On 18th December 2022, Argentina won the 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022 defeating France 4-2 on the penalties in the finals held at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
- This marks Argentina’s first world cup title since 1986 and 3rd overall title.
- The 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022 was held from November 20, 2022 – December 18, 2022 in Qatar.
About FIFA World Cup 2022:
It was the first World Cup held in the Middle Eastern country and the second held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan.
This was also the first World Cup in the northern hemisphere that was not held during summer.
- The Qatar 2022 World Cup also introduced new rules and new technology including the ‘Semi-automated offside technology’ to detect whether the ball has crossed the goal line.
- Held quadrennially, it saw the participation of 32 nations.
Organizers:
It was organized by the International Association Football Federation (Federation Internationale de Football Association – FIFA).
- It was also the most expensive World Cup. It costs reportedly around USD 220 billion, the biggest amount splurged by any of the organizers for the FIFA World Cup.
Prize Money:
USD 440 million, USD 40 million greater than the prize pool of the previous tournament.
The Winners:
i.Argentina grabbed the top spot. It was its 3rd title.
ii.The runner-up was France while the 3rd and 4th place was secured by Croatia, and Morocco respectively.
iii.French player Kylian Mbappe became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final and won the Golden Boot as he scored the most goals (eight) during the tournament.
iv.Argentina’s Captain, and Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was named as tournament’s best player, winning the Golden Ball.
- Lionel Messi has became the first man in history to win the adidas Golden Ball twice at the FIFA World Cup.
v.Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove, awarded to the tournament’s best goalkeeper.
Venues
It was hosted at the following 8 stadiums:
| Stadium | City |
|---|---|
| Lusail Stadium | Lusail |
| Al Bayt Stadium | Al Khor |
| Khalifa International Stadium | Al Khor |
| Ahmed bin Ali Stadium | Al Rayyan |
| Education City Stadium | Al Rayyan |
| Al Thumama Stadium | Doha |
| Stadium 974 | Doha |
| Al Janoub Stadium | Al Wakrah |
Emblem FIFA 2022:
It was designed by Lisbon-based Brandia Central branding agency.
i.Its design resembles the traditional wollen shawl that men and women wear across the Arab region, especially during the winter months. The shawl’s popularity is used as a symbol of a unifying force.
ii.It is shaped in a figure-eight, which represents the number of stadiums that are being built to host the event.
Slogan FIFA 2022:
Now is All
Mascot FIFA 2022:
La’eeb was the Official Mascot of FIFA 2022 that encourages everyone to believe in themselves as ‘Now is All’.
La’eeb is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player.
Match Ball FIFA 2022:
The official match ball was ‘Al Rihla‘ which means ‘The journey’ in Arabic. It was designed with sustainability by Adidas as a priority, making it the first ever official match ball created with water-based glues and inks.
Winners of FIFA World Cup 2022 Awards:
| Category | Winner | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Ball | Lionel Messi | Argentina |
| Silver Ball | Kylian Mbappé | France |
| Bronze Ball | Luka Modrić | Croatia |
| Golden Boot | Kylian Mbappé(8 Goals) | France |
| Silver Boot | Lionel Messi(7 Goals) | Argentina |
| Bronze Boot | Olivier Giroud | France |
| Golden Glove | Emiliano Martínez | Argentina |
| FIFA Young Player Award | Enzo Fernández | Argentina |
| FIFA Fair Play Trophy | England | – |
Key Points:
i.Morocco became the first African country to reach the World Cup semifinals by beating Portugal 1-0.
ii.Lionel Messi became the first player to score a goal in all knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. He also became the highest goal scorer of Argentina.
iii.Spain’s Sergio Busquets announces his retires from international football at the age of 34.
iv.Belgium captain Eden Hazard announced his retirement from international football at the age of 31.
v.Cameroon made history by becoming the first African country to beat Brazil at the World Cup.
vi.Vinay Menon, an Indian was the Wellness Coach of the Belgian National Team during the World Cup. He was responsible for various aspects like the physical and mental wellbeing of the team’s players during the FIFA World Cup.
- He previously worked with Chelsea Football Club, one of the top clubs in England.
Deepika Padukone unveils the FIFA World Cup trophy
The FIFA World Cup Trophy 2022 i.e. the ‘Jules Rimet Trophy’ arrived at the Lusail Stadium in a Louis Vuitton case and was unveiled by the Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone, the brand ambassador of Louis Vuitton, along with former Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
With this, she became the first Indian, and the first global actor to unveil the trophy.
- Notably in May 2022, she became the first Indian to represent India as a jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
- She is also the first Indian brand ambassador of Louis Vuitton, the French high-end luxury brand.
Note: Louis Vuitton has specially designed trunks for the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
FIFA World Cup 2026:
The next FIFA World Cup will be held in 2026. It will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and to be held across three countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States (US).
About Qatar:
Capital- Doha
Currency– Qatari Riyal
