None of the 21 previous World Cups had as prolonged or as contentious a build-up as the 2022 finals in Qatar, with allegations of corruption, the fatalities of thousands of migrant workers in stadium construction and the controversial mid-season timing all serving to make this a potentially very troubled tournament. The off-field issues didn’t subside once the football got underway, either, with strong criticism over the sanctions which were threatened towards players for the use of the ‘OneLove’ armband in support of the LGBT+ community, given Qatar’s notoriously homophobic laws.
However, before the tournament got underway, I had hope that if the on-field action proved to be memorable, it would at least ensure that Qatar 2022 would not leave a wholly regrettable legacy. Thankfully, that proved to be the case, with the football itself delivering plenty of drama, shocks and memorable moments to make it well worth watching…and that was before we got to the final. More on that momentarily.
Similar to Euro 2020, this World Cup ambled rather than burst into life, with the first round of group matches characterised by teams playing conservatively and seeking not to lose their opening game rather than going gung-ho for three points. The opening match between Qatar and Ecuador was a hard sell and ultimately a banal watch, with the South Americans defeating the host nation in second gear.
Some teams did lay down an early marker of intent, with France, England and Spain all racking up a lorryload of goals in their opening matches, albeit with some observers negating that by pinpointing the paucity of their respective opposition. Still, some of those countries who had been written off as makeweights prior to the tournament confounded the doubters in stunning fashion. Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were turned over by Saudi Arabia in their first game, with Japan also landing a hammer blow on Germany.
As the second round of group games approached and teams realised that victory would be needed to maintain realistic hopes of progression, the football became more expansive, with some thrilling encounters at this point of the competition. Spain and Germany served up a tremendous contest in their 1-1 draw, while Cameroon 3-3 Serbia and South Korea 2-3 Ghana turned out to be unexpected classics. Elsewhere, the shocks kept coming as Morocco stunned Belgium 2-0, and the final set of group games commenced with only three teams mathematically through to the round of 16 and just two eliminated. That left 27 of the 32 nations with their fate in the balance, albeit to varying degrees of jeopardy, with one group match still to play.
In another parallel to Euro 2020, the concluding group games delivered drama in spades. Senegal knocked out Ecuador in a virtual winner-takes-all clash, with the USA triumphing over Iran in a similar scenario. Tunisia’s win over France was in vain as Australia shocked Denmark to join the holders in the last 16. Then there was that frenetic finish to Group C where, for roughly 20 minutes, Mexico and Poland were level on every possible determinant except for yellow cards. Ultimately, a stoppage-time Saudi Arabia goal ended the Mexicans’ hopes, and also their curious sequence of seven round-of-16 eliminations prior to 2022.
Two European giants bowed out on the same day as Belgium fluffed a hatful of chances against Croatia, with Morocco surprisingly topping Group F, while Germany’s 4-2 win over Costa Rica counted for nothing due to Japan’s 2-1 upset of Spain, which left the Asian side top of Group E. For a brief interval on that night, both Spain and Germany were on course for a group stage exit.
The drama still wasn’t done for the group stage, as South Korea’s surprise last-gasp win over Portugal took them through at Uruguay’s expense, while Switzerland saw off Serbia in a rollercoaster 3-2 win in Group G to accompany Brazil into the last 16, with the Selecao able to absorb an unexpected defeat to a Cameroon side who briefly threatened to qualify alongside them.
A remarkable group stage ended with some scarcely believable outcomes. Very few would have had Australia, Poland, Japan, Morocco and South Korea to all reach the last 16, while Germany, Belgium, Denmark and Mexico were the big-name casualties of the group phase. In the end, we had a diverse round of 16 in which all five confederations who had teams at the tournament were still represented, with Asia surprisingly having more participants than South America at that stage of proceedings. It was also notable that every team from Africa and Asia (except for Qatar) won at least one match at the tournament.
The flip side of these upsets, though, was that many of the unexpected round-of-16 participants had hit their ceiling by that stage, leading to some rather routine ties at this juncture. Netherlands, France, England saw off USA, Poland and Senegal respectively with ease, while Brazil and Portugal went to town on South Korea and Switzerland. Argentina and Croatia both came through as expected, although they were made to work for it against Australia and Japan. One round-of-16 clash did produce an upset, though, as Morocco punished Spain’s profligacy to triumph on penalties against a team who had stuck seven past Costa Rica in their opening game.
