Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But the road to that trophy was one of the most dramatic in football history. Qatar hosted the 22nd FIFA World Cup from 20 November to 18 December 2022. It was the first World Cup ever held in the Arab world and only the second in Asia. France came in as defending champions. They left as runners-up beaten on penalties in one of the greatest finals ever played.
Why Qatar 2022 Was Different From Every Other World Cup
A few things made this tournament stand out before a single ball was kicked. First the timing. Qatar's summer heat is brutal sometimes above 40°C so FIFA moved the tournament to November and December. That was the first time in history a World Cup was played outside the traditional June-July window. It disrupted every domestic league calendar around the world.
Second the size. This was the last World Cup with 32 teams. From 2026 the tournament expands to 48 nations. So Qatar 2022 is the end of an era. Third the controversy. Qatar right to host the tournament was questioned from the start. FIFA conducted an investigation and said Qatar earned hosting rights fairly but that investigation was itself criticised by Michael J. Garcia who led it. Questions about the treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums also followed the tournament throughout. Despite all of that the football delivered.
The Stadiums and Host Cities
Qatar built eight stadiums for the tournament. Most were in or near Doha which made travel between venues quick and easy. Here's a look at the main venues:
| Stadium | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Lusail Iconic Stadium | Lusail | 80,000 |
| Al Bayt Stadium | Al Khor | 60,000 |
| Stadium 974 | Doha | 40,000 |
| Al Thumama Stadium | Doha | 40,000 |
| Education City Stadium | Al Rayyan | 45,350 |
| Ahmad bin Ali Stadium | Al Rayyan | 44,740 |
| Khalifa International Stadium | Al Rayyan | 40,000 |
| Al Janoub Stadium | Al Wakrah | 40,000 |
The 32 Teams and How They Qualified
Qatar qualified automatically as hosts. The remaining 31 spots were split across FIFA six confederations:
- UEFA (Europe): 13 spots
- CAF (Africa): 5 spots
- AFC (Asia): 4 or 5 spots
- CONMEBOL (South America): 4 or 5 spots
- CONCACAF (North/Central America and Caribbean): 3 or 4 spots
- OFC (Oceania): 0 or 1 s
Here are all 32 qualified teams and how they got there:
| Team | How They Qualified |
|---|---|
| Qatar | Host nation |
| Brazil | CONMEBOL winners |
| France | UEFA Group D winners |
| Argentina | CONMEBOL runners-up |
| England | UEFA Group I winners |
| Spain | UEFA Group B winners |
| Portugal | UEFA Second Round winners |
| Belgium | UEFA Group E winners |
| Netherlands | UEFA Group G winners |
| Germany | UEFA Group J winners |
| Denmark | UEFA Group F winners |
| Croatia | UEFA Group H winners |
| Switzerland | UEFA Group C winners |
| Serbia | UEFA Group A winners |
| Poland | UEFA Second Round winners |
| Wales | UEFA Second Round winners |
| United States | CONCACAF Third Round third place |
| Mexico | CONCACAF Third Round runners-up |
| Canada | CONCACAF Third Round winners |
| Uruguay | CONMEBOL third place |
| Ecuador | CONMEBOL fourth place |
| Iran | AFC Third Round Group A winners |
| Saudi Arabia | AFC Third Round Group B winners |
| Japan | AFC Third Round Group B runners-up |
| South Korea | AFC Third Round Group A runners-up |
| Australia | AFC v CONMEBOL play-off winners |
| Costa Rica | CONCACAF v OFC play-off winners |
| Morocco | CAF Third Round winners |
| Senegal | CAF Third Round winners |
| Ghana | CAF Third Round winners |
| Tunisia | CAF Third Round winners |
| Cameroon | CAF Third Round winners |
Group Stage Results
The 32 teams were split into eight groups of four. Top two from each group advanced to the Round of 16.
