Argentina
France
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will go down in history as the first tournament held in winter to avoid the extremely high summer temperatures of the host country. From 20 November to 18 December, the world was presented with a mundial of the highest calibre, bringing together 32 national teams in 8 state-of-the-art stadiums. The 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup was held in Qatar, becoming the first major football event to be held during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to the country’s hot climate, the tournament was moved from the traditional summer period to November-December, a historic decision.
The choice of Qatar caused much controversy and debate due to allegations of corruption as well as the labour conditions of the migrant workers involved in the construction of the stadiums. The weather conditions also required a special approach to the organisation, including the creation of climate-controlled stadiums.
The FIFA World Cup, held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December, was a unique event in the history of football, not only because of its winter schedule, but also because of the impressive stadiums that became arenas for the best world teams to compete. This tournament attracted the attention of millions of spectators around the world, not only for the football matches, but also for the new stadiums that were specially built or renovated to host the competition. All Qatar 2022 World Cup stadiums have been built from scratch, unlike last year’s 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The World Cup format retained the tried and tested structure of previous tournaments. A total of 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four teams each in the group stage, which was played in a round robin system. The top 2 teams from each group advanced to the play-off stage, starting with the round of 1/8 and ending with the final. This format ensured intrigue and intense competition at all stages of the competition.
Groups at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar:
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar utilised 8 stadiums in 5 cities, each presenting unique architectural designs and innovative technology.
The semi-finals of the tournament were held at Lusail Ikonik and Al Bayt Stadiums and a magnificent final crowned the competition in Lusail, where the world champion was decided.
The Netherlands confirmed their status as favourites for Group A, securing top spot after tough matches. They showed confidence on the pitch, conceding just one goal across three games. Cody Gakpo especially distinguished himself by scoring in each encounter.
Senegal, after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands, managed to beat Qatar (3-1) and Ecuador (2-1) for second place. Ecuador, having led until the final minutes against Senegal, lost their position due to a goal by Kalidou Koulibaly. Qatar, despite its host status, failed to win a single game, becoming the first host nation not to win a match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
England topped the group with a solid performance. The USA also performed well, securing their passage to the next round, while Iran and Wales withdrew from the tournament after the group stage. England easily secured the top spot thanks to their dominance over Iran (6-2) and Wales (3-0). USA surprised everyone by securing second place after a draw with England (0-0) and a 1-0 win over Iran, showing a solid defence.
Champions Copa America 2021 Argentina, despite a sensational defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening match, ended up topping the group and progressing further, as did Poland. Argentina, after a shocking 1-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia, recovered to top the group with wins over Mexico (2-0) and Poland (2-0). Poland secured a playoff spot thanks to a better goal balance than Mexico despite losing to Argentina.
Mexico and Saudi Arabia crashed out of the World Cup despite a bright start to the tournament for Saudi Arabia.
Reigning champions France confirmed their status as favourites to come out of the group in first place. Australia were sensational, finishing second and leaving Denmark and Tunisia out of the group. France confirmed their status as World Cup favourites, finishing top after two solid wins but losing to Tunisia (0:1) in their last group stage match. Australia, after losing to France (1:4), managed to secure important victories over Denmark (1:0) and Tunisia (1:0) to qualify for the play-offs.
Japan surprised everyone by beating Germany and Spain to take the top spot. Spain also progressed further, while Germany once again failed to make it past the group stage. Japan were the group opener, finishing top of the group after wins over Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1), despite a 0-1 loss to Costa Rica. Spain, after an explosive start against Costa Rica (7-0) and a 1-1 draw with Germany, finished second thanks to a better goal difference.
Morocco had an impressive performance to come out on top, while Croatia also qualified for the next stage. Belgium, one of the favourites, unexpectedly left the tournament after the group stage. Morocco sensationally took the top spot after beating Belgium (2-0) and beating Canada (2-1) with an impressive performance. Croatia, having reached the final in 2018, made the play-offs again, leaving Belgium and Canada behind.
Brazil and Switzerland continued their quest for a playoff spot after showing quality football in the group stage. Brazil, despite a 0-1 defeat to Cameroon, and Switzerland, who showed steady play, progressed from the group, leaving Serbia and Cameroon out of the competition.
Portugal came out of the group on top, while South Korea managed to make it through, leaving behind Uruguay and Ghana. The 2022 World Cup ended sensationally quickly for one of the medium-sized South American favourites.