The quarter-finals were a combination of mayhem, drama, controversy, penalty shoot-outs and more upsets. Croatia got the ball rolling with their fourth shoot-out win of the last two World Cups to leave Brazil shellshocked. Argentina threw away a two-goal lead against Netherlands, who forced extra time through Wout Weghorst’s exquisitely-worked 100th-minute equaliser, before Lionel Messi and co eventually won on penalties in a match which witnessed a record 18 yellow cards, one red, a series of brawls and a post-match war of words between the two camps.
Not for the first time, England were left cursing their penalty luck, with Harry Kane’s miss in a feisty encounter against France proving costly on a night when the British media laid most of the blame at the feet of referee Wilton Sampaio. History was made in the other quarter-final, with Morocco denying Cristiano Ronaldo one last shot at World Cup glory by deservedly beating Portugal to become Africa’s first representatives in the semi-finals of the competition. The Atlas Lions then found France to be one obstacle too far, but very much died with their boots on against the holders. In the other semi-final, a Messi-inspired masterclass saw Argentina emphatically thwart Croatia’s hopes of a second successive World Cup final, although Zlatko Dalic’s side would claim the bronze medal.
So to the final, which had the rather peculiar date of 18 December. Argentina v France, Messi v Mbappe, both nations chasing a third world title. For most of the game, it looked as if the South Americans were cruising towards glory, comfortable at 2-0 going into the final 15 minutes. Cue two goals from Kylian Mbappe in 90 seconds to leave Argentina stunned and necessitate 30 minutes of extra time, to the delight of every neutral watching around the world, if not those from the two countries involved.
Messi struck again in extra time and it looked as if Argentina were finally about to get over the line, before a second Mbappe penalty of the night levelled it all again. Even after all that, both teams still went in pursuit of a winner, but this epic, breathless contest would be settled on penalties. Argentina scored all four of theirs to win their first World Cup since 1986, the year before the talismanic Messi was born.
What to make of the tournament overall, then? From start to finish it probably wasn’t quite as riveting as the 2018 World Cup or Euro 2020, although it was still largely quite enjoyable to watch and, as outlined, created no shortage of drama or upsets. The final group matchday was simply unforgettable, containing so much excitement that it may yet force FIFA into a rethink of the format for the 48-team World Cup in four years’ time.
Even that, though, was dwarfed by the events at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday 18 December 2022. The venue is suitably named, because it played host to the greatest World Cup final of all time on a night when the greatest footballer of all time enjoyed the crowning moment of his glittering career. After witnessing that extraordinary climax to a fantastic tournament, it seems staggering to think that it was at that very same stadium just 26 days previously that Argentina’s journey to overall glory began with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia.
VAR worked brilliantly at the last World Cup but seemed to be more troublesome than it was worth on a few occasions in Qatar, with some decisions very difficult to justify and the semi-automated offsides, while technically correct, still leaving a bad taste at times. Also, the folly of the offside rule whereby play is left to continue before being called back was all too frequent, with this being one of the most frustrating features of the tournament. Hopefully that is something which the sport’s law-makers reconsider in the near future.
Another curiosity of Qatar 2022 was the incomprehensibly long periods of stoppage time, especially in the first week of the tournament, where double-digit add-ons would be commonplace even when no serious injury occurred. While the party line for this was that it more accurately reflected how much inactivity there actually was in a regular 90-minute match, it certainly didn’t enhance viewer experience, and there was a subtle return to more ‘normal’ stoppage time allowances as the tournament progressed.
The 2022 World Cup will be remembered in time as the last to feature some of the foremost players of their generation. Even if their countries qualify, it would be a surprise to see the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Angel di Maria, Kasper Schmeichel, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Sergio Busquets, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Thiago Silva, Pepe, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani at the 2026 finals. In that respect, this tournament has echoes of the 2006 World Cup, the last to feature such greats as Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Luis Figo, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Brazil legend Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Nesta and Oliver Kahn.
While the nefarious preparations for Qatar 2022 will be difficult to forget entirely, the footballing legacy of the 22nd World Cup has been a very positive one and has gone some way to combatting the extremely chequered build-up to the tournament. In 10, 20, 30 years’ time and beyond, this will be remembered as the World Cup where Messi finally won the biggest prize of them all, doing so having played a leading role in a final which will never be forgotten by anyone lucky enough to witness it.