Group A
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 |
| Senegal | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| Ecuador | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 |
| Qatar (H) | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
Results:
- Qatar 0-2 Ecuador
- Senegal 0-2 Netherlands
- Qatar 1-3 Senegal
- Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador
- Ecuador 1-2 Senegal
- Netherlands 2-0 Qatar
Group B
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 9 | 2 | +7 | 7 |
| United States | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
| Iran | 4 | 7 | -3 | 3 |
| Wales | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
Results:
- England 6-2 Iran
- United States 1-1 Wales
- Wales 0-2 Iran
- England 0-0 United States
- Wales 0-3 England
- Iran 0-1 United States
Group C
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 |
| Poland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Mexico | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
Results:
- Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
- Mexico 0-0 Poland
- Poland 2-0 Saudi Arabia
- Argentina 2-0 Mexico
- Poland 0-2 Argentina
- Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico
Group D
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| Australia | 3 | 4 | -1 | 6 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Denmark | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
Results:
- Denmark 0-0 Tunisia
- France 4-1 Australia
- Tunisia 0-1 Australia
- France 2-1 Denmark
- Australia 1-0 Denmark
- Tunisia 1-0 France
Group E
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
| Spain | 9 | 3 | +6 | 4 |
| Germany | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 11 | -8 | 3 |
Results:
- Germany 1-2 Japan
- Spain 7-0 Costa Rica
- Japan 0-1 Costa Rica
- Spain 1-1 Germany
- Japan 2-1 Spain
- Costa Rica 2-4 Germany
Group F
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| Croatia | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 |
| Belgium | 1 | 2 | -1 | 4 |
| Canada | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
Results:
- Morocco 0-0 Croatia
- Belgium 1-0 Canada
- Belgium 0-2 Morocco
- Croatia 4-1 Canada
- Croatia 0-0 Belgium
- Canada 1-2 Morocco
Group G
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| Switzerland | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
| Cameroon | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Serbia | 5 | 8 | -3 | 1 |
Results:
- Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon
- Brazil 2-0 Serbia
- Cameroon 3-3 Serbia
- Brazil 1-0 Switzerland
- Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
- Cameroon 1-0 Brazil
Group H
| Team | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| South Korea | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Ghana | 5 | 7 | -2 | 3 |
Results:
- Uruguay 0-0 South Korea
- Portugal 3-2 Ghana
- South Korea 2-3 Ghana
- Portugal 2-0 Uruguay
- Ghana 0-2 Uruguay
- South Korea 2-1 Portugal
Knockout Stage Results
Round of 16
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Netherlands vs United States | 3-1 |
| Argentina vs Australia | 2-1 |
| France vs Poland | 3-1 |
| England vs Senegal | 3-0 |
| Japan vs Croatia | 1-1 (Croatia won 3-1 on pens) |
| Brazil vs South Korea | 4-1 |
| Morocco vs Spain | 0-0 (Morocco won 3-0 on pens) |
| Portugal vs Switzerland | 6-1 |
Quarter-finals
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Croatia vs Brazil | 1-1 (Croatia won 4-2 on pens) |
| Netherlands vs Argentina | 2-2 (Argentina won 4-3 on pens) |
| Morocco vs Portugal | 1-0 |
| England vs France | 1-2 |
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Argentina vs Croatia | 3-0 |
| France vs Morocco | 2-0 |
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Croatia vs Morocco | 2-1 |
The Final
Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina won 4-2 on penalties)
| Goals | Argentina | Goals | France |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23' (pen.) | Messi | 80' (pen.) | Mbappé |
| 36' | Di María | 81' | Mbappé |
| 108' | Messi | 118' (pen.) | Mbappé |
France were losing 2-0 with ten minutes left. Then Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to make it 2-2. In extra time Messi put Argentina back in front. Mbappe scored again from the spot to make it 3-3. Then penalties. Argentina held their nerve. Messi finally had his World Cup. Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final and still ended up on the losing side. That tells you everything about how good this game was.
