Here we highlight viral moments and on-field controversies, as well as the greatest players, best performances and goals.
Published June 24, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo joined the party, Lionel Messi set new records, Iran showed its fighting spirit again and the door opened for Turkiye.
There was quite a bit of drama in the second group stage match of the 2026 World Cup.
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Al Jazeera analyzes the key moments as follows:
Better late than never: Ronaldo scores for Portugal
Unlike other high-profile strikers who gave their all from the start of the match, Ronaldo needed time to open his account. But his two goals in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday were enough to silence the critics, as the 41-year-old became the first player in history to score in six World Cups.
Messi is saving his best for the end
For Messi, who celebrates his 39th birthday on Wednesday, age is just a number. His apparent Last Dance brings out the best in him, as the Argentine set a new World Cup record for most goals with 18 goals. With La Albiceleste now favorites to add back-to-back World Cup wins to their trophy cabinet, this number is sure to increase.
Is Messi “Mr. Argentina”? It’s hard to argue otherwise considering all five of the team’s goals were scored by him. This makes him the number one candidate for the Golden Boot, with one goal more than France’s Kylian Mbappé.
Triple treat: Messi, Mbappe and Haaland score on the same day, again
FIFA has come under fire for a number of issues during this tournament, but one is clear that it has scheduled matches between Argentina, France and Norway on the same day. Messi started with a brace on Monday, then Mbappe scored the same goal, and Erling Haaland added a double to the fans’ delight as he scored for the second year in a row on Monday.
Norway’s ‘Viking Line’ becomes a hot topic on the internet
Norway, returning to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, celebrated reaching the Round of 32 in typical fashion, bringing out the famous “Viking Row”. The team sat in a row resembling a Viking longboat, captain Martin Odegaard began beating the drums, and the thousands of Norwegians in the stadium joined in the fun, leading to a jubilant climax.
Egypt’s Salah celebrates on the streets of Vancouver
It took Egypt an incredible 92 years to record their first World Cup victory, so it was no surprise that they celebrated in style. Immediately after their 3-1 win over New Zealand on Sunday, the Egyptian team was photographed singing and dancing with fans on the streets of Vancouver to music blaring from giant speakers. Mohamed Salah, nicknamed “The King of Egypt,” once again became the center of attention as he was hoisted onto the shoulders of his teammates and accompanied by the song.
Japan is the top expectation in Asia for this tournament.
Asian teams performed well in the first round of group play, but only one team, Japan, took off. After a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their first match, Japan defeated Tunisia 4-0 in their next match on Saturday, taking four points, the highest ever for an Asian team. According to the Opta supercomputer, Japan has a 20.8% chance of advancing to the quarterfinals and a 9.41% chance of advancing to the semifinals.
Iran fights hard to stay in the fight
Despite travel restrictions imposed by the United States for the first two games of the World Cup, Iran remains undefeated with two draws. This will allow Iran to survive the final round, and with the team being allowed to enter the United States from Mexico two days before the next match instead of one as previously, Iran will be better prepared for the final group game against Egypt in Seattle on Saturday. A win would put them through, but depending on other results, a draw might be enough.
Tolkier’s talented team let down
From Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz to Hakan Calhanoglu and Melih Demiral, Turkiye has talent in every department. However, they were unable to turn around Tolkier’s fortunes as they were eliminated from the tournament after losing to Paraguay on Saturday. The early exit dashed the hopes of millions of Turkish fans who had waited 24 years for their team to return to the World Cup.
No problem for America without Pulisic
For years, Christian Pulisic has been the marquee player for the U.S. national team, but the co-hosts have proven they can get the job done without the influential winger. With Pulisic sidelined with a calf injury, Alex Freeman scored one goal and the USA advanced to the finals with a 2-0 win against Australia on Friday thanks to an own goal from Cameron Burgess.
Red card Almiron goes down in history
Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almiron made history by becoming the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth at the 2026 World Cup, albeit for an unwarranted reason. Almiron was also given a one-match suspension, but covered his mouth during a confrontation with Torquier’s Mert Maldur. The straight red he was handed follows a new rule that says players are not allowed to cover their mouths to cover up their speech during a confrontation with an offense that will result in an immediate sending off.
