After Russia's annihilation of Saudi Arabia in Moscow on the opening day of the World Cup, the tournament well and truly hit top gear in just the second day when a sublime hattrick from Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo ensured a 3-3 draw against Spain in a thrilling encounter.
Ronaldo truly put on a show in a heart-stopping encounter at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, complementing his already legendary goalscoring skills with some sublime passes and that unmatchable desire to win.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. It did not take long for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to set the Iberian derby ablaze. Just four minutes in, he left defender Nacho for dead with those trademark stepovers and as he advanced into the box, he was tripped up.
There were little chances of the 33-year-old missing from the spot and, despite a few choice words from Spain keeper David de Gea, he slotted home cooly. Instead it was De Gea who lost his head, allowing a venomous low shot from Ronaldo to slip through the gap between his hand and leg.
It would be remiss not to mention the twisting, turning goal from Diego Costa to level proceedings before Ronaldo's second and it would be equally remiss not to mention the shove he had on Portugal centreback Pepe's neck before he took control of the ball for that goal. It was a goalfrom even the video assistant referee's point-of-view, but fans of Portugal and critics of the system were quick to pounce on social media.
However, there was nothing to complain about in regards to Costa's second -- another gorgeous goal, the culmination of a training ground free-kick routine coming to fruition as they so rarely do.
The third for Spain again came in sublime fashion as Nacho redeemed his earlier transgression with a thunderous volley and gave Spain the lead, but although some Portuguese heads dropped, Ronaldo's conviction seemed at its zenith.
That was partially visible from the expression on his face when he stepped up for a free-kick a few yards from the edge of the box in the 87th minute but it was evident as he roared away on his 'Superman' celebration after sending a dipping, curling strike home.
Portugal's performance was in stark contrast to Egypt's performance earlier in the day when, crippled by the absence of superstar Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs were beaten 1-0.
The anticipation among fans quickly faded when Salah was left on the bench against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay and although that cost the match its allure, Egypt coach Hector Cuper's near-perfectly executed defensive masterclass was reason enough to watch.
The only similarity between the two marquee match-ups of the day were poor performances from the better teams' stars.
Luis Suarez, Uruguay's all-time leading goalscorer, had a terrible outing as he spurned a number of chances. And it was his misses that left his team on the verge of a draw which would mean that La Celeste's record of not having won a World Cup opening match since 1970 would remain intact.
Although Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez refused to level any criticism at Suarez -- saying he had seen "even (Lionel) Messi and (Diego) Maradona" have bad games -- Suarez's performance was the butt of many jokes on social media.
That is, until De Gea's blunder. There were snarky questions about whether he had been suffering from a concussion a la Loris Karius in the Champions League final last month and, with not a single remarkable save nor a result going his team's way, the 27-year-old will be hounded for days to come.
Suarez's profligacy was not quite as costly as, despite the Egyptians holding down the fort for 89 minutes, a dramatic last minute goal from Jose Giminez meant that they would suffer heartbreak and continue their winless run in World Cup matches.
A much more dramatic outcome was in store during the second match of the day between Iran and Morocco, which to most fans was a chance to take a breather before the day's biggest clash.
After 95 minutes of drab, uninspiring football, Morocco -- who had the better chances on the day -- saw the bail sail into the back of their net from a header from one of their own.
Aziz Bouhaddouz headed in an own goal as he attempted to clear the ball, handing Iran only their second win at the World Cup. Even more painfully, Iran became the first team since 1966 to win a match without having a single shot on target in the second half of a game.
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