Top 10 goals
10: Roozbeh Cheshmi (Iran) v Wales
9: Luis Chavez (Mexico) v Saudi Arabia
8: Wout Weghorst (Netherlands) 2nd goal v Argentina
7: Julian Alvarez (Argentina) 1st goal v Croatia
6: Salem Al-Dawsari (Saudi Arabia) v Argentina
5: Richarlison (Brazil) v South Korea
3: Richarlison (Brazil) v Serbia
2: Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Uruguay) 2nd goal v Ghana
1: Angel di Maria (Argentina) v France
Top 10 matches
2: Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (3-4 pens)
1: Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 pens)
Worst 5 matches
5: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea
4: Japan 0-1 Costa Rica
3: Morocco 0-0 Croatia
2: Mexico 0-0 Poland
1: Morocco 0-0 Spain (3-0 pens)
Team of the tournament (4-3-3)
EMILIANO MARTINEZ (Argentina): For so long a peripheral figure at Arsenal, Martinez excelled for Argentina throughout the World Cup. His gamesmanship may irk some, but he came up clutch with vital saves in the penalty shoot-out wins over Netherlands and France. His save in the dying embers of extra time in the final ultimately spared his team from extreme heartbreak.
JOSIP JURANOVIC (Croatia): The Celtic right-back was one of several Croatian defenders to carve out a role in their new-look backline and he looked to the manor born in Qatar. Indefatigable throughout two periods of extra time and penalties, he also provided in assist in the 4-1 win over Canada.
JOSKO GVARDIOL (Croatia): The 20-year-old had already been turning heads for RB Leipzig but his value will have shot up even further after this World Cup. Made a series of crucial blocks, most notably against Belgium when Croatia needed a draw to avoid a group stage exit, and there was no shame in finding Lionel Messi too hot to handle in the semi-final.
NICOLAS OTAMENDI (Argentina): He might not have been a standout player in his time at Manchester City, but the 34-year-old was a calming influence at the heart of Argentina’s defence. Composed in possession and a colossus in the air, his role in the winners’ triumph was understated but they might not have won it without him.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI (Morocco): A stalwart of the Moroccan defence which only conceded one goal prior to the semi-finals. The Bayern Munich man was unlucky to miss the quarter-final win over Portugal and didn’t look fully fit against France, but he had already done so much in his country’s historic progression to that point.
SOFYAN AMRABAT (Morocco): The heartbeat of Morocco’s midfield, especially in the shock round-of-16 triumph over Spain as the Fiorentina man covered virtually every blade of grass. A colossal figure who led by example and gave a sterling N’Golo Kante impression. It’s no surprise that he’s now at the epicentre of intense transfer rumours.
LUKA MODRIC (Croatia): Far from looking like a player on the wane, the 37-year-old was as influential as ever in helping Croatia to reach a second successive semi-final. Classy in everything he does and showed absolutely no signs of decline despite his advancing years. Good luck to whoever’s tasked with filling his shoes for the 2026 World Cup.
ANTOINE GRIEZMANN (France): Redeployed in a deeper role as a box-to-box midfielder, Griezmann was totally rejuvenated in Qatar following a frustrating couple of years at club level. Set up both goals in the win over England, while he also did his fair share of tracking back in moments when his team were under the cosh. As one columnist observes, he alone made up for the absences of Kante, Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema, such was his all-action role at the tournament.
LIONEL MESSI (Argentina): There’s very little I can say about this man which hasn’t been said elsewhere. The justified Golden Ball winner, scored seven goals (including two in the final) and netted in every match after the group stage. He came up with the big moments in the biggest games for his country. His footballing CV is complete. One of a kind.
JULIAN ALVAREZ (Argentina): A somewhat under-the-radar summer arrival at Man City amid the spotlight shining on Erling Haaland, but the 22-year-old showed in Qatar that he belongs on the biggest stage. Four goals in total, including one of the best of the tournament with that solo run against Croatia.
KYLIAN MBAPPE (France): Olivier Giroud may have become France’s record goalscorer during Qatar 2022, but it seems only a matter of time before his strike partner overtakes him. The first player to score eight in a single World Cup since Ronaldo in 2002 and only the second to net a hat-trick in the final. He is very much a man for the big occasion.
