Who Won the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022?
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 hasn't represented the definitive Olympic sport, but it sure is 'the global game' and its quadrennial championship for senior men, the 22nd edition since 1930, concluded today after four weeks of competition between 32 national men's soccer teams.
A reminder that, unlike with the women's game, men's soccer at the Olympics is a primarily under-23 tournament as a way to differentiate the world championship from the Games. It's a model that works, for FIFA, and is surely an envy of other sports' governing bodies with their own world cups (like FIBA and IIHF...)
The tournament surely started on a (well-deserved) controversial note - many notes, in fact. And, the bosses at the sport's governing body deserve continued questioning and scrutiny on a host selection that prompted such frustration, to put it mildly.
In the end, as expected, the game of soccer itself did its best to win regardless, with action across 64 games that delighted and anguished fans. Team France entered as the defending champions from their 2018 win against Team Croatia. The Croatians ended in third place this time, defeating an upstart Team Morocco - the first African semifinalist ever - 2-1 in its final match.
As for the French...they made it back to the final game, defeating Teams Australia and Denmark in the group stage while losing to Team Tunisia, and then sweeping past Teams Poland, England, and Morocco in the knockout rounds. Team Argentina also went 2-1 in their group stage, after a shock opening defeat to Team Saudi Arabia before regrouping to defeat Teams Mexico and Poland, and Australia, Netherlands, and Croatia to make their way to the final.
And? The expert predictions were right as Team Argentina won 3-3 (4-2) over the French in a fascinating penalty kick match, featuring first half goals from super star Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria and another from Messi in the 108th minute. Thanks to their gold from Beijing 2008, Messi and Di Maria fittingly become the first men to have both a World Cup title and Olympic gold post-World War II. It's the third title for the Argentines, after 1978 and 1986. French star Kylian Mbappe, though, - who became a rare 'hat trick' scorer in a men's World Cup final - is one player who could duplicate the feat should he make it to Paris 2024 as hoped and help lead the French to the gold there.
In the meantime, congrats to the Albiceleste! And to everyone for a great, thrilling match.
A reminder that, unlike with the women's game, men's soccer at the Olympics is a primarily under-23 tournament as a way to differentiate the world championship from the Games. It's a model that works, for FIFA, and is surely an envy of other sports' governing bodies with their own world cups (like FIBA and IIHF...)
The tournament surely started on a (well-deserved) controversial note - many notes, in fact. And, the bosses at the sport's governing body deserve continued questioning and scrutiny on a host selection that prompted such frustration, to put it mildly.
In the end, as expected, the game of soccer itself did its best to win regardless, with action across 64 games that delighted and anguished fans. Team France entered as the defending champions from their 2018 win against Team Croatia. The Croatians ended in third place this time, defeating an upstart Team Morocco - the first African semifinalist ever - 2-1 in its final match.
As for the French...they made it back to the final game, defeating Teams Australia and Denmark in the group stage while losing to Team Tunisia, and then sweeping past Teams Poland, England, and Morocco in the knockout rounds. Team Argentina also went 2-1 in their group stage, after a shock opening defeat to Team Saudi Arabia before regrouping to defeat Teams Mexico and Poland, and Australia, Netherlands, and Croatia to make their way to the final.
And? The expert predictions were right as Team Argentina won 3-3 (4-2) over the French in a fascinating penalty kick match, featuring first half goals from super star Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria and another from Messi in the 108th minute. Thanks to their gold from Beijing 2008, Messi and Di Maria fittingly become the first men to have both a World Cup title and Olympic gold post-World War II. It's the third title for the Argentines, after 1978 and 1986. French star Kylian Mbappe, though, - who became a rare 'hat trick' scorer in a men's World Cup final - is one player who could duplicate the feat should he make it to Paris 2024 as hoped and help lead the French to the gold there.
In the meantime, congrats to the Albiceleste! And to everyone for a great, thrilling match.
Team Argentina celebrates its 2022 World Cup final trophy as champions (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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