The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has ended, following 64 games and 172 goals, and one of the best finals in history. Argentina is the champion for the third time following beating France on penalties. Finally, Lionel Messi put his hands on the golden cup that eluded him for a long time, according to what the Associated Press says.
The following is a quick review by the agency of the tournament, which was held for the first time in an Arab and Islamic country.
best player
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament. He has never played better in a World Cup, scoring seven goals, providing three assists and being the star of Argentina in all seven of their matches. He also participated in 26 World Cup matches, breaking the record set by Lothar Matthaus. Messi definitively joins Pele and Diego Maradona in the pantheon of football’s greatest players.
biggest failure
Given his name and profile, and the drama that resulted from an explosive pre-World Cup interview, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo may have faced the worst tournament.
It’s true that he converted a penalty once morest Ghana to become the first man to score in five different World Cups, but nothing else has gone right for a player currently without a club. He tried – and failed – to score a goal with his head once morest Uruguay, and showed a bad attitude following being substituted once morest South Korea, which annoyed his coach, then he was suspended once morest Switzerland and Morocco in the knockout stage. He cried following Portugal’s 1-0 loss to Morocco ended his World Cup career, finishing the tournament with just one goal.
best goal
Brazilian striker Richarlison had his back to goal, twisted his body in the air in the penalty area, and slammed the ball into the net with a spectacular acrobatic kick. The 2-0 win over Serbia sealed the group stage and made the Brazilians, for a while, forget regarding Neymar’s injury.
Best save
There were 20 seconds of added time remaining in extra time in the final when France striker Randall Kolo Mwane fired a shot towards Argentina goalkeeper Aimee Martinez. The win, the title, was there for France, but Martinez made a save with his left leg, a save that was as important as all of Messi’s goals.
best match
Argentina were in the best of two matches. The first in the quarter-final match for the team once morest the Netherlands, and witnessed several goals and late drama through a goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time to make the score 2-2, penalty kicks, and a World Cup record 17 yellow cards and a red card, then the final match came on Lusail Stadium itself, which is by far the best.
The best moment
Nothing compares to the moment when the Netherlands inflicted a daring free-kick 11 minutes into second-half stoppage time in their wild quarter-final match to take Argentina to extra time.
The best fans
Morocco for making a fuss, Argentina for pure passion, and Japan for the way they tidy up the stands following a match (cleaning, for example).
Important
At the age of 31, Antoine Griezmann has reinvented himself as a midfielder in France, having played as a striker his entire career. He was one of the tournament players.
best quote
“I had the feeling this trophy is ours” – Lionel Messi following winning his first World Cup.