SUBS: Wojciech Szczesny (Poland), Dominik Livakovic (Croatia), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Raphael Varane (France), Romain Saiss (Morocco), Theo Hernandez (France), Ritsu Doan (Japan), Jude Bellingham (England), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina), Mohammed Kudus (Ghana), Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Bukayo Saka (England), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Richarlison (Brazil), Olivier Giroud (France)
FLOPS XI: Manuel Neuer (Germany), Antonio Rudiger (Germany), Toby Alderweireld (Belgium), Oscar Duarte (Costa Rica), David Raum (Germany), Gareth Bale (Wales), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium).
Quotes of the tournament
“It’s just spoofing” – Richie Sadlier is none too impressed by the promotion of Qatar hosting the World Cup as spreading the game to new horizons
“Casemiro is getting on in the middle of the park, and Fred has never got on in the middle of the park” – Liam Brady dismisses Brazil’s prospects of World Cup glory before the opening match
“There should be a laughing track in the background every time the man speaks” – Richie Sadlier on Gianni Infantino after the FIFA president’s bizarre pre-tournament speech,
“Ashley Williams talking about human rights despite showing no consideration for mine while playing for Everton” – Everton fan @jarrodh28 on Twitter has a barb at the former Toffees and Wales defender
“Bad news for viewers, we’re going to be rambling for another 15 minutes” – Kenny Cunningham reacts to a quarter-hour period of first half stoppage time during England v Iran
“This Ref…going to VAR now. Just end the game you prat! Some of us need a piss” – YouTuber Mark Goldbridge just before Mehdi Taremi’s penalty v England
“Uncle Sam 1-0 Fireman Sam” – Opta’s Duncan Alexander after Timothy Weah’s goal for USA v Wales
“But you can come to the hotel. Just to my room. To get laid.” – Louis can Gaal to his wife at Netherlands training
“Don’t make eye contact with Roy” – Laura Woods to Joe Cole after he disagrees with Roy Keane on Argentina’s penalty v Saudi Arabia
“There won’t be an oil well drilled in Riyadh tonight” – Peter Collins’ take on Marty Morrissey’s famous line about Clare winning the Munster football final in 1992 after Saudi Arabia’s shock win over Argentina
“Ochoa is to the World Cup what Mariah Carey is to Christmas” – Freelance football writer Ashwin Raman talks up Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa before their match against Poland
“There’s no goals in this team” – Gary Neville’s unfortunate utterance about Spain before they beat Costa Rica 7-0
“This fella is the most red-hot striker in world football at the moment” – Alan Cawley goes a little overboard in praising Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting
“South Korea’s back line looking like Kanye West’s recent calls after a night out” – Twitter user George Clarke reacts to South Korea’s goalkeeper and entire back four v Uruguay all having the name Kim
“Danny Murphy having to have shots that hit the woodwork not being on target explained to him like Ted explaining the cows being small/the cows being far away to Dougal.” – Twitter user Jonny Sharples during Uruguay v South Korea
“Suarez looked like he was carrying a bag of spuds!” – Kevin Doyle slams the Uruguay striker after the goalless draw v South Korea
“The first half…Jesus” – Doyle is unimpressed with Uruguay 0-0 South Korea
“He’s talking out about 8 different sides of his mouth” – Richie Sadlier takes another opportunity to slam Infantino
“How many FIFA members does it take to change a lightbulb?” – Ally McCoist on the presence of five officials in the VAR room
“They’re not too worried about the ESB bill out here” – Darragh Maloney on floodlights being switched on in broad daylight at 2pm during Wales v Iran
“He’s 6 foot 4 Porozo, a big lump” – Richie Sadlier with a rather unflattering description of Ecuador centre-back Jackson Porozo
“I’d say they’d love a Fosters right now” – Stuey Byrne commenting on Australia fans during their clash against Tunisia, referencing the alcohol ban at matches in Qatar
“I draw the line at orgies” – Spain manager Luis Enrique allows his players to have some sex the night before a match
“There’s half-time analysis coming up with Seema and the team…good luck with that” – Clive Tyldesley doesn’t try to dress up the dreary first half between Japan and Costa Rica
“So far it’s been a Sunday morning snooze fest” – Peter Collins on the same topic
“It doesn’t help that you have a centre-forward with a trampoline foot” – Kenny Cunningham on Belgium’s Michy Batshuayi following the defeat to Morocco
“Putting Roberto Martinez in charge of this generation of Belgium players was like when Lenny took the power plant from Mr Burns” – Newstalk’s Ronan Mullen is not a fan of the then-Belgium boss
“Moroccan mayhem! Drink it in Casablanca, relish it Rabat. This is your night. Say it from atop the Atlas Mountains. All aboard the Marrakesh Express, a night Morocco will never forget” – Peter Drury’s prose at full-time of Morocco 2-0 Belgium
“He’s making a bit of a John Wayne film out of this” – Jon Kenny on Ghana’s Gideon Mensah going down with cramp v South Korea
