World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal helps Mikel Oyarzabal bounce back after dismal first game as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ousmane Dembele return to form

'It's a marathon, not a sprint'. That type of rhetoric can be used frequently in tournaments such as the World Cup.

Look at Argentina in 2022. Saudi Arabia stunned them in their Qatar opener and at that point many wrote them off. How did they respond? Only by going all the way to win it.

'Bouncebackability' is not something that can normally be measured, but being able to showcase it is crucial for any athlete looking to overcome setbacks. That is especially the case at a World Cup, where the games come so fast that there is no time to dwell.

With that in mind, let's look at some of the stars who put their matchday-one struggles behind them most effectively in the second round of group-stage games in this edition of 'True Performance'.

He's back! Ronaldo arrives at the World Cup

There is no point starting anywhere else. The most high-profile return to form from matchday two was undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo. A poor performance against DR Congo during the first game saw him return a score of 67.96. Not the worst, but certainly below the standards of the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, who all scored 96 and above.

In came the questions surrounding whether Portugal would be better without Ronaldo in the team. He stayed quiet and did his talking on the pitch.

Given the standards set by the 41-year-old, he may have been left frustrated not to have scored a hat-trick, as he came ever so close to doing so on multiple occasions against Uzbekistan. However, his two goals propelled him back to being among the best in the world.

His performance earned him a score of 96.48. In the context of the second round of group games, that made him the 15th-best-performing player. However, in terms of his improvement from game one to game two, he ranked ninth, proving that when the pressure is on, the veteran can still deliver.

Lamine Yamal brings the best out of Oyarzabal

Spain have made a habit of being able to win tournaments without playing a recognisable No 9. They claimed the European Championship in 2012 with such a risky strategy and, while Alvaro Morata did lead the line in their 2024 glory, he did so with his primary job being his defensive duties rather than offensive ones.

Naturally, when that plan goes wrong, it is easy to point fingers and suggest you need a more prominent frontman. That was especially the case after their 0-0 draw with Cape Verde to kickstart this summer, where Mikel Oyarzabal put on one of the poorest displays in round one.

In a game where he did not touch the ball at all in the opening 30 minutes, the Real Sociedad man slumped to a score of just 71.53 - 39th out of everyone who played in the first set of group games.

Luis de la Fuente's support was unwavering as he kept Oyarzabal in the starting XI against Saudi Arabia. With Lamine Yamal back beside him, there was a clear difference in the 29-year-old's role.

While statistically there were many similarities to the game against Cape Verde (just eight passes, five shots, zero successful take-ons), having his teenage sensation team-mate return to the XI allowed Oyarzabal to focus on dropping off, making runs from deep and not being so spread across the pitch.

Instead of having no touches in the opening half an hour like against Cape Verde, he had two goals and an assist to his name against Saudi Arabia.

Better yet, his performance rating of 97.36 not only put him ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, but also came after just 45 minutes of action. Imagine what could have happened if he had stayed on for longer. He could have risen higher than the sixth place he managed.

Dembele becomes the 'Robin' to Mbappe's 'Batman'

Kylian Mbappe ranked as the third-best performer from the first round of matches and that was enough for France to overcome a stern test against Senegal. Yet again, the Real Madrid man was France's best player with a 95.56 rating that ranks him fourth from matchday two. However, this time he had some help.

While Mbappe is the biggest star in Didier Deschamps' squad, the supporting cast is filled with incredible talent. Yet, against Senegal, no one seemed to successfully adopt the role of Mbappe's sidekick.

This time around, it was only the reigning Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele who stepped up. The PSG forward went from a game-one score of 71.97 to a game-two rating of 95.95.

Not only did he grab a goal and assist, but he was Les Bleus' most creatively dangerous player. Most chances created (3), most take-ons (6), most touches of all the attackers (67). Mbappe may have stolen the headlines, but it was Dembele who quietly ran the show against Iraq.

From conceding seven to the greatest World Cup goalkeeping performance

The biggest underdog story from the last round had to have been that of Cape Verde's Vozinha. Seven saves and a clean sheet for the unknown 40-year-old against Spain saw him win the hearts of the world across just 90 minutes. Safe to say, no one expected to see a better goalkeeping performance.

As for the worst last round, Eloy Room of Curacao would have to be up there. It was not necessarily all his fault. Being one of the weakest teams in the tournament and conceding seven goals against a Germany side tipped to do well is not an unheard-of tale. But, in terms of a response, there was none better.

Critics will say playing Ecuador is not the same type of proposition as Germany, but it was still a game where Room was expected to be peppered and concede plenty. Be peppered he was; concede he did not.

Fifteen saves in 90 minutes is a new World Cup record. Room overperformed his xGC (expected goals conceded) by 2.94. He single-handedly helped his side create history by securing their first-ever point and not only did that make him the most improved player of the game week - going from scoring 40.52 to 98.67 - but it made him the best performer across the second group games, period.

Cunha among other standout improvements

There were plenty of other recognisable names who stepped up from matchday one to matchday two.

In some instances, this was due to being given more minutes. Matheus Cunha started as a substitute against Morocco but was put in from the off against Haiti, where he rode the wave of a good performance. His more prominent role and two goals saw him go from a 69.11 to a 96.73. The same could be said of Sunderland's Brian Brobbey. His first-game cameo only scored him a 66.57, but a double against Sweden saw him soar to a 96.78.

Ismaila Sarr's score of 95.73 in Senegal's defeat to Norway made him the fifth-most-improved player in the second round, while Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson profited from a clean sheet for a much-improved 95.30 - up from 70.25 against Morocco.