Oh hello! Cameroon nearly gatecrash the party. Victor Aboubakar gets a glimpse of the Brazil goal but sees his shot cannon into Marcelo's midriff.

Early sight of goal for Croatia. Barcelona-bound Ivan Rakitic tees up Ivan Perisic but he shoots over under pressure from the Mexico defence.

Marcelo is the type of player that those 'in the know' call a "baller". But the Brazil left-back overruns the ball on this occasion as he tries to burst down the flank. As you would imagine it is all Brazil so far.

Fred, sporting a fantastic Freddie Mercury-style handlebar moustache, forces another corner for Brazil. But again the set-piece cannot be turned goalwards. That Isn't a Kind of Magic.

Image source, Getty Images

Mo from Manchester on text: What does Paulinho bring to this team? He's awful! Willian has so much more to offer and his efforts are crazy!

Dave Shaw:, external Wow passion from Brazilian players and fans and that's just singing the anthem!! Great to see!

Ross Evans:, external ‏I do hope Brazil go far in this World Cup, just so I can watch them blast out the national anthem again and again!

Cagey start over in Recife. Would you expect anything different? Probably not.

Former Wales international Robbie Savage
BBC Radio 5 live

"You have to think Brazil will go for goals and win the game quite comfortably. All the focus is on Neymar but the Brazil wing-backs Dani Alves and Marcelo should put plenty of balls into the box because Cameroon have been poor at defending them."

Neymar's free-kick is high over the head of David Luiz, but then scampers clear seconds later.

It must be the opener?! No. Paulinho's goalbound shot is blocked by Allan Nyom. Big chance goes begging.

Image source, AFP/GETTY

Brazil straight on the front foot. Hulk shuffles clear down the right, only to be hauled back by the scruff of his neck by Cameroon defender Henri Bedimo. Free-kick in a very dangerous position on the right.

Both referees look at their watches. Both referees toot their whistles for the first time. Both games are under way. Let's go.

As referee John Anderson would say on 1990s TV show Gladiators: Brazil - ready? Cameroon - ready? Croatia - ready? Mexico - ready?

Are you ready? It's almost show-time.

Former Wales international Robbie Savage
BBC Radio 5 live

"Incredible. The best atmosphere I have ever been involved in, every person has a yellow or green shirt on and there are even people crying on the big screen watching the teams come out, it is sensational."

You can listen to BBC Radio 5 live's commentary by clicking on the Live Coverage tab at the top of this page.

Of course they are. The Brazil players, coaching staff and supporters produce another lung-bursting effort, before giving the now-standard freestyle second chorus of the upbeat Hino Nacional Brasileiro. Spine-tingling stuff.

Image source, AFP/GETTY

A huge roar greets the two teams in Brasilia as the Selecao players appear in a long chain with their left arm on the team-mate in front. Moments later the players emerge in Recife too. But are their vocal chords ready? It's anthem time.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko, Rakitic, Pranjic, Perisic, Modric, Olic, Mandzukic. Subs: Zelenika, Vukojevic, Jelavic, Schildenfeld, Brozovic, Badelj, Rebic, Sammir, Kovacic, Vida, Eduardo, Subasic.

Mexico: Ochoa, Aguilar, Rodriguez, Marquez, Moreno, Layun, Herrera, Vazquez, Guardado, Giovani, Peralta. Subs: Corona, Salcido, Reyes, Fabian, Jimenez, Pulido, Hernandez, Ponce, Brizuela, Aquino, Pena, Talavera.

Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

Cameroon: Itandje, Nyom, Matip, N'Koulou, Bedimo, Enoh, Moukandjo, Mbia, N'Guemo, Choupo-Moting, Aboubakar. Subs: Feudjou, Assou-Ekotto, Djeugoue, Nounkeu, Eto'o, Makoun, Chedjou, Webo, Fabrice, Salli, N'Djock.

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Paulinho, Gustavo, Hulk, Oscar, Neymar, Fred. Subs: Jefferson, Fernandinho, Dante, Maxwell, Henrique, Ramires, Hernanes, Willian, Bernard, Jo, Maicon, Victor.

Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Former Wales international Robbie Savage
BBC Radio 5 live

"David Luiz at one end and Fred at the other, I think they are two weaknesses for Brazil and those two players are why I think Brazil won't win the World Cup."

Former Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane
BBC Radio 5 live

"Cameroon have defended horrendously at times. I really fancy Brazil to dominate from the start. You can't see a World Cup here continuing in the manner it has started if Brazil go out."

Image source, Getty Images

Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje, thanks largely to his Mohawk haircut, bears a striking resemblance to Mr T from the 1980s US hit TV series 'The A Team'.

Sadly he and the 'Indomitable Lions' have played more like a B team. His haircut is where Itandje's similarities to Mr T seem to end and not just because he isn't weighed down by heavy gold jewellery.

When left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto tried to headbutt team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo towards the end of the 4-0 defeat by Croatia, Itandje was nowhere to be seen. Whereas Mr T intervened to prevent his buddies Hannibal, Faceman and Murdoch from coming to blows on regular occasions.