“That’s your level, lads. Deal with it” – Richie Sadlier on England’s 2002 quarter-final exit
“There are lots of different words you could use to describe Pepe’s attributes, many of which you can’t say on air” – Sadlier is not a huge admirer of the veteran Portuguese centre-back
“Playing Kieffer Moore up front for Wales in a game like this is like asking my Gran to climb Mount Everest…and she’s dead” – Mark Goldbridge slates the towering Wales striker during their defeat to England
“I don’t know what they have in Mexico that’s the equivalent of Horlicks, but that’s what he’s made of that” – Guy Mowbray on a wayward Hirving Lozano cross during Mexico v Saudi Arabia
“Those 35 games that Argentina went unbeaten must have been in the Leinster Senior League” – Speaking during their group stage struggles, Pundit Arena’s Rudy Kinsella was initially unimpressed with the eventual champions
“The force is not with him so far today” – Stuey Byrne referencing the Star Wars fandom of USA defender Antonee Robinson as he struggled against Netherlands
“It gets on my nerves. It’s lovely, but it is annoying.” – Roy Keane on the colourful Senegal fans in Qatar
“SIGN JUDE BELLINGHAM, LIVERPOOL. For the love of God!” – This Is Anfield writer Henry Jackson during the first half of England v Senegal
“It’s like watching Strictly. I can’t believe what I’m watching. I don’t mind it the first time but the one after that and then getting the manager involved, I don’t like it.” – Roy Keane wasn’t having the litany of choreographed goal celebrations from Brazil during their 4-1 rout of South Korea
“Two bits of Dutch Gold…you probably can’t say that around here” – Darragh Maloney at full-time in Netherlands v Argentina after the Dutch netted two late goals to force extra time, with another reference to the tournament’s alcohol ban
“I’ve given up” – Jonathan Pearce has enough of referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after the late yellow card spree in Netherlands v Argentina
“Hopefully we don’t have that referee anymore, because he’s useless.” – Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gets off the fence with his thoughts on that particular official on that night
“He has legs” – Kevin Doyle highlights a particularly useful trait of Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos
“He’s a really humble kid, I’ve always liked him. In saying that, I met him a few months ago for breakfast and I had to pay for it!” – Roy Keane on Jordan Henderson, who he managed briefly at Sunderland
“If I made a save like that from a penalty against Brazil, I’d be out like Forrest Gump to celebrate” – Shay Given on Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic calmly saluting one of his penalty saves in the quarter-finals
“He looks like one of us. He’s got that nice red beard” – Liam Brady not at all stereotyping when discussing the Irish ancestry of Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister
“If they have a set piece coach, he’ll be hiding in the showers at half-time here” – Damien Duff on Croatia’s costly corners against Argentina
“Like Duffer says, he’ll be like Homer Simpson going back into the hedge” – Shay Given then weighs in on the same topic with a classic reference
“That first touch is more Phoenix Park…touch of a baby hippo” – Kenny Cunningham wasn’t overly dazzled by Richarlison’s overhead kick goal against Serbia
“He’s like a bull in a china shop trying to start a fight” – Cunningham on Leandro Paredes’ tackle against Netherlands, which instigated a mass brawl between the two teams and the respective substitutes and coaching staff
“Coppers in Croatia will be hopping tonight” – Alan Cawley after Zlatko Dalic’s side won the third place play-off
“My wife will be the first to tell you that I’m not a romantic” – Damien Duff on whether Messi would get the ‘fairytale’ World Cup triumph in previewing the final
“I’d say Ronaldo is watching the hurling now at this stage” – Irish Independent’s Conor McKeon after Messi’s penalty gave Argentina in the final, which clashed with Ballygunner v Ballyhale Shamrocks in the All-Ireland club hurling championship
“What’s French for hairdryer?” – Darragh Maloney suggests that Didier Deschamps was about to lay into his French team at half-time in the final
“Haven’t seen a Mac Allister with so much freedom at this time of year since Kevin’s family decided to spend Christmas in Paris” – Journalist Si Lloyd on the Argentina midfielder’s dominance in the final
“Bet all Mac Allister can think about is the massive League Cup tie against Charlton next week” – talkSPORT’s Tash Everitt suggests that the Brighton midfielder cannot wait for Carabao Cup duty
“It’s like we’ve always said: where Wout Weghorst leads, Kylian Mbappe follows” – The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke after Mbappe replicated the Dutch striker in scoring two late goals to wipe out a 2-0 lead for Argentina
“Great that Messi will win a World Cup but quite possibly the worst World Cup final ever. France astonishingly bad.” – Mark Goldbridge spouts some famous last words while Argentina were 2-0 up in the final. To be fair, nobody could have envisaged what would follow.
