This year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been a controversial tournament and raised many concerns. Ironically, this World Cup has been one of the best tournaments in recent times. There have been sad moments and happy moments throughout the tournament and many records were created. Here are a few of the most intriguing accomplishments from the FIFA World Cup 2022, which featured many record-breaking plays on the field.
Messi finally gets his hands on the prestigious World Cup and sets an international legacy
Lionel Messi of Argentina set numerous records during his final FIFA World Cup, solidifying his place in the annals of all-time great international footballers.
The Argentine star, headed for glory, surpassed Gabriel Batistuta’s previous record of 10 goals for his nation by scoring against Croatia to record his 11th goal over five World Cups.
Messi’s crowning achievement came during Argentina’s victory over France, surpassing Lothar Matthaus of Germany’s previous mark of 25 games to become the World Cup player with the most appearances.
Following the triumph, Messi received the Golden Ball trophy, recognising him as the tournament’s top footballer. Messi became the first player to win the Golden Ball twice after previously taking home the award after Argentina’s defeat in the 2014 World Cup final. At 35 years old, he also set a record for the oldest player to win the Golden Ball.
Read More: Who won the Golden Ball award in the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Kylian Mbappe set a record even after a defeat in the FIFA world Cup 2022 final
With a hat trick to tie Geoff Hurst’s three goals from the 1966 World Cup final, French superstar Kylian Mbappe broke the record for the most goals scored in a World Cup final during France’s heartbreaking defeat to Argentina.
Hurst’s hat trick in 1966 helped England defeat West Germany 4-2; as a result, Mbappe now holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first player to lose a World Cup final after scoring a hat trick.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward won the Golden Boot award at the World Cup in Qatar with eight goals in seven games, which was a small consolation after France lost the championship match.
Read More: Who won the Golden Boot award in the FIFA World Cup 2022?
Cristiano Ronaldo sets his mark in FIFA World Cup 2022
Legendary Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo made history at the age of 37 by becoming the first male player to score in five different FIFA World Cups.
Ronaldo now has goals at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups thanks to his successful penalty attempt against Ghana.
With his 22nd appearance during Portugal’s quarter-final defeat by Morocco, the captain furthered his lead as the World Cup player with the most appearances for his country.
Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Real Madrid and trains at the club’s athletic center
Brazil’s Thiago Silva also shows his presence
Thiago Silva, the captain of Brazil, assisted at the age of 38 years, 74 days during the round of 16 of the World Cup.
The Chelsea center-back demonstrated that class never fades by contributing to Richarlison’s stunning goal against South Korea.
Morocco set a new African record
During their incredible run to the World Cup semi-finals, Morocco set a number of records.
The Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first country from Africa to advance to the World Cup semifinals after defeating Portugal in their quarterfinal encounter.
With a five-match winning streak, Morocco, which had been unbeaten prior to their semifinal loss to France, snatched the record for the longest unbeaten streak by an African nation at a World Cup.
Yassine Bounou of Morocco set an individual record as the first African goalkeeper to keep three clean sheets in a single World Cup.
Youssef En-Nesyri set a record of his own when he scored three goals to set the country’s record for World Cup goals after he eliminated Portugal with an emphatic leaping header.
Read More: “You made history”, Kylian Mbappe tells Hakimi after France crushes Morocco’s World Cup hopes
ARG vs NED – The most heated fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2022
The fiery quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands in Qatar has been dubbed the “Battle of the Lusail” in honour of the venue.
As a result of on-field altercations, bench chitchat, and Argentina’s Leandro Paredes booting the ball at the Dutch dugout, referee Mateu Lahoz issued a record-breaking 18 yellow cards during the heated match.
The 2006 World Cup’s “Battle of Nuremberg” between Portugal and the Netherlands held the previous record with 16 yellow cards issued.
Midfield dominance in this World Cup
Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic, an engine in midfield, broke the mark for the greatest distance travelled in a World Cup game.
The Inter Milan midfielder broke the previous record he had set against England in 2018 (16.4km) by running a tremendous 16.7 kilometres against Japan
Later in the competition, it seemed that Brozovic’s lung-busting efforts caught up with him because the important player had to leave the game against Argentina in Croatia’s semifinal due to injury.
With 204 accurate passes against Japan, Spain midfielder Rodri broke the previous record for the most passes completed by a single player in a World Cup game. However, he broke his own record by completing 206 passes against Morocco.
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