"I lost my voice at the match, but I don't regret going to the stadium. We had been waiting for what we saw, we wanted it, but we were a bit apprehensive. No one compares Saudi Arabia and Egypt with Portugal but we needed to reach the knockout stage," Valuev said.

The 44-year-old St. Petersburg resident added that everybody in Russia was happy about the national team winning  their first two World Cup matches, even though some fans still could not believe it was possible.

"We'll face tougher opponents next, so there shouldn't be any euphoria," Valued said.

Cherchesov's men play Uruguay in Samara on June 25 in their final Group A game.