This year’s FIFA World Cup 2022 was action-packed and controversial. Qatar became the first Arab country to host the matches amid controversy surrounding the country’s labour laws and human rights record. Moreover, a difference in culture led people to criticize the country for not having more liberal ideas and institutions. Nevertheless, there was much fanfare and frenzy in and outside the stadiums and around the globe. The tournament promised to be an exciting event, with some of the world’s best players set to take part. Qatar had already made some big investments in the sport, building impressive stadiums and other infrastructure. The opening and closing ceremonies were spectacular affairs, and the tournament surely did attract millions of spectators.
For fans, the tournament offered plenty of excitement. All of the teams were vying for the title, and there were some fascinating matchups. The Qatari team itself hoped to make a mark on the world stage, and the competition for the trophy was fierce. Many countries, such as Morocco, made a lasting mark and were supported by Muslims around the world, as no other Muslim country reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
The final match of any World Cup has always been a spectacle to watch, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final was no exception. Held at the 80,000-capacity Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar, the match was the grand finale of a month-long tournament. The finalists, defending champions France and Argentina, put up a good fight for more than the usual match time.
In the first half of the match, Argentina was dominating. An Argentinian player, Angel De Maria, was fouled against France’s D, and they were awarded a penalty. Lionel Messi took the penalty and scored. After some time, De Maria scored a goal, and the score was 2-0. During the second half, France tried to score, but up until the 79th minute, the match was tipped in favour of Argentina. During the 79th minute, Argentina fouled against France, which gave France a penalty, and the young sensation Kylian Mbappé took the penalty and scored. In the next minute, Mbappe scored an equalizer, and this is when the match became much more interesting. At this point, the 90 minutes of the match had ended and the score was equal. Both teams got to play two halves of 15 minutes each. In the second half, Messi scored a goal while defeating France’s strong defence, but Mbappe scored another equalizer. The young and fiery Mbappe scored a hattrick in the final match, and he is only the second player in history to have done this in a FIFA World Cup Final. Mbappe is also the top scorer with eight goals throughout the championship, for which he got the golden boot. Both sides scored on penalties, Messi scored for Argentina while Mbappe scored for France. France managed to score only twice while Argentina scored on all four of its penalty shots. Argentina won the match.
Messi, a living legend revered by many as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), won his first World Cup. Even the football aficionados who support Ronaldo in the ‘Messi or Ronaldo’ debate wanted Messi to win because it was Ronaldo’s last chance (his last world cup) and he couldn’t make it, and thus, football lovers across the globe knew that if Ronaldo has lost his chance, Messi should be the one lifting the cup. In the end, football wins.
It was nerve-wracking and exhilarating, and it was a nail-biting experience. Both teams fought for the world championship, and in the end, the team that wanted it badly won. It is considered by many the best FIFA World Cup final in football’s history.
The winners were awarded the trophy and individual medals along with $42 million. There was also a closing ceremony and special celebrations for the team and their fans, with parades in the streets of Qatar and around the world.
Qatar did very well in organizing and executing the events of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Other than the tournament itself, the rest of the world was introduced to Arab and Middle Eastern culture. This brought about a positive light for that part of the world and Muslims globally, as earlier the image was quite negative. Although there were some issues due to cultural differences, Qatar stood its ground, and the western world learned many new things. The most fascinating discovery, however, was the muslim shower.
Pakistan had only one simple reason to celebrate the Doha event: Sialkot-made balls were used in the cup. No doubt, football is a popular sport in cricket-loving Pakistan, particularly in rural regions. It is sad to state the Pakistani national squad is rated 200th in FIFA’s world rankings. But this did not stop the country from celebrating the most popular world event. Weeks ago, millions of people throughout Pakistan emerged out of the cricket fever with their team ranking second in the T20 World Cup hosted in Australia. Then a raging football fever engulfed the country during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The real celebrations will be when a Pakistani team will feature in the cup.
