Russia beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the first match of the tournament at Moscow's 81,000-seater Luzhniki Stadium earlier in the day.

"Saudi Arabia are not weak opponents. This teams plays well... It was tough for us because we constantly felt the pressure. The whole world is watching the first match," Fernandes told journalists.

He added that he felt very comfortable to be in the team.

Russia will play their next game against Egypt in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.

The FIFA World Cup got underway earlier on Thursday and will continue through July 15, with a total of 64 matches set to be played at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities.