Group A of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place from 14 to 25 June 2018.[1] The group consisted of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Uruguay. The top two teams, Uruguay and Russia, advanced to the round of 16.[2]
| Draw position | Team | Pot | Confederation | Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Finals appearance | Last appearance | Previous best performance | FIFA Rankings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2017 | June 2018 | ||||||||||||
| A1 | style=white-space:nowrap | 1 | data-sort-value="*" | Hosts | 2 December 2010 | 11th | 2014 (group stage) | data-sort-value="4.1" | Fourth place (1966) | 65 | 70 | ||
| A2 | style=white-space:nowrap | 4 | AFC third round group B runners-up | 5 September 2017 | 5th | 2006 (group stage) | data-sort-value="3.1" | Round of 16 (1994) | 63 | 67 | |||
| A3 | style=white-space:nowrap | 3 | CAF third round group E winners | 8 October 2017 | 3rd | 1990 (group stage) | data-sort-value="2.2" | First round (1934), group stage (1990) | 30 | 45 | |||
| A4 | style=white-space:nowrap | 2 | CONMEBOL Round Robin runners-up | 10 October 2017 | 13th | 2014 (round of 16) | data-sort-value="8.2" | Winners (1930, 1950) | 17 | 14 | |||
In the round of 16:
All times listed are local time.[1]
The two teams had met only once, a friendly game in 1993 won by Saudi Arabia 4–2.[3]
In the 12th minute, Yury Gazinsky headed the first goal for Russia from a cross from the left before substitute Denis Cheryshev evaded several challenges and smashed home at the near post close to half-time. The tempo slowed and the atmosphere flattened after the restart, giving the whole thing the feel of a friendly match. But substitute Artem Dzyuba illuminated a match of often dubious quality with a precise header from a cross from the right to extend his team's lead just minutes after replacing Fyodor Smolov.[4] As the match moved into injury time, Cheryshev smashed home with a crisp left-foot strike into the top right corner before Aleksandr Golovin curled a free-kick around the wall and into the right of the net.[5]
Alan Dzagoev limped off with a hamstring injury in the 24th minute. "Alan Dzagoev damaged the muscles in the back of the thigh," Russia said in a brief statement.[6]
For the first time in World Cup history, two players – Gazinsky and Cheryshev – scored their first international goals in the opening match.[7] Russia's victory means that the host nation has never lost their opening match in any of the 21 editions of the World Cup (won 16, drew six). Russia (5–0) recorded the second biggest victory by a host nation in their opening match at a World Cup, after Italy v USA in 1934 (7–1); while it is also the second largest victory of any host nation, only behind Italy vs USA at 1934 and Brazil vs Sweden at 1950, both ended 7–1. Russia's Denis Cheryshev became the first substitute to score a goal in the opening match of a World Cup tournament. In this game, Sergei Ignashevich became the oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup match for Russia/USSR (38 years & 335 days old).[5] [8]
For Saudi Arabia, this was their second biggest defeat in World Cup, after the 0–8 defeat to Germany in 2002. These losses are also the biggest defeats for any Arab team to have participated in the FIFA World Cup.
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| Man of the Match: Denis Cheryshev (Russia)
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The two teams had met only once, a friendly game in 2006 won by Uruguay 2–0.[3]
Egypt frustrated Uruguay with a deep defensive line, staying compact, dealing with danger competently and threatening on the counter-attack to maintain the scoreline goalless, nearing the end of the match.[9] Luis Suárez looked increasingly at a loss but remained prominent in the few opportunities that were created. When he had just the goalkeeper to beat, he dithered too long and allowed Mohamed El Shenawy to muffle the ball at his feet. With three minutes remaining, Edinson Cavani pulled rank over his strike partner over a free kick on the edge of the area.[10] José Giménez headed into the net in the 89th minute as he met Carlos Sánchez's free-kick from the right to give the South Americans a winning start in Russia.[11]
Uruguay won their opening match at the World Cup tournament for the first time since 1970, when they beat Israel 2–0.[11] [12]
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| Man of the Match: Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt)
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The two teams had never met before.[13]
Sergei Ignashevich headed at Mohamed El Shenawy before Aleksandr Golovin fired wide. Trézéguet then curled just wide from the edge of the box. Russia took the lead when El Shenawy's clearance punch found Roman Zobnin, whose first-time follow up shot spun in off Ahmed Fathy, with VAR confirming that Artem Dzyuba had not fouled his opponent.[14]
Mário Fernandes soon drove into the box before supplying a cut-back form the right for Denis Cheryshev to slot home Russia's second with his left foot.[15] Dzyuba made it 3–0 as he took a lofted ball into the box down on his chest, taking a touch to go past Ali Gabr and finish past El Shenawy with a low shot. Salah won a penalty after he was fouled by Zobnin - although it was only given after a consultation with the video assistant referee as the referee had initially said the offence took place outside the area. Salah scored from the spot to become only the third Egyptian player to score at a World Cup.[16] [17]
This is the first time that Russia have won their opening two matches at a World Cup since 1966 (as the Soviet Union).[16] And following with Uruguay's 1–0 victory over Saudi Arabia, Russia, for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, qualified for the next round.
