FIFA World Cup 2022: The grand finale!

What a great way to end the New Year – to watch Argentina and France battle it out in the finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at Lusail Stadium on December 18. Thirty-two teams came to Qatar this November. All fighting for the same glory and every heart beating the same story: To become a world champion.

Over the course of this month-long football saga, we saw many legends crumble and also newer ones arise. Many teams have surprised us to the hilt while many left us in tears. 

There were ups and downs, twists and turns, and some major upsets and some surprise winners. No one expected Morocco to reach the semis; no one expected Brazil to crash out in the quarter-finals.

 While Cristiano Ronaldo became the man for all seasons after scoring in his fifth successive World Cup, his later-stage substitution was a moment CR7 would never have predicted himself. 

Spain came in with a rich promise of youth and talent, but penalties got the better of them. Speaking of which, Harry Kane, who won the golden boot in the previous World Cup scoring six goals, three of which came through penalties, missed the decisive spot kick against France. 

The World Cup also saw emerging teams like South Korea and Senegal live up to the big-stage promise.  Everyone remembers Hwang- Hee-chan’s stunning extra-time winner against Portugal, followed by huge South-Korean jubilation.  

But it is not only the strikers who stole the limelight. It was also the goalkeepers and defenders who left their impact on the big stage. Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, and Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic have all proved their mettle by making decisive penalty saves during the tournament. 

When it comes to defense, the masked Croatian crusaderJosko Gvardiol, France’s Raphael Varane,  Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez, and Brazil’s captain Thiago Silva have all been rock solid, the latter leading his nation at 38 years of age, with the fitness of a 27-year-old. 

So many stories to write about! So many iconic moments, of sportsmanship, inspiration, and teamwork. The 2022 Qatar Winter World Cup has surely warmed billions of hearts.

Two teams now remain fighting for the main prize. Will it be the final salvation for Messi as Argentina is crowned World Champions after a long-elusive struggle of 36 years or will France’s Kylian Mbappe manage to retain the World Cup for the second consecutive time, a rare feat only matched by Brazil — in 1958 and 1962.

Both Argentina and France have been head-to-head 12 times. Argentina has won six games, followed by three French wins and three draws. While ‘La Albiceleste’ (Argentina national team) can boast of a superior record, they cannot deny that ‘Les Blues’ (France national team) came from behind to beat them in a seven-goal thriller in the last World Cup. 

Who will be the final victor at the Lusail stadium? Will it be the ‘golden generation’ of France decked with stars like Antione Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe who pose a serious threat to any team or Argentina who is not only relying on Messi’s magic. Their younger players are on a guns blazing form, keeping in view Julian Alvarez’s brace against Croatia and Enzo Fernandez’s goal against Mexico. Both teams also find a backbone in keepers Huge Lloris and Emilaino Martinez. 

Tune in today — Sunday at 8:30 pm (IST) to see who lifts the cup!