Argentina vs Nigeria match in numbers

Cristiano Ronaldo's off-night against Iran nearly cost Portugal their World Cup dream and underlined the stark need for his team-mates to contribute more in support of the Real Madrid superstar.

Ronaldo carried Portugal through their first two group games, hitting a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain before netting the winner in a gritty 1-0 victory over Morocco.

That left the European champions requiring just a point from their clash with Carlos Queiroz's Iran in Saransk, but an uncharacteristic display from Ronaldo had them sweating over a place in the last 16.

The five-time world player of the year missed a penalty that would have given Portugal a 2-0 lead, Ronaldo was then perhaps fortunate to receive just yellow after an elbow on Iran defender Morteza Pouraliganji.

A disputed Iran penalty set up a tense final few minutes for Portugal, who only advanced to the knockout rounds after Mehdi Taremi fired a last-gasp chance into the side netting.

Qualification was at last assured, albeit with an upcoming tie against Uruguay rather than hosts Russia, but Ronaldo was far from impressed.

"I understand, it's normal. The best players in the world face that when there isn't an opportunity to really make it happen," said Portugal boss Fernando Santos.

"That hurts a lot more to them than to other players. They always want to win. They want to be the best and refuse to fail, and when they fail they get very upset."

Santos attempted to relieve some of the burden on Ronaldo by aligning Andre Silva alongside the Portugal captain in attack, with Ricardo Quaresma also handed his first World Cup start.

While Quaresma rewarded his coach with a stunning opening goal just before half-time, Silva offered little as Ronaldo found himself isolated and his opportunities limited.

Goncalo Guedes and Bernardo Silva were dropped after failing to shine in the opening two games, but Monday's performance showed Portugal are still scrambling to find the dynamic that best supports Ronaldo.

"There were lots of misplaced passes, the tempo was slow after the first 15 minutes," Santos said in the wake of the Morocco match. "Our team is strong but we must progress. We must do better than that."

Next up for Portugal is a Uruguay team, marshalled by the rugged centre-back pairing of Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez, that has yet to concede in Russia.

"We have our weapons and we must try to make the most of them," Santos said on Monday.

Gelson Martins, the talented young winger who made a 30-minute appearance off the bench against Morocco, is another option who could be called upon going forward.

The question is not if Portugal have the weapons but whether they can be assembled in a way that plays to Ronaldo's strengths at his fourth and likely final World Cup.

Russian police said early on Wednesday they had received multiple bomb threats in the World Cup host city of Rostov-on-Don, causing bars and restaurants to be evacuated across the city.

"On June 26, police received a series of phone calls about explosives planted at locations in Rostov-on-Don," local police said in a statement.

"Police forces made all the necessary checks and no dangerous objects were found," the statement said. "Currently, all the venues are operating normally."

Increasingly isolated on the global stage, Russia is keen to use the World Cup to project an image of stability and strength. Authorities have vowed to host a safe event and any security incidents involving fans could jeopardise Moscow's efforts.

A policeman at the Topos Congress-Hotel in Rostov-on-Don, which was evacuated at around 2000 GMT on Tuesday, said 16 venues had been evacuated across the city as part of a drill.

On the other side of the city, a manager at the Luciano Italian restaurant said staff had been told to evacuate the building for around two hours after receiving a bomb threat.

"There was a phone call, an anonymous phone call, they said there was a bomb in the building," said the manager, who declined to give their name because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

A spokesman for soccer's world governing body FIFA was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, some 955 km (593 miles) south of Moscow, has so far hosted four matches in the World Cup, including Croatia's 2-1 win over Iceland earlier on Tuesday. The next scheduled match at the venue is on Monday.

The city is just a short distance from Russia's border with eastern Ukraine, where rebels backed by Moscow have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, and its close proximity to the conflict had caused security concerns ahead of the tournament.

The Topos Congress-Hotel is listed as an official World Cup hotel by FIFA, but none of the competing teams are staying there, according to official documents.

Police at the scene said the hotel had been evacuated due to a bomb threat and sniffer dogs were seen entering the building, a Reuters witness said.

Security services were seen questioning people on the street outside the hotel, next to emergency vehicles and a crowd of around 60 evacuated guests who had not yet been allowed back into the building.

Russia was subject to a wave of hoax bomb threats last summer, causing disruption at businesses and public buildings in towns and cities across the country.

