2022

Notes

First WC in the Arab world; first played in winter (November-December) due to Qatar's summer heat. Argentina's third title — Messi finally won the WC at his fifth attempt; the final (Argentina 3-3 France, 4-2 pens) is widely called the greatest WC final ever. Mbappé's hat-trick — first in a final since Hurst in 1966. Saudi Arabia's 2-1 upset of Argentina in the opener was one of the great upsets. Morocco became the first African team ever to reach a WC SF (also first Arab nation in any SF). Squad sizes increased to 26. New record for goals: 172. Sphere-shaped stadium 974 made of shipping containers; Lusail Stadium hosted the final (88,966).

📚 Trivia

• firsts2022 was the first World Cup ever played in winter (November-December), shifted from the traditional June-July window because of Qatar's summer heat. It was also the first WC in the Arab world.
• championsLionel Messi finally won the World Cup at his 5th attempt (age 35), scoring 7 goals + 3 assists. Argentina's 3rd title (1978, 1986, 2022). He won Best Player for the second time (also 2014). The final — Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 pens) — is widely considered the greatest WC final ever played.
• finalsMbappé scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final — the first in a WC final since Geoff Hurst in 1966. He won the Golden Boot with 8 goals, but France lost 4-2 on penalties. He became the first player to win the Golden Boot at age 23 or younger and lose the final in the same tournament.
• matchesSaudi Arabia 2-1 Argentina, 22 November 2022 — one of the great World Cup upsets. The eventual champions Argentina lost their opener; only Spain (1950) and Spain (2010) had previously gone on to win the title after losing match one. Saudi declared a national holiday.
• firstsMorocco became the first African team — and first Arab nation — ever to reach a World Cup semi-final. Their run included beating Belgium, Spain (on pens), and Portugal before losing 2-0 to France in the SF.
• format2022 was the first WC with 26-player squads (up from 23, which had held since 2002). The change accommodated the winter timing and the more compressed 28-day tournament window.