Barcelona striker Lionel Messi belatedly celebrated his 27th birthday by netting a brace, as Argentina defeated Nigeria 3 - 2 in their final Group F fixture on Wednesday afternoon.

It was almost an even contest between the two continental powerhouses in terms of the number of goals scored.

Nigeria striker Ahmed Musa notched up a double either side of the half, but a goal from Rojo in the 50th minute decided the outcome of the encounter, adding three points to his team who advanced to the last 16 with a 100 percent record.

Despite the loss, the Super Eagles booked their passage to the second round with 4 points, 1 more than Bosnia and Herzegovina who defeated Iran 3 - 1.

In all likelihood, Nigeria will meet France in the last 16 of the competition on Monday, June 30.

Photo Credit : pc - cska.com