"No matter what, we have to get out of the group. We must win our first game, then our second and not leave everything to the last minute. I’ve been at three major tournaments before and every time it’s always gone down to the third match for us. Now we have to do everything so it doesn't come to this," Samedov said, as quoted by the FIFA website.

Samedov added that he was confident in his fellow teammates and in himself.

The host nation will face Saudi Arabia at Moscow's 81,000-seater Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday, before taking on Egypt and Uruguay in their other two Group A matches.

Russia's first-ever FIFA World Cup starts on Thursday and will last until July 15.