The World Cup Playoffs in Qatar is a thrilling series of matches full of intrigue, unexpected results and dramatic moments, culminating in Argentina’s ascent to football’s Olympus.
The 1/8 finals brought several sensations. The Netherlands easily defeated the USA, confirming their status as favourites with a score of 3:1. Argentina defeated Australia in a tense struggle with a score of 2: thanks to goals by Messi and Alvarez. One of the most memorable matches was between France and Poland, where the French advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup thanks to Mbappe’s double. Brazil also had no trouble in their match against South Korea, defeating their opponents 4-1 with goals from Ricarlison, Paquete, Vinicius and Neymar. Morocco made history by beating Spain also in a penalty shootout, becoming the first African team to reach such heights at the World Cup.
In the other matches of the stage, England showed their might by beating Senegal 3-0, while Croatia outplayed Japan in a tense encounter in a penalty shootout with 3 penalties from the Samurai out of 4. Portugal confidently outplayed Switzerland 6-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Ramos.
The quarter-finals continued the trend of tense and emotional matches. Argentina defeated the Netherlands in a dramatic match, conceding 2 goals from the 83rd minute (2:2). Reigning 2022 World Cup champion France continued their momentum as they defeated England in a 2-1 win on a Giroud goal. Croatia, on the other hand, sensationally outplayed Brazil in a penalty shootout, levelling the score at the end of extra time. Morocco continued their fairytale story by beating Portugal to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals thanks to En-Nesiri’s historic first-half goal.
The semi-finals represented a true battle of the titans. Argentina faced Croatia and thanks to the brilliant play of Messi and Alvarez reached the final - 3:1. France and Morocco battled for second place in the final, with the French securing a place alongside Argentina in the last stage of the tournament thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Kolo-Mouani.
In the 3rd place match, Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 with goals from Guardiola and Orsic.
The final between Argentina and France was a historic event, remembered as one of the best finals in World Cup history. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, managed to prevail in this epic battle only in a penalty shootout, winning their third World Cup title, thus confirming their status as one of football’s greatest nations. The team led 2-0 in the first half after goals from Messi and Di Maria, but Mbappe equalised with a double, and in overtime Kylian scored a hat-trick and converted a penalty shoot-out - Montiel brought Argentina the championship!
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar left an indelible mark on the history of football, offering the world amazing moments, reversals of fortune and historic achievements. At the epicentre of FIFA’s attention were the teams and players who reached incredible heights and set new records.
Argentina, led by the inimitable Lionel Messi, won their third World Cup, defeating France in a tense final that will be remembered for years to come. France, despite losing, played brilliantly throughout the tournament, while Croatia surprised the world again by finishing third and confirming their status as one of the strongest teams in the world.
Qatar has been selected by FIFA as the host country for the 2022 World Cup, a choice that has generated considerable debate and controversy. The main reasons for the selection were Qatar’s unique proposals for organising the tournament, including the construction of advanced stadiums with cooling systems to mitigate high summer temperatures. However, at the centre of the criticism were allegations of FIFA corruption in the selection process and human rights abuses, particularly against workers involved in the construction of the stadiums and infrastructure. The international community has raised concerns about the working conditions, safety and welfare of workers.
The 2022 World Cup was the stage for several landmark achievements. Kylian Mbappe won the title of top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals, showing exceptional play and leading France to the final. Lionel Messi set a record by featuring in his 26th match of the mundial and eventually led Argentina to victory, scoring crucial goals and becoming the MVP of the tournament. These achievements emphasise the exceptional contribution both players have made to their national teams and world football as a whole.
The 2022 World Cup revealed several young talents who impressed with their performances. Julian Alvarez of Argentina and Bukayo Saka of England were among those who made a name for themselves on the international stage and in the playoffs. Alvarez has become a key player in Argentina’s attack, displaying outstanding play and scoring crucial goals. Saka, in turn, impressed with his dynamism and technique, becoming one of the highlights of the England squad.
The results of the World Cup matches came as a surprise. Argentina took the top spot by winning its third World Cup, a historic moment, especially for Lionel Messi, who had not previously won a world championship. Reigning champion France confirmed its status as one of the top football nations in the world. Croatia surprised the world again by finishing third and confirming their reputation as the leader of Eastern European football after the 2018 final.
