विश्व कप के उद्घाटन समारोह के सर्वश्रेष्ठ मैच

A World Cup can take a few days to come to life, but every so often the opening match sets the tone straight away. A famous upset or a goal nobody saw coming can light up the first day, and the curtain-raiser is one of the fixtures people study most closely when the World Cup betting odds are released.

For years the opening game was a cautious affair, with holders or hosts wary of an early slip. The matches that broke that pattern are the ones still remembered, whether for a giant-killing or a glut of goals.

In this article, we look back at five of the best World Cup opening games, from two of the tournament’s biggest shocks to a six-goal thriller.

Cameroon 1-0 Argentina, 1990

Cameroon arrived at Italia 90 as rank outsiders and left the San Siro having beaten the holders. Argentina, captained by Diego Maradona, controlled possession but couldn’t break down a stubborn Cameroon defence. Francois Omam-Biyik settled it midway through the second half, heading home after the goalkeeper failed to hold his effort. Cameroon finished with nine men after two sending-offs, yet held on for one of the great World Cup shocks. The result was no fluke either, as they went on to reach the quarter-finals, where they pushed England all the way before losing in extra time.

Senegal 1-0 France, 2002

France suffered a similar fate 12 years later in the opening match in Seoul. The reigning world and European champions, missing the injured Zinedine Zidane, were beaten by tournament debutants Senegal. Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal before the half-hour mark, bundling the ball in after a low cross from El Hadji Diouf. Senegal went on to reach the quarter-finals, while France were knocked out without winning a match.

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica, 2006

Germany got the 2006 World Cup underway in Munich with the highest-scoring opening match in the tournament’s history. Philipp Lahm curled in the first goal after just six minutes, and although Paulo Wanchope twice pulled Costa Rica level, the hosts always had a response. Miroslav Klose scored twice on his birthday, and Torsten Frings sealed the 4-2 win with a long-range strike near the end. After years of forgettable curtain-raisers, the host nation served up six goals on opening night.

South Africa 1-1 Mexico, 2010

The 2010 tournament was the first held on African soil, and South Africa marked the moment in style at Soccer City in Johannesburg. After a tense first half, Siphiwe Tshabalala latched onto a through ball and lashed a left-footed shot into the top corner, sending the home crowd wild. It was the first goal scored on African soil at a World Cup, which only added to the occasion. Rafael Marquez equalised for Mexico with 11 minutes left to deny the hosts a win, but the goal and the atmosphere made it a fitting opener. Memorable openers like this are part of why early-tournament football odds can be so hard to call.

Brazil 3-1 Croatia, 2014

Brazil opened their home World Cup in Sao Paulo and could hardly have started worse, falling behind to a Marcelo own goal inside the opening quarter of an hour. It was the first own goal a Brazilian had ever scored at a World Cup, and it briefly silenced the host crowd. Neymar dragged the favourites level before the break and then put them ahead from the penalty spot, after a soft decision that Croatia furiously disputed. Oscar added a third in stoppage time to settle a contest that had threatened a major upset.

Three of these five openers featured African sides making their mark, a thread that runs through some of the World Cup’s most memorable first days.