Preview: Messi, Mbappe & Haaland in World Cup action  

Dubai: This is what the World Cup is all about, within the space of a few hours, fans can watch three of football’s biggest superstars as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland take centre stage in back-to-back matches.

Scoring seven goals between them in their opening World Cup games, the trio head into their next matches in red-hot form, giving football fans in Dubai plenty of reason to stay awake and tune in.

Monday 22 June – 9pm kick-off (UAE Time)

Defending champions Argentina began their World Cup campaign in sublime fashion with a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.

Widely regarded as one of the favourites to lift the trophy once again, La Albiceleste controlled proceedings from start to finish, dominating possession and creating chances at will.

Leading the way was Messi, who rolled back the years with a sensational hat-trick, underlining his enduring quality on football's biggest stage and sending an early warning to the rest of the tournament.

Austria will provide a far sterner test than their ranking may suggest, having also scored three goals in their opening match of the tournament against Jordan.

Romano Schmid opened the scoring in the first half before Jordan drew level after the break. However, the Austrians responded well, restoring their advantage through an own goal before veteran striker Marko Arnautović sealed a 3-1 victory with their third of the night.

While that result showcased Austria's attacking threat, facing defending champions Argentina presents an entirely different challenge.

All eyes will once again be on Messi, who made history in Argentina's opening match against Algeria.

His stunning hat-trick not only fired the defending champions to victory but also saw him draw level with Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history.

Based on the form he showed in Kansas City, it would be no surprise to see Messi surpass that record against Austria and claim the outright crown for himself.

Even at this stage of his career, the Argentine captain continues to prove why he remains one of football's greatest-ever players and one of the tournament's biggest attractions.

Tuesday 23 June – 1am kick-off (UAE Time)

France also got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, although it was far from straightforward for Didier Deschamps' side.

Les Bleus struggled to find their rhythm in the first half and were made to work hard by a well-organised Senegal team that matched them for long periods.

However, France's superior quality eventually shone through after the break as Mbappe took centre stage, scoring twice to put his side in control.

Substitute Bradley Barcola then added a third to seal the win, ensuring France began their quest for World Cup glory with all three points against a spirited Senegal side.

France will be expected to make light work of Iraq, who suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Norway in their opening match of the tournament.

The Lions of Mesopotamia found themselves outclassed for much of the contest, with their only real moment of joy coming through Aymen Hussein.

The striker brought Iraq level in the first half, rising highest to power Amir Al-Ammari's delivery into the bottom-right corner from 10 metres out.

The goal was a historic one too, as it represented just Iraq's second-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup.

The headlines were all about Mbappe heading into France's opening match against Senegal following a summer of criticism from some Real Madrid supporters after another trophyless campaign for the Spanish giants.

Questions had been asked of the French superstar, but he delivered the perfect response on football's biggest stage, scoring twice to inspire Les Bleus to victory.

His performance served as a reminder that, despite the scrutiny, he remains one of the best players in the world and a player capable of deciding matches single-handedly.

Now, the challenge for Mbappé is simple, produce another match-winning display against Iraq and continue leading France's charge towards World Cup glory.

Tuesday 23 June – 4am kick-off (UAE Time)

Norway marked their long-awaited return to the World Cup in style, defeating Iraq 4-1 to end a 28-year wait for an appearance on football's biggest stage.

The Norwegians were dominant throughout and looked in complete control for large spells of the contest.

Although Iraq briefly drew level after Norway had taken the lead, there was never any sense of panic as the Scandinavians quickly reasserted their authority.

At the heart of their success was Haaland, whose quality and presence caused constant problems for the Iraqi defence.

Norway's impressive display came as little surprise given they were one of the few European nations to navigate World Cup qualifying unbeaten, underlining why many believe they could be one of the tournament's dark horses.

Senegal may have fallen to a 3-1 defeat against tournament favourites France in their opening match, but the scoreline does not tell the full story.

The Lions of Teranga frustrated Les Bleus for large periods and remained firmly in the contest until France finally broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark.

Their disciplined defensive display and ability to compete with one of the world's strongest sides will give them plenty of encouragement heading into their clash with Norway.

Senegal are also likely to be Africa's biggest hope of making a deep run at the tournament, having established themselves as one of the continent's leading nations in recent years thanks to their success at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Haaland has established himself as one of the most feared strikers in world football, earning a reputation as a relentless goalscoring machine wherever he plays.

He lived up to that billing on his World Cup debut, scoring twice as Norway swept Iraq aside 4-1 to make the perfect start to their campaign.

With his combination of pace, power and clinical finishing, Haaland gives Norway a genuine match-winner and is a major reason why many view them as one of the tournament's dark horses.

If Norway are to come out on top in what promises to be a closely fought encounter with Senegal, their star striker will undoubtedly have a massive role to play.