FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi delivers on big stage

After a long wait, Lionel Messi finally made a mark on the World Cup when he scored a goal, after eight years in the finals, against debutants Bosnia, who lost the fixture 2-1 (Source: AP)

A 2-1 win didn't impress the star footballer, who reckons Argentina, who looked unconvincing until Messi struck, "need to improve" (Source: Reuters)

Argentina were not short of support as an estimated 50,000 Argentines descended on Rio for their tournament opener (Source: Reuters)

It was ironic that it was Argentina celebrating in party-style as they just about lived up their billing as odds-on favourites to qualify from a group which also includes Iran and Nigeria and keep alive their hopes of a third world title (Source: Reuters)

Argentina side was well cheered by their fans, who gathered in numbers for their opening clash on Sunday (Source: Reuters)

In another fixture on Sunday, it was another number 10 who stole the show with his impressive performance on the field. Swashbuckling Karim Benzema led the charge as France overwhelmed Honduras 3-0 in their Group E opener (Source: AP)

Benzema's display on Sunday signalled that he could well be one of the stars of the tournament (Source: Reuters)

If the coach Didier Deschamps is to be believed, the French looked composed and did not get flustered when the goals were slow to come (Source: AP)

It was a Swiss delight for fans across the globe as Switzerland fought back from a goal down to claim a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win over Ecuador in a scrappy but entertaining World Cup Group E contest (Source: AP)

Red Eye! A fan shows his support for his side with a strategically painted Swiss flag around his left eye (Source: Reuters)