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| Man of the Match: Denis Cheryshev (Russia)
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The two teams had met in two games. Their most recent meeting was a friendly in 2014, ending in a 1–1 draw.[18]
A left-wing Carlos Sánchez corner was missed by Mohammed Al-Owais, giving Luis Suárez a close-range finish into an unguarded net with his left foot. Fernando Muslera had to tip over a long-range drive from Hattan Bahebri, who then missed a chance in the box. The flat feel of the game continued after the interval with both sides struggling to build tempo in hot conditions at the Rostov Arena. Martín Cáceres headed over in the 68th minute from a Sanchez delivery. Saudi Arabia had plenty of the ball in the closing stages but were unable to score a goal.[19] [20] The result ensured that both Russia and Uruguay would advance to the knockout stage, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia were eliminated at the group stage.
Uruguay have won all four of their World Cup matches against Asian opposition. Suarez became the sixth player to make 100 appearances for his country. He also became the first Uruguay player to score in three World Cups.[21] Uruguay's victory had also helped Russia to qualify for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, as Russia had won 3–1 over Egypt earlier.
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| Man of the Match: Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
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The two teams had met in one previous game, a friendly in 2012, which ended in a 1–1 draw. With Russia formerly playing as the Soviet Union, the sides had faced each other seven times, including two matches at the World Cup, one in the 1962 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by the Soviet Union 2–1, and the other one at the 1970 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, won by Uruguay 1–0.[18]
Luis Suárez curled a low free-kick into the bottom-right corner after Yury Gazinsky's foul on Rodrigo Bentancur. Denis Cheryshev struck a half-volley straight at Fernando Muslera. He then found the net at the other end on 23 minutes, though, as his touch diverted Diego Laxalt's first-time effort past Igor Akinfeev. In the 36th minute, Igor Smolnikov picked up his second booking after lunging in on Edinson Cavani, just eight minutes after being carded for a foul on Matías Vecino. Muslera's pass enabled Russia to counter, though Artem Dzyuba sent his close-range effort well wide. In the final minute of normal time, Cavani thumped home the rebound after Akinfeev had kept out Diego Godín's header.[22] [23]
Russia are the first European side to fail to top their group as the host nation since Spain in 1982, and they are equal with South Africa (2010) in suffering the heaviest defeat as hosts in the group stage – both defeated 3–0 by Uruguay. Uruguay are the first side to win all three of their group games (scoring five goals) without conceding a single goal since Argentina in 1998 (seven goals scored, none conceded). Cavani became just the second player to score a goal in three separate World Cup tournaments for Uruguay after Luis Suárez. Muslera became Uruguay's all-time leading appearance maker at the World Cup (14), overtaking fellow goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz. This was also the third time that Uruguay defeated the host nation of tournament, after Brazil in 1950 and South Africa in 2010 (this last also in the group stage).[24]
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| Man of the Match: Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
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The two teams had met in six previous matches, the most recent one in the 2007 Pan Arab Games, won by Egypt 2–1.[3]
Mohamed Salah took Abdallah Said's long ball in his stride and then sent a deft lob over the onrushing Yasser Al-Mosailem with his second touch in the 22nd minute. Salah broke Saudi Arabia's offside trap and clipped an effort wide of the right-hand post. Five minutes before the interval Ahmed Fathy was adjudged to have deliberately handled Yasser Al-Shahrani's cross inside the area. Essam El Hadary produced a save to deny Fahad Al-Muwallad, but his celebrations were cut short when a second penalty was awarded for Ali Gabr's tug on Al-Muwallad's shirt. Salman Al-Faraj stepped up this time to fire past the goalkeeper and draw his side level. Egypt substitute Kahraba fired straight at Al-Mosailem late on. Salem Al-Dawsari finished a right-footed volley past El Hadary in the closing stages.[25] [26]
This match was the first time Egypt have ever led in a World Cup match, in what was their seventh match in the competition. Al-Faraj's penalty goal for Saudi Arabia, scored after 50 minutes and 36 seconds, was the latest goal scored in the first half of a World Cup game since 1966.[27] El Hadary, at the age of 45 years and 161 days, is the oldest player in the history of the World Cup, breaking the record set by Colombia's Faryd Mondragón in 2014 (43y 3d). Salah became the first African player to score in his first two appearances at the World Cup. Abdullah Otayf completed 110 passes in this match, the most by an Asian player in a World Cup match since 1966.[26] Saudi Arabia remains undefeated when it comes against their Arab rivals in the World Cup, having beaten Morocco 2–1 in 1994 and drew 2–2 to Tunisia in 2006. It was Saudi Arabia's first World Cup win since 1994.
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| Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
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Fair play points would have been used as tiebreakers if the overall and head-to-head records of teams were tied. These were calculated based on yellow and red cards received in all group matches as follows:[2]
Only one of the above deductions were applied to a player in a single match.
| Team | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | −1 | |||||||||||||
| 1 | −1 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | −5 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −6 |
