Iceland

Argentina 1 Iceland 1

With Diego Maradona watching on from the stands, Messi failed to convert from the spot in the second half of an eventful Group D opener at the Otkrytie Arena in Moscow.

Sergio Aguero had fired the beaten finalists from four years ago ahead in the 19th minute, finally breaking his World Cup duck at the ninth attempt with a rising left-footed drive.

Yet debutants Iceland refused to melt on the main stage, Alfred Finnbogason capitalising on Willy Caballero's weak punch to score his country's maiden goal in the history of the tournament just four minutes later.

Iceland qualify for World cup

Keeping the momentum going from its inspiring run to the 2016 European Championship quarterfinals, Iceland topped Europe Group I and advanced automatically to the finals in Russia next year at the expense of favourite Croatia.

Iceland is the smallest nation in terms of population - 330,000 - to make the World Cup. The previous smallest country to have reached the finals was Trinidad & Tobago in 2006, with 1.3 million people.

Gylfi Sigurdsson put the hosts ahead in in the first half and Johann Gudmundsson made it 2-0 in the second.

Iceland's capital plunges into darkness for stunning Northern Lights display

The city council ordered street lights to be turned off in most neighborhoods for an hour Wednesday night to help improve the visibility of the Northern Lights spectacle. Residents were also encouraged to turn off the lights in their homes to help reduce light pollution in the city. The council also urged motorists to take care while driving.

People took to social media to share pictures of the natural phenomenon, with skies tinted green, blue and purple.