If Ronaldo Doesn't Score Against Uzbekistan, Things Could Get Ugly
On a day where stars did star things at the World Cup, who were the biggest winners and losers?
Sorry, Cristiano Ronaldo fans, you might want to sit this one out and come back tomorrow.
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Winner: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi did Lionel Messi things by scoring a brace against Austria and becoming the sole holder of the player with the most goals in World Cup history, men or women, with 18.
Loser: Cristiano Ronaldo
The first game for Ronaldo and Portugal was terrible. They ended up with a lackluster 1-1 draw with DR Congo, where Ronaldo couldn’t muster up any impactful chances.
Messi has five goals. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both have four each. Harry Kane is scoring. Mohamed Salah is scoring. All the top players and young talents across the board are putting it in the back of the next, except Ronaldo.
And with Portugal desperately needing a win tomorrow against debutant Uzbekistan before a superpower clash with Colombia, all eyes will be on Ronaldo to not only do something tomorrow but to rise to the occasion.
At 41, this is truly his last shot to win the World Cup and leave a lasting impression on the global stage. If things go sideways tomorrow, things go from mildly concerning to frightening.
Winner: Norway
Haaland and the Vikings of Norway qualified for the Round of 32 and decided to celebrate with the primarily pro-Norwegian crowd in New Jersey.
How cool is this?
Loser: Hydration Break
For the first time this World Cup, the mandatory hydration break was defeated.
France and Iraq were delayed over two hours due to lightning storms, which meant that they didn’t have the hydration break during the second half. Luckily, both teams made it through without the water break after the downpour of rain.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 11:08 PM.