Fairy Tale Ending For Highest-scoring Historic World Cup

Curtains are down for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after setting new standards on and off the field, and a few historic landmarks.

The first to be hosted in the Middle East, the first to be played in November and December, and the first of its size to be held in such a small geographical area, Qatar 2022 offered one of the best editions of the greatest football gala on earth.

Having scored a total of 172 goals, including Sunday’s dramatic six-goal thriller, this was the highest-scoring World Cup in history.

In a country with a population of less than 2.9 million and its stadiums within a 35-mile radius, questions naturally arose about how Qatar and its infrastructure would cope with a mass influx of fans from 32 participating countries and other parts of the world.

But as the tournament unfolded, those doubts were swept away by a tidal wave of fantastic football, flawless organisation and disciplined atmospheres on the streets and in the stadiums.

Former German legendary footballer Jurgen Klinsmann this week described it as “a World Cup organised to perfection”, while FIFA President Gianni Infantino declared Qatar 2022 to be “the best ever”.

Lionel Messi was the star of the tournament leading Argentina to the summit of world football defeating defending champions France in a penalty shooot out after both teamd tied 3-3 at the end of regular time and extra time in a scintillatibng final.

Messi, who declared that this will be his last World Cup, won the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament.

Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine goalkeeper who stood like a wall between life and death, won the Golden Glove.

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez was adjudged the Best Young Player.

It was a dream run for La Albiceleste who never looked back after suffering the opening-match defeat to Saudi Arabia in the first round.

Morocco, which became the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals; the Croatians, who defeated tournament favourites Brazil in the quarter finals and eventually finished third; Japan, which stunned former champions and world football giants Germany and Spain, were the other stand-out teams in this world cup.

Super star Kilian Embeppe’s hat-trick was not enough to prevent the Latin Americans from snatching the Cup away from them, but a total of eight goals in the tournament won him the Golden Boot for the top scorer.

He is the first player to score a hat-trick in a world cup final since Geoff Hurst did so in 1966.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was present in the Lusail stadium to watch his team’s performance, came down to the ground to console the crestfallen 24-year-old player.

Source: Read Full Article