“Hope they’ve enough of that music on the tape” – Darragh Maloney on the lengthy player award presentations after the final and prior to the World Cup trophy lift
World Cup 2022 dislikes
- Gianni Infantino’s bizarre “Today, I feel…” speech on the eve of the tournament
- The drab opening match between Qatar and Ecuador
- The threat of sanctions to players who had planned to wear the OneLove armband
- The inexplicably large chunks of double-digit stoppage time
- The dreary 0-0s between Mexico-Poland, Denmark-Tunisia and Morocco-Croatia
- Antonio Rudiger’s farcically comical run during Germany’s defeat to Japan
- Canada being eliminated early despite their energetic performances
- Wales’ second half surrender against England
- Denmark’s flat performances, having promised so much coming into the tournament
- Romelu Lukaku’s costly disasterclass against Croatia
- The failure of officials to spot the ball going out of play in the build-up to Japan’s winning goal against Spain, which had major repercussions for Germany
- Mat Ryan’s blunder against Argentina
- The woeful penalty taking of Japan and Spain in the round of 16
- Brazil’s extended choreography for all of their goals against South Korea
- The refereeing performance of Antonio Mateu Lahoz in Netherlands v Argentina
- Moroccan players surrounding the referee at the end of the third place play-off
World Cup 2022 likes
- Watching Jude Bellingham take to the World Cup stage like a duck to water
- The 10am-9pm binge of four-game matchdays throughout the first week of the tournament
- The septet of Senegal fans who spelled out the country’s name on their chests in body paint and colourfully danced their way through all four of the Lions’ matches
- Salem Al-Dawsari’s winner against Argentina
- Roy Keane and Graeme Souness’ argument over a penalty decision during Argentina v Saudi Arabia
- Spain’s deadly tiki-taka reincarnation against Costa Rica
- The frantic finish to Portugal 3-2 Ghana and Osman Bukari imitating Ronaldo’s trademark celebration
- Richarlison’s overhead kick against Serbia
- Argentina’s second half display against Mexico
- Morocco deservedly beating Belgium
- The unexpected Monday double thriller of Cameroon 3-3 Serbia and South Korea 2-3 Ghana
- The insane drama of the final round of group matches, with Serbia-Switzerland the pick of the games
- Uruguay’s sublime second goal against Ghana
- Kylian Mbappe’s masterclass against Poland
- Brazil’s exquisite team goals against South Korea
- Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick after coming in for Cristiano Ronaldo against Switzerland
- Croatia’s resilience in the knockout rounds, particularly late on against Brazil
- The exquisitely-worked free kick from which Wout Weghorst struck Netherlands’ last-gasp equaliser against Argentina
- Julian Alvarez’s stunning solo goal against Croatia
- Lionel Messi’s tour de force in that game, especially his magical assist for Alvarez’s second goal
- Shay Given referencing the Homer Simpson retreating into hedge meme at half-time during Argentina v Croatia
- Every minute of that epic, monumental final between France and Argentina
- Lionel Messi finally getting to lift the World Cup and revelling in his status as the greatest
Man, Ball and All 