing a deft flick in the build-up to Thomas Muller’s penalty, but missed a gaping chance before being replaced by Andre Schurrle on 63 minutes. |
| CRISTIANO RONALDO V GERMANY |
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Portugal’s World Cup campaign could not have got off to a worse start and their struggles were personified by their captain. He looked out-of-sorts during the 4-0 demolition at the hands of Germany with numerous instances of poor control and wayward shooting. |
| ALEXIS SANCHEZ V AUSTRALIA | |
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Alexis was one of three Barcelona players to receive man-of-the-match awards along with Neymar and Messi on matchday one. He displayed too much movement for the Australians to handle in a 3-1 win, notching a goal and superb assist. |
| NEYMAR V CROATIA |
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The man who divides opinion like no other. He was lucky to still be on the pitch to score the opener after being booked for an elbow on Luka Modric. There can be no denying his impact though as he dragged Brazil through after going behind. |
| DIEGO COSTA V NETHERLANDS |
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He may have won the contentious penalty which put Spain ahead but the naturalised Brazilian’s contribution thereafter was a washout before being replaced in the second half by Torres as the world champions collapsed against a rampant Dutch side. |
| ROBIN VAN PERSIE V SPAIN |
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The Man United man’s diving header will be one of the most memorable moments of the tournament and, along with Arjen Robben, played the major role in ripping the world champions Spain apart. A landmark performance for the team and their star striker. |
| MARIO BALOTELLI V ENGLAND |
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He led the line with maturity and diligence against England and popped up to score the winning goal before being withdrawn to generous applause. Italy have lacked a clinical goalscorer in recent tournaments but Balotelli is showing signs of stepping up to the challenge. |
| WAYNE ROONEY V ITALY |
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Rooney looked an odd man out in a new-look England attack as his younger, quicker colleagues took the game to Italy, despite setting up Daniel Sturridge. He was played out of position on the left wing and did not do enough to track the runs of Matteo Darmian up Italy’s right. |
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