There was plenty of action during the three matches on the second day of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Two victories were achieved with last-minute goals, while a battle of European heavyweights did not have a victor, but had just about everything else.
And it all comes as the Socceroos wait in the wings, ready to take their World Cup bow at this tournament against France.
Spain 3 - 3 Portugal
When neighbours take each other on, it tends to be an occasion to remember.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo completed a hat-trick when he curled in a brilliant 88th-minute free-kick to earn his country a 3-3 draw with Spain in a superb World Cup Group B game on Friday.
Ronaldo had opened the scoring with a penalty and got his second in the 44th minute to put Portugal ahead.
Spain hit back to lead 3-2 before the Real Madrid man scored his third from just outside the box.
He has now scored at eight consecutive major championships and said it's an honour to become just the third player to score a goal in four consecutive World Cups.
"Well, I'm very happy. It's a personal best which is beautiful, it's one more in my career and to me, the most important is to highlight what the team has done," Ronaldo said.
"We have played against one of the tournament's favourites and we were winning twice during the match so we almost got the three points and then we managed to draw.
"In my opinion, it was a fair result and obviously we are very happy because the game was about to end and we managed to equalise, and to value what the team did, it was a very hard-fought game and now we have to think about the next match."
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal scores his team's third goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group B match between Portugal and Spain Source: Getty
Despite the great game, the drawn result means neither Spain nor Portugal are top of group B.
That honour after the first tranche of matches goes to Iran (see below).
Uruguay 1 - 0 Egypt
Uruguay's Jose Gimenez scored with a thunderous 89th-minute header to deal Egypt a 1-0 defeat in their World Cup opener on Friday, just as the North Africans appeared to have escaped with a point despite missing key striker Mohamed Salah.
Gimenez rose perfectly to meet a Carlos Sanchez free kick and score the goal that broke a 48-year Uruguayan curse of failing to win their opening game at World Cup finals.
Uruguay beat Egypt 1-0 with late Gimenez header Source: Reuters
"In the history of football we have broken a spell," said Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez.
"We either die or we kill, we have to keep progressing," he told reporters after a result that improved Uruguay's already strong chances of advancing to the last-16 stage from Group A which also includes hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Jose Gimenez celebrates his winner against Egypt Source: Getty Images
Egypt came within minutes of surviving largely thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, who bravely dived to snatch the ball from Luis Suarez' feet and flung himself through the air to tip a Edinson Cavani volley wide.
Cavani also hit the post as Uruguay gained in strength and purpose the longer the game progressed, seemingly buoyed by the realisation that Salah would not even make an appearance from the bench.
Uruguay is now well-placed to make the knockout stages for a third consecutive World Cup, with their next match being against Saudi Arabia, who were thrashed five-nil in their opening game, in Rostov on Thursday.
Egypt must now lift for their next match against hosts Russia on Wednesday.
Iran 1 - 0 Morocco
Aziz Bouhaddouz headed an own goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Iran a stunning 1-0 victory over Morocco in the first Group B game of the World Cup on Friday.
The rank outsiders in a group also containing Spain and Portugal were set for a 0-0 draw of little use to either until Ehsan Hajsafi curled in a free kick from the left wing which Bouhaddouz tried to intercept at the near-post but instead steered it into the goal.
(Reuters)
It was heart-breaking for Morocco, making their first finals appearance for 20 years, but after starting brightly they will rue their cautious second-half display.
Morocco keeper Munir Mohamedi had earlier made a smart double save to deny Sardar Azmoun's sharp shot and Alireza Jahanbakhsh's looping follow-up while Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand also had to stay alert when he went full-length to touch away Hakim Ziyech's low volley.
"This win was the result of hard work, intelligent cohesion, and a great attitude from my players," Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said.
"I think the boys deserve it. More than any other year, they deserve it. Thank you very much to them. I am so honoured and so pleased to coach them."
Iran's camapaign continues when they face Spain on Thursday and Morocco faces Portugal on Wednesday.
What to expect from day three
Day three of competition will see four matches back-to-back including Argentina playing Iceland in the latter's first-ever World Cup match, Peru playing Denmark, and Nigeria taking on Croatia.
But the first of those sees Australia in action for the first time at the 2018 World Cup.
The Socceroos face a stern initiation to this tournament at the hands of Group C favourites France.
Coach Bert van Marwijk admits that under most circumstances, France would beat his side.
But he says Australia has improved under his leadership and if they play with organisation and belief, they have an opportunity to take points off the 1998 world champions.
"When you are well organised and you believe in something and everybody knows exactly what to do and you have the guts to play and to be yourself then we have a chance," van Marwijk said.
Australia's forward Tim Cahill (left), coach Bert van Marwijk and midfielder Mile Jedinak (right) pose on the sideline of a training session in Kazan. Source: AFP
He also insists captain Mile Jedinak is still a chance to start for Australia against France.
Most are predicting that the coach will stick with his previous option of using Massimo Luongo at the base of his midfield alongside Aaron Mooy.
Trent Sainsbury will likely be captain if Jedinak is not in the starting eleven.
Van Marwijk has also praised young star Daniel Arzani, but said he isn't fully developed yet so it seems calls from some for the 19-year-old to be in the starting lineup against the French are likely to be ignored.
Regardless of which eleven players take the field in Kazan against one of the tournament favourites, they'll have a hard job, but lots of support from millions of fans the world over as they try to do it.
