World Cup group D: Marcos Rojo volleys Argentina into the last-16

Marcos Rojo’s 86th-minute volley saved Argentina’s blushes and sent them into the World Cup knockout stages.

The two-time winners looked on the brink of elimination but secured their spot in the round of 16 after beating Nigeria 2-1 to finish second in group D. Table-toppers Croatia who won 2-1 against Iceland.

Argentina star Lionel Messi opened the scoring after 14 minutes but Victor Moses equalised for Nigeria with a penalty six minutes after the interval.

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With four minutes left Rojo volleyed home to send the Argentina fans wild and his team into the last-16 where they will meet France on 30 June in Kazan. Croatia will face Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod on 1 July.

Rojo told the BBC: “We needed it, now the World Cup begins for us. Lionel Messi had told the guys he was going to score a goal more than ever. The goal is for my family and for this group that deserves it. Let’s go Argentina!”

Croatia’s win means they won nine points out of nine while second-placed Argentina finished on four points. Nigeria were third with three points and Iceland finished bottom with one point from three matches.

Group D results

• Argentina 1 Iceland 1
• Croatia 2 Nigeria 0
• Argentina 0 Croatia 3
• Nigeria 2 Iceland 0
• Iceland 1 Croatia 2
• Nigeria 1 Argentina 2

Group D team profiles

Argentina

• Head coach: Jorge Sampaoli
• Fifa ranking: 5
• Number of World Cup appearances: 16
• Best finish: champions in 1978 and 1986
• Player to watch: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Argentina World Cup results

• Argentina 1 Iceland 1
• Argentina 0 Croatia 3
• Nigeria 1 Argentina 2

Argentina 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres)
• Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Taglafico (Ajax), Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino)
• Midfielders: Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Angel Di Maria (Paris St-Germain), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris St-Germain), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Enzo Perez (River Plate)
• Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Iceland

• Head coach: Heimir Hallgrimsson
• Fifa ranking: 22
• Number of World Cup appearances: none
• Best finish: 2018 is Iceland’s debut
• Player to watch: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

Iceland World Cup results

• Argentina 1 Iceland 1
• Nigeria 2 Iceland 0
• Iceland 1 Croatia 2

Iceland 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Hannes Thor Halldorsson (Randers FC), Runar Alex Runarsson (FC Nordsjælland), Frederik Schram (FC Roskilde)
• Defenders: Kari Arnason (Vikingur), Ari Freyr Skulason (Lokeren), Birkir Mar Saevarsson (Valur), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (FC Rostov), Hordur Magnusson (CSKA Moscow), Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson (Levski Sofia), Ragnar Sigurdsson (FC Rostov)
• Midfielders: Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Malmo FF), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Olafur Ingi Skulason (Kardemir Karabukspor), Rurik Gislason (SV Sandhausen), Samuel Fridjonsson (Valerenga), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City)
• Forwards: Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson (FC Rostov), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Reading), Albert Gudmundsson (PSV Eindhoven)

Croatia

• Head coach: Zlatko Dalic
• Fifa ranking: 18
• Number of World Cup appearances: four
• Best finish: third place in 1998
• Player to watch: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Croatia World Cup results

• Croatia 2 Nigeria 0
• Argentina 0 Croatia 3
• Iceland 1 Croatia 2

Croatia 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
• Defenders: Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Ivan Strinic (Milan), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Josip Pivaric (Dynamo Kiev), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg)
• Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Filip Bradaric (Rijeka)
• Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Nikola Kalinic (AC Milan), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Marko Pjaca (Juventus), Ante Rebic (Fiorentina)

Nigeria

• Head coach: Gernot Rohr
• Fifa ranking: 47
• Number of World Cup appearances: five
• Best finish: round of 16 in 1994, 1998 and 2014
• Player to watch: John Obi Mikel (Tianjin TEDA)

Nigeria World Cup results

• Croatia 2 Nigeria 0
• Nigeria 2 Iceland 0
• Nigeria 1 Argentina 2

Nigeria 23-man squad

• Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United)
• Defenders: William Troost-Ekong (Bursaspor), Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor), Tyronne Ebuehi (Benfica), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge), Bryan Idowu (Amkar Perm), Chidozie Awaziem (Porto), Leon Balogun (Brighton), Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea)
• Midfielders: John Obi Mikel (Tianjin Teda), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), Oghenekaro Etebo (CD Feirense), John Ogu (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), Joel Obi (Torino, Italy)
• Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Leicester), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Simeon Nwankwo (Crotone)