10 Unmissable Group Stage Fixtures At World Cup 2018

A few years ago, this fixture would have been a footnote in the World Cup. Argentina are a huge footballing nation with incredible history behind them and one of the best players to ever grace the game among their ranks, while Iceland had never even appeared at a major tournament.

Then, Euro 2016 happened. Out of nowhere, the tiny island nation, boasting a population of around 350,000 people, burst into the footballing world with a bang. Not only did they qualify for the tournament, they managed to go undefeated in the group stage and then famously humiliated Roy Hodgson's England in the round of 16 to make it to the quarter finals, losing 5-2 to eventual finalists France.

Now, they're making their first ever World Cup appearance and will be facing another huge test of their credentials in the opening game. In all likelihood, Messi and co. should have more than enough firepower to overwhelm Iceland, but the same could have been said for Portgual and England at Euro 2016. These Icelandic underdogs have shown they can compete and will want to qualify from a very competitive group.