The Russian Federal Security Service said in October it had identified four Russian citizens behind the hoax campaign, who were living abroad and using internet phone services to call in the threats anonymously.

Roberto Martinez revealed that Romelu Lukaku is an injury doubt for Belgium's World Cup blockbuster tie against England after the in-form striker picked up an ankle injury on Saturday.

Lukaku and Eden Hazard both netted twice as the Red Devils routed Tunisia 5-2 to leave them top of Group G and on the verge of the last 16.

But the Manchester United forward came off in the second half at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow.

"We need to look at Lukaku's ankle. He took a knock and has to be assessed," said Martinez, who revealed man-of-the-match Eden Hazard also picked up an injury.

"Eden Hazard has a calf knock, Dries Mertens has an ankle problem. There will be major changes against England.

"If we could have seven days to prepare, I'd say we'd start with the same team, but the reality is that you are only as good as the 23 players."

Lukaku's absence would be a blow to Belgium's hopes against England, with top spot in the group likely to be at stake.

The United player already has four goals at Russia 2018 to leave him as joint top scorer alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, there was some good news for Belgium boss Martinez, with Chelsea midfielder Hazard expected to be fit to face England in Kaliningrad on Thursday.

"I felt something in my calf in the first half but nothing big and I think I will be OK tomorrow," he said.

Nigeria will take delight in ending potentially Lionel Messi's last World Cup for Argentina despite their love and admiration for the five-time world player of the year, promised Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

Victory for the Africans in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday will send Argentina home in disgrace after failing to win a game in Russia and send Nigeria into the last 16.

"We love this great player, Messi, everybody loves him," said Rohr on Monday. "The question is not if it is the last World Cup for him or not, the question is for us to be qualified.

"We are not here to watch him playing. We are here to make a result, we are professionals.

"We are here to defend the colours of Nigeria and we know in football there is no mercy, no pity, everybody wants to win and we cannot make any gifts even if we like very much this player."

Messi carried Argentina through a troubled qualifying campaign but has so far failed to fire in Russia, missing a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Iceland before Croatia thrashed the two-time world champions 3-0.

Nigerian defender Brian Idowu admitted he would love Messi's shirt as a momento, but also insisted he wants to send Argentina packing.

"Our main goal is that it will be Messi's last World Cup game, as much as footballers we love watching him play," said Idowu, who was born in Saint Petersburg and still plays his club football in Russia for Amkar Perm.

"I would love of course to swap jerseys with him but I would love to swap jerseys with many players in the Argentinean side.

"They have many very good players and I watch them all play on TV, so it is not just Messi."

Nigeria moved into second place in Group D behind already qualified Croatia by beating Iceland 2-0 thanks to an Ahmed Musa double.

However, that victory came at a cost as captain John Obi Mikel suffered a fracture in his left hand that means he will be forced to wear a cast if he is to face Argentina.

"The captain has a fracture of the third metacarpal of the left hand. It's not so big fracture, it's a little one, but he has to play with a cast," added Rohr.

"We have to ask to the referee to accept, but it is hard plastic so I think it is ok. (He has) not so many pains and he will be ready I think."

As England thrashed Panama 6-1 on Sunday Prince William, the president of the Football Association, was flying into Jordan for a historic Middle East tour.

The Duke of Cambridge missed the momentous game that helped England ease into the World Cup last 16 but caught a replay at the home of his host Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.

The heir to the Jordanian throne posted pictures on his Instagram account late Sunday showing him and William watching a replay of the game on a huge flat television screen.

The pair are seen sitting on a couch in what appears to be a recreation room in Beit al-Ordon, the private residence of Jordan's royal family in the Hummar district west of Amman.

A devoted Aston Villa fan, William, 36, is wearing beige pants and a tie-less sky blue shirt, while 23-year-old Hussein, is wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans.

"Having a relaxing evening with His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, after his first day in #OurJordan," Hussein wrote in a caption that accompanied one of two pictures of the pair.

"Watching the replay of the England game that we missed earlier today," says another caption showing the cavernous room where the two princes are watching the game.

William arrived Saturday in Jordan at the start of a Middle East tour that will see him become the first British royal to pay official visits to both Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The visit by the second in line to the British throne has been billed as a chance to bond with Hussein, a fellow graduate of Britain's Royal Sandhurst Military Academy.