Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his second goal, during the match against Nigeria at the Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

 Argentina's Lionel Messi continued his World Cup dual with Neymar by scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Nigeria while Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri got in on the act with a magnificent hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday.

Nigeria scraped through behind the already-qualified Argentina­, becoming the first African team to reach the last 16 at this tournament, while Switzerland also qualified along with France, who drew 0-0 with Ecuador.

Shaqiri and Messi will cross paths on Tuesday when Argentina meet Switzerland in their round 16 match in Sao Paulo while France face Nigeria in Brasilia on Monday.

Iran's hopes ended in a 3-1 loss to World Cup debutants Bosnia, who enjoyed their first win at the finals while the Luis Suarez biting controversy rumbled on in the background.

Two days after Neymar scored twice in Brazil's 4-1 win over Cameroon on Monday, Messi replied with a brace of his own to leave the pair as joint top scorers at the tournament with four goals.

In Porto Alegre, Messi lashed in a rebound after three minutes but Nigeria equalized a minute later with a superb finish­ by Ahmed Musa.

However, Messi was not to be outdone and curled in a brilliant 20-meter free kick in first-half stoppage time.

Musa leveled again with a clever finish two minutes after the restart but Argentina, who were assured of qualification before kickoff, got a fortunate third eight minutes later when a corner bounced in off the knee of Marcos Rojo.

Argentina finished top of Group F with a maximum nine points, followed by Nigeria, Bosnia and Iran.

Bosnia, already eliminated after two losses in their first appearance at a major tournament since independence, went ahead in the 23rd minute through Edin Dzeko.

Miralem Pjanic doubled their lead before Reza Ghoochannejhad pulled a goal back for Iran in the 82nd minute and Avdija Vrsajevic restored Bosnia's two-goal cushion with a fine strike a minute later.

Switzerland defied 88 percent humidity in steamy Manaus as they went through from Group E.

It was sweet revenge for Switzerland who missed out on a place in the last 16 in South Africa four years ago after being held to a draw by the Central Americans.

Shaqiri fired Switzerland ahead in the sixth minute with a long-range effort similar to Messi's match-winning goal against Iran.

He struck again on the half hour with a clinical finish and rolled in Josip Drmic's pass in the second half to complete the tournament's second hat-trick following Thomas Mueller's effort against Portugal.

It was also the 50th hat-trick in World Cup history.

The Swiss took second place in Group E with six points, one point behind France who could not break down 10-man Ecuador, the only one of the sixth South American teams to fall at the first hurdle.

Ecuador had Antonio Valencia sent off for a challenge on Lucas Digne which left the France left back needing treatment in the second­ half.

Away from the action on the pitch, Uruguay star Luis Suarez was suspended for nine matches on Thursday for biting an opponent as World Cup chiefs struck back with the heaviest sanction against a player in the tournament's history.

Suarez, who sank his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during his team's Group D win on Tuesday, was also banned from all soccer activity for four months and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000).

The suspension takes effect immediately and he will not be able to play in Uruguay's second-round match against Colombia on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, even if he appeals.

Group E

 

Group F

 

Top scorers

 

Newspaper headline: Messi ties Neymar in scoring with 4 goals