José Pekerman's side did what Ecuador had done before them and won their match in Gelsenkirchen. Goals from Maxi Rodriguez (6' and 41'), Esteban Cambiasso (31'), Hernan Crespo (78'), Carlos Tevez (84') and Lionel Messi (88') saw them cruise to a 6-0 win over Serbia & Montenegro in front of a 52,000 crowd (sold out), which included Diego Armando Maradona. It was the best game of the World Cup to date.

As at the meeting between Poland and Ecuador, the Europeans were given the corner between the North Stand and the main stand where the Schalke fans normally sit, for this the third World Cup clash in Schalke, with the 'away section' between the South and East Stands again reserved for the South Americans. It was a good omen for Argentina, who like Ecuador a week before them grabbed the opening goal.

Javier Saviola zipped down the left wing before delivering a superb pass to Maxi Rodriguez, who had no trouble finding the net from eleven metres out. It was a perfect start for José Pekerman's men and a signal for the fans to start their celebrations. For now the six drummers in the South Stand were even louder, and the Argentine supporters celebrated the Atletico Madrid striker's goal by singing, jumping up and down and dancing frenziedly.

Led by playmaker Juan Riquelme, Argentina were totally in command and it was only a matter of time until they scored again. The goal duly arrived on 31 minutes when Esteban Cambiasso nipped in behind his marker, Mladen Krstajic, and slotted the ball past keeper Dragoslav Jevric. It was not the only time the Schalke defender was made to look bad. Ten minutes later he lost the ball to Saviola, who immediately forced his way into the penalty area. And though Jevric parried the shot, Rodriguez had no problem notching his second goal of the game.

The goal naturally fuelled the passion of the Argentine fans, who by this time were well on the way to turning the Arena into one giant party. Sitting in the main stand, Argentina legend Diego Maradona conducted the celebrations, and the fans responded by waving flags, scarves and shirts and chanting non-stop.

Anyone who thought the atmosphere couldn't get any better than in the closing stages of the first half, when a Mexican wave swept around the stadium for minutes on end, was to be proved wrong fifteen minutes before the end, when a substitution really got the Argentina fans going.

Two-goal striker Maxi Rodriguez was replaced by Lionel Messi, who unleashed a torrent of enthusiasm. Hailed as Maradona's heir, the 18-year-old showed a glimpse of his class in the 78th minute when he dribbled his way down the left and dispatched a brilliant pass into the middle, leaving Crespo with an easy task to make it 4-0 and send the Arena crowd into raptures.

Fellow substitute Carlos Tevez, who plays his football in Brazil, added a fifth six minutes later when he finished a fine solo run by netting in the far corner. And wunderkind Messi had the final say, making it half a dozen for the South Americans two minutes from time.