World Cup Daily Brief: Iran makes Argentina work for their last 16 spot

Throughout the tournament, we'll begin each day with our World Cup Daily Brief, bringing you all the highlights from the previous day's matches and news cycle, while also looking forward to what you can expect from the day ahead.

Before it even started, everyone laughed off Saturday's first match of the day between Argentina and Iran. You know, the country that was slapped with economic sanctions, making funding the squad difficult. That Iran. Well, they certainly came to play (and surprised everyone). It looked like Ghana was going to play spoiler in the afternoon match, but settled for the draw. And Nigeria took . Here is everything you need to know.

Argentina 1, Iran 0: Messi saves everyone again
This was much closer than expected - Iran wasn't interested in scoring, they just wanted to stay alive, and their defence pushed Argentina to the limit. But then, Messi was Messi, and scored the winning goal with just two minutes left in stoppage time to earn his team a critical three points and a place in the last 16. Phew.

"Thank God our No. 10 is from a different planet," 'keeper Sergio Romero said after the game. He also helped out Argentina with two critical saves.

And, at least manager Alejandro Sabello knows that it's not that great an idea to rely on a single person to carry his team through the tournament.

Also, Iran's Javad Nekounam asked Messi to swap shirts before the game. Smart.

Germany 2, Ghana 2: A thrilling second half ends in deadlock, as Klose ties a World Cup record
Miroslav Klose managed to save Germany from a loss, get his 15th World Cup goal, tie Ronaldo's scoring record, and do a backflip.

Nigeria 1, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0: The World Cup is a cruel place for tournament newcomers
They were believed to be a dark horse in this World Cup, but it's the end of the road for Bosnia-Herzegovina after two tough losses in Group F. If Iran gets a win in their last match, and Argentina beats Nigeria, then the last spot for the knockout stage will need to go to goal differential and beyond to break the tie.

What you need to know

Ronaldo is "fit to play" ...apparently
We will probably see him play against the United States on Sunday, but the real question is: Which Ronaldo will it be?

Yaya and Kolo Toure to stay at World Cup after death of brother
Even though their brother Ibraham died of cancer in England, Yaya and Kolo will stay with Ivory Coast as they prepare for a critical match with Greece.

VIDEO: Asmir Begovic attempts to drag injured Nigerian opponent off the pitch to keep play going
Thanks, uh, for your help?

France's Valbuena gets last laugh over former bullies Ribery, Nasri
Mathieu Valbuena is really happy that Frank Ribery and Samir Nasri are not with France right now because apparently they are huge jerks.

PHOTO: Frightening image captures impact of blow to head suffered by Pereira vs. England
In case the replay didn't convince you of how serious this collision was.

Coming up

Belgium is the only team in Group H that managed to win a game so far, but Russia might give them a hard time, and captain Vincent Kompany says he is ready to play after a groin strain. South Korea and Algeria may not end up being much of a classic, but we are confident you won't be disappointed by U.S.-Portugal at 6 p.m. ET.

DATE	TEAMS	CHANNELS	TIME
June 22	Belgium vs. Russia	ABC, CBC	12 p.m.
	South Korea vs. Algeria	ABC, CBC	3 p.m.
	U.S. vs. Portugal	ESPN, CBC	6 p.m.

What people will be talking about today

You get one guess. Don't waste it. OK, the answer is Cristiano Ronaldo and how the U.S. will fare in a match that could send them into the round of 16.

Ronaldo did not look great in Portugal's 4-0 loss to Germany in their tournament opener, but many believe that had a lot to do with his ongoing knee and muscle problems. Now that his teammate Raul Meireles declared him "fit to play" ahead of Sunday, is Ronaldo in a better place than he was on June 16? Or is he just playing through the pain? We will find out on Sunday evening.

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