So if you caught a goodnight's sleep here's what you missed from the World Cup:

Group B

The abiding takeaway of the day of competition was that England are real World Cup contenders.

Gareth Southgate's team brushed off a six-match winless run to thrash Iran 6-2 with a dynamic display of attacking football.

Fielding nine of the XI that started the Euros final in 2021, lost on penalties to Italy, England were impressive.

The exceptions to that Wembley starting line-up, 19-year-old Jude Bellingham and 21-year-old Bukayo Saka, were both on the scoresheet, along with Raheem Sterling, in an 11-minute first-half spell that settled Monday's match.

Saka struck again around the hour mark, followed by Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, while Iran's Mehdi Taremi scored two consolations.

Group A

For 83 minutes the story of Senegal's World Cup opener with the Netherlands was a tale of two absent strikers.

Then the smarts of Senegalese goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy also went missing and the three-times finalists took full advantage.

Mendy missed a cross from Frenkie de Jong allowing Cody Gakpo to head in, then spilled a weak shot from Memphis Depay giving Davy Klaassen a 99th-minute tap in.

A goal had previously seemed unlikely.

Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal were without their talisman, Bayern Munich's Sadio Mane, forced out of the tournament through injury days before it began.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Group B

A late penalty by veteran striker Gareth Bale has earned Wales a 1-1 draw with the United States to avoid a losing return to the World Cup after 64 years in a fascinating Group B encounter.

Dragged down by US defender Tim Ream in the box, Wales' all-time top-scorer Bale stepped up to the penalty spot in the 82nd minute on Monday and made no mistake by hammering the ball into the top corner in front of the "Red Wall" of fans at a raucous Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

With one of the youngest teams at the tournament and themselves returning after eight years, the USA started energetically and took a well-deserved 1-0 lead with a 36th minute goal from Timothy Weah. They were unlucky not to go into the break with a bigger advantage against the flat Europeans.

Weah, the son of Liberian president and former World Player of the Year George Weah, timed his run to perfection after a beautifully-weighted pass from Christian Pulisic and slipped the ball past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

The Welsh were fortunate not to be behind early on when Weah's cross deflected off a helpless Joe Rodon and hit Hennessey with the goalkeeper knowing little about it. Seconds later Antonee Robinson headed wide with a good near-post opportunity.

- with Australian Associated Press