Winners and losers from an enthralling World Cup day

And exhale. An encapsulating day at the World Cup saw the game's two grandest stars exit the competition, while two others rose to the occasion and delivered performances fitting of the sport's most revered stage. Here, we take a look at the winners and losers from the opening day of last-16 action.

Winner - Edinson Cavani

Two goals, including an absolute stunner that should be used by coaches to teach young players how to strike a curler to the far post, and Edinson Cavani is sitting atop the world having inspired his team to a 2-1 victory over Portugal, and a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The much-maligned Uruguayan striker has too often (incorrectly) been called out for a perceived lack of finishing touch, as detractors point to his conversion rate as a knock against him.

There was none of that talk today.

Loser - The GOAT emoji

With both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi being booted from the competition, the GOAT emoji (which is actually just a goat) will go into hibernation on social media for the next few weeks.

Based on the quality and drama of the World Cup so far, the fire emoji will be called into action frequently to pick up the slack.

Winner - Defensive solidity

Amid all the outstanding goals and luscious attacking play, there was something comforting about watching Uruguayan centre-back duo Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez nullify the threat of Ronaldo on Saturday.

The Selecao's sculpted superstar had just 49 touches in the 2-1 loss to La Celeste, with only three of those coming inside the penalty box. He only had one shot on target, too, and that came in the fifth minute of play. His fellow attackers didn't fare much better; Andre Silva was completely ineffective after coming on for Goncalo Guedes, who himself was a non-factor.

Defending isn't dead, after all.

Loser - Also defensive solidity

Or is it?

Prior to being treated to a show by Uruguay's dogged midfield battlers and composed, positionally-sound central defenders, we had to endure Marcos Rojo in action, which amounts, essentially, to watching someone try to make tackles while the Benny Hill theme song blares in the background.

You almost felt a little sorry for him, knowing he had absolutely no chance of keeping up with speedster Kylian Mbappe.

Winner - Kylian Mbappe

Whenever you get mentioned in the same breath as iconic Brazilian Pele, you know you're doing something right.

Blossoming teenage sensation Mbappe, 19, accomplished the almost impossible task of outshining Messi on Saturday, scoring twice in Les Bleus' 4-3 victory over Argentina. In doing so, the PSG prodigy joined Pele as the only teenagers in history to score multiple goals in a World Cup knockout match. Pretty good company, kid.

In addition to his second-half strikes, he also showcased his blistering pace to win the penalty that led to Antoine Griezmann's opening goal, and was a constant threat that the Albiceleste simply had no answer for.

Jorge Sampaoli actually yanked Rojo off at half-time as a direct result of Mbappe's dominance - not that replacement Federico Fazio fared much better. With both Messi and Ronaldo now on their way home, Mbappe truly has a chance to make this tournament his.

Loser - People who disparage Ligue 1

"The French league is just a little too easy, isn't it?"

Anybody with that attitude - or anything similar - coming into the day's action may want to revisit their stance after watching Ligue 1 players account directly for half of the goals they were treated to. Of the 10 efforts that found the back of the net, five came from Mbappe (2), Cavani (2), and Angel Di Maria.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Pavard, who recorded arguably the best tally of the day, came through the Lille academy and was with Les Dogues until moving to Stuttgart just two years ago.

The French top flight is fun. Disparage it at your peril.

Bonus: Winner - La Marseillaise

This song is a banger.

With Italy's failure to qualify for the tournament, the French national anthem is the undisputed king of this World Cup's pregame festivities. Argentina made a push, and Uruguay will get another chance to stake its claim, but right now every other anthem is battling for the second spot on the podium.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)