- Lionel Messi was the star as Argentina returned to the summit of world football
- The highest-scoring World Cup in history set new standards on and off the field
- Morocco helped make history for Africa, while Kylian Mbappe dazzled in defeat
This was always going to be a FIFA World Cup™ like no other.
The first FIFA World Cup hosted in the Middle East, the first to be played in a Muslim country, the first to be played in November and December, and the first of its size to be held in such a small geographical area, Qatar 2022 offered a fresh twist on this old and much-loved festival of football.
But while treading so much new ground came with possibilities – the novel prospect of attending multiple World Cup games in a single day, for example – the risks were evident and undeniable.
Gianni Infantino admitted earlier this week to pre-tournament concerns “about having so many fans from so many countries, at the same time, in the same place.”
Given that the place in question has a population of less than 2.9 million and its stadiums is all within a 35-mile radius. Questions arose about how Qatar and its infrastructure would cope with such a mass invasion. Others wondered how the tournament would affect the on-field fare in the middle of most players’ domestic seasons, with reduced preparation time an inevitable consequence.
One by one, those doubts were swept away by a tidal wave of fantastic football, flawless organization, and friendly, vibrant atmospheres on the streets and in the stadiums.
The same description is, of course, being applied increasingly widely to the tournament’s star man. Lionel Messi was already a top competitor for ‘GOAT’ status. Still, his claims to that title have been additionally fortified by a magnificent month in Qatar.
In the highest-scoring World Cup of all time, it was goals from Argentina’s captain that did the most to decide the direction of the title. And not even La Albiceleste’s fiercest rivals could begrudge this incredible player his well-deserved moment with the prize he has so long dreamed of.
Medalists
Champions: Argentina
Runners-up: France
Third place: Croatia
Award winners
Adidas Golden Ball: Lionel Messi (ARG)
Adidas Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappe (FRA)
Adidas Golden Glove: Emiliano Martinez (ARG)
Best Young Player: Enzo Fernandez (ARG)
Standout sides
Argentina
From the butt of the world’s jokes to the most deserving of champions, La Albiceleste enjoyed one hell of a ride. And just as no one expected that opening-match upset to Saudi Arabia. Only a few could have guessed that they would recover to reach their long-held dream in such remarkable – and dramatic – circumstances.
As for their talisman, what more can be said? Messi is quite rightly a beloved figure far exceeding Argentina’s borders. And neutrals worldwide were both captivated and converted to his team’s cause by the little magician’s dream of World Cup glory.
Morocco
It took 88 years of attempts for an African team to reach the World Cup semifinals. Morocco was the continental trailblazer.
After upsetting Belgium in the group stage, Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri and Co destroyed Spain in the last 16 and Portugal in the quarter-finals. The Atlas Lions also gave France a strict test in the semifinals before losing an end-to-end encounter with Croatia 2-1 in the war for third place.
Japan
Can four-time champions Germany or 21st-century titans Spain win Group E? Japan made a parody of the question the masses were assessing by slaying both those giants to finish top. The Samurai Blue also became only the third team in World Cup history, the first since West Germany in 1970, to win two games they had been trailing at half-time.
Individual achievers
- Lionel Messi:
- Here is an article about it. Enjoy our detailed rundown on the various national and global records Messi rewrote at Qatar 2022.
- Kylian Mbappe:
- With eight goals in seven appearances, the France talisman produced the highest-scoring World Cup by any individual player. Since Ronaldo emerged with an identical haul from the 2002 edition, Mbappe also became just the fifth player in World Cup history to score in separate finals., the first to achieve a final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966 and, with four goals across 2018 and 2022, is now confirmed as the highest-scoring player in the history of football’s showpiece fixture.
- Lionel Scaloni:
- At 44 years old, the Argentinian became the youngest coach since fellow countryman Cesar Luis Menotti – who was 39 in 1978 – to win the World Cup.
- Yassine Bounou:
- The Moroccon goalkeeper became the first African goalkeeper to register three clean sheets in a single World Cup edition.
- Olivier Giroud:
- The big Frenchman only started for France due to a late pre-tournament injury to Karim Benzema. But he made the most of his possibility, scoring 4 times to move on to 53 for his country – two clear of Thierry Henry’s earlier record of 51.
- Neymar:
- In a World Cup that finished in tears for the Brazil No10, he equalled Pele’s 77-goal haul to become A Seleção’s joint-record scorer.
- Hugo Lloris:
- The France captain overtook Lilian Thuram (142) as his country’s record caps holder and became the first goalkeeper to achieve the landmark of 20 World Cup appearances.
- Harry Kane:
- With his 52nd and 53rd international goals, the England skipper moved alongside Wayne Rooney as England’s record scorer.
- Ivan Perisic:
- The Croatia wide man scored 1 and set up 2 for the Vatreni, meaning he now has 6 goals and 5 assists across the last three World Cups. Only the great Messi (21) can claim more direct goal involvement during the same period.
- Goncalo Ramos:
- The emerging Portugal superstar became the first player to score a hat-trick on his first World Cup start since Miroslav Klose in 2002. He was also accountable for the first treble in the knockout stage since Tomas Skuhravy at Italia ‘90.