ITV Player cuts out during Brazil v Croatia World Cup match

Users vented their frustration on social media

Brazil's Neymar celebrates his goal against Croatia during their 2014 World Cup opening match at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo

Following months of anticipation, the World Cup finally kicked off in Brazil last night – but fans watching the game on ITV Player were left sorely disappointed.

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The online viewing service was hit by problems during the opening match, meaning frustrated users missed key moments in the game.

Earlier in the evening the ITV Player Twitter account had posted tweets urging people to tune in to the clash between five-time victors Brazil and Croatia.

But just an hour later it tweeted: “We're seeing unprecedented numbers of users during the game. We apologise for any inconvenience, we're working hard to resume normal service.”

It added: “We're so sorry for the disruption tonight. It wasn't planned and we know it came at a crucial time during the match. Apologies again.”

Angry users took to social media to vent their exasperation at being unable to witness the action which saw Brazil win 3-1.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “Due to unprecedented numbers of users during this game we are currently experiencing some technical problems with our live coverage via ITV Player on PC/Mac. We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”