Qatar 2022: The Best One Yet?

COLOMBO (News 1st) - If you need a reason to love football, look no further than Qatar 2022.

Qatar 2022 was one of many firsts... from Qatar becoming the first nation in the Middle East to host a FIFA World Cup, to the tournament being the first edition to be played in the winter season to avoid the extreme summer heat.

Despite harsh criticism over the choice of Qatar being host to run the showpiece of world football, and numerous unpopular decisions by the Qatari administration, it's safe to say all eyes were on the small Gulf nation for an entire month.

After investing a whopping $220 billion, Qatar would have hoped for the World Cup to deliver drama, excitement, and most of all, great football... and deliver it did.

Some of the most iconic names and teams in world football landed in Qatar, ready to deliver great storylines. For the likes of Messi and Argentina, Ronaldo and Portugal, Neymar and Brazil as well as Luka Modric and Croatia, it was possibly a 'do or die' situation to claim the coveted title. For Kylian Mbappe, widely considered football's next big thing, it was a chance to lead France to back-to-back World Cup glory, a feat that has not been achieved since 1962. A youthful England was also in the mix to go deep into the tournament. 4-time winners Germany were gunning to redeem themselves after a shock group stage exit in 2018. Luis Enrique and Spain were determined to put on their best 'tiki taka' performance since 2010. Belgium's 'Golden Generation' and Louis Van Gaal's Dutchmen were also ready to state their case for World Cup glory.

But, what followed after the 20th of November was unparalleled.

Every World Cup has its fair share of shocks and underdog stories. In Qatar 2022 however, the shocks kept coming. On only the second day of the tournament, eventual winners Argentina were stunned 2-1 by Saudi Arabia throwing Lionel Messi's World Cup dream in serious peril. The very next day, an industrious Japanese side came from a goal down to beat the mighty Germans, who never fully recovered and exited the tournament from the group stage once more. Late goals and upsets were a recurring theme in the group stage, and little did we know, the best was yet to come.

Every continent was represented in the Round of 16 in Qatar 2022, another first for the FIFA World Cup. Australia's 'Socceroos' nearly ended Argentina's run, Brazil reignited their 'Joga Bonito' spark to thrash South Korea 4-1, and Portugal found a new hero in 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos who helped them thrash Switzerland 6-1 with the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo watching from the bench. Morocco, who had already beaten Belgium 2-0 in the group stage sent a message of intent beating Spain on penalties.

The Quarter Finals were no less entertaining. 2018 Runners up Croatia ended the Brazilian party winning on penalties while Argentina made life difficult for themselves once more by squandering a 2-0 lead only to win a nervy penalty shootout. Morocco staged another 'giant killing' , holding on to a 1-0 win to send Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal back home. The most sought-after encounter in the Quarter Finals was perhaps England vs France, which ended 2-1 in favor of France after a disastrous Harry Kane penalty restricted them from equalizing.

Few would have predicted Morocco to be the 'dark horse' in Qatar 2022, as Walid Regragui had only taken charge of the Atlas Lions three months before the World Cup. Yet, they made history becoming the first African and Arab country to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final.

The World Cup reached its climax on Sunday the 18th of December after Lionel Messi's Argentina set up a mouthwatering clash with France who was aiming to retain their prize. Argentina and Messi were flawless in the first half of the game, only to concede 2 late goals scored by none other than Kylian Mbappe. The match thereafter went into extra time with either side scoring a goal each and Kylian Mbappe recording only the 2nd ever hattrick at a FIFA World Cup final - but it was not meant to be for France, as Argentina won 4-2 on penalty kicks to win their 3rd World Cup title.

Lionel 'Magic Man' Messi, one of the greatest of all time wrote his dream of winning the coveted World Cup, into the history books.

And so, at the end of an epic encounter and a mesmerizing tournament, the world united to celebrate the beautiful game, its twists and its turns, and most importantly the maestros on the pitch that make it a truly engaging spectacle.

For football fans, 2026 could not come soon enough! A time when nations unite, new heroes emerge, and football takes center stage once more.

See you in 2026. 

Image Courtesy: FIFA