ANKARA
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which presented to fans many memorable moments, ended with Messi-led Argentina's victory on Sunday.
Football fans experienced several unforgettable moments while new records were broken in 2022 Qatar.
Lionel Messi ends Argentina's World Cup drought
On Sunday, Lionel Messi netted twice and Argentina clinched their third FIFA World Cup title by beating France 4-2 on penalties after 120 minutes ended with a 3-3 draw.
Messi finally got out of Diego Armando Maradona's shadow and lifted the only trophy that was missing from his cabinet. For many people, the G.O.A.T debate has ended. The scene when Messi was carried around the stadium while his fans chanted his name will be remembered as one of the most iconic World Cup moments.
Argentina have bagged its first World Cup title since 1986 after losing two World Cup finals to Germany.
The White and Sky Blues lost the 1990 final 0-1 to then-West Germany, then, in 2014, they lost with the same score once more, with Mario Gotze's goal in the 113th minute, Messi and his teammates were disappointed once more.
Messi, who played the fifth FIFA World Cup of his career, was the leader and biggest star of Argentina's 2022 World Cup squad.
The 35-year-old superstar managed to bag every major football trophy, at both club and international levels, including; the FIFA World Cup (2022), Copa America (2021), Olympic gold medal (2009), CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions (2022), FIFA Club World Cup (2009, 2011, 2015), UEFA Champions League (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) and UEFA Super Cup (2010, 2012, 2016).
Seven-times-Ballon D'Or-winner left his mark in 2022 Qatar in several ways.
He became the player with the most appearances in World Cup history with 26 games, breaking German Lothar Matthaus's record of 25 games.
Messi also became the first player to score a goal in every stage of a World Cup, in the group and knockout stages.
Messi became Argentina's top World Cup scorer after netting 13 goals in five World Cups.
After his 172 caps, Messi stated his intentions to keep on playing for the national team.
Mbappe, Neymar fail to carry their team to trophy
France's biggest star Kylian Mbappe lost the final game to Argentina on penalties, despite him scoring a hat-trick in the game.
Mbappe became the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals but couldn't manage to help France to bag their second consecutive World Cup.
Brazil, regarded as one of the contenders for the 2022 World Cup, threw in the towel in the quarterfinal match against Croatia.
Neymar, the team star, with all eyes on Brazil, reflected the sadness he experienced on the field after the match.
He couldn't get up from his seat and failed to control his tears. Efforts to calm the Brazilian player also did not work, and he returned to the dressing room crying.
Morocco's historic berth, Ronaldo's tears
Morocco, which unexpectedly won Group F after they shocked 2018 bronze medalists Belgium 2-0, beat Canada 2-1 and had a goalless draw with Croatia, took on Spain on Dec. 6 to shock former World champions with a 3-0 victory on penalties.
Achraf Hakimi kissed his mother in the stands to celebrate their win over Spain, marking one of the most touching moments of the tournament. Morocco fans' celebration in the streets of the Western capitals also made headlines during the tournament.
In the next round, Portugal was the heavy favorite ahead of the quarterfinal match between them and Morocco, which was held on Dec. 10.
But to everyone's surprise, Morocco managed to grab a historic 1-0 victory against Portugal to become the first African and Arab team to make its mark in the semifinals.
Moroccan players prostrated in gratitude after their victory at Al Thumama Stadium. Photos and footage of the moment were shared millions of times on social media.
On Portugal's side, Cristiano Ronaldo was among the substitutes in the match, as in Switzerland, and was able to enter the game in the second half against Morocco.
The 37-year-old, the only player to score in five World Cups, experienced the great sadness of being eliminated from his last World Cup and was unable to hold back his tears as he walked through the dressing room corridor.
Morocco's dream run was ended by France in the semifinal round, which ended 2-0 in the Frenchmen's favor.
"The Rocky of this World Cup," as Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui described them, couldn't end their dream run with the big title, but Morocco left an indelible mark on football fans with their admirable effort and heartfelt celebrations in 2022 Qatar.
Fans witness excellent matches in Qatar
Japan's 2-1 comeback win against Germany was exceptional. However, Saudi Arabia's 2-1 comeback victory was fantastic for the fans.
Fans enjoyed the thrilling game between Serbia and Ghana, ending in a 3-3 draw while Ghana overturned a two-goal deficit.
With Argentina 2-0 up with 20 minutes remaining, no one could give Holland a fighting chance. But substitute Wout Weghorst scored twice, sending the game into extra time. Emiliano Martinez was a hero of the penalties by saving the first two penalties.
Coming from two-goal behind, Lionel Messi's brace and Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick made Argentina and France clash in Lusail the best World Cup final ever.
Disappointments: Germany, Belgium Denmark, Wales, Spain, Uruguay
Germany was knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage and Denmark, Wales, and Uruguay's forms were disappointing.
After starting to start the World Cup with a 7-0 win over Costa Rica, people expected more from Spain, but it was eliminated by Morocco on the penalties in the Round of 16.
Belgium's early exit in the group stage also surprised the football world.
Important statistics of 2022 FIFA World Cup
French star Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina, became the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals.
Bruno Fernandes of Portugal, Antoine Griezmann of France, Harry Kane of England, Lionel Messi of Argentina and Ivan Perisic of Croatia shared the record for most assists in 2022 Qatar, all with three assists each.
France National Football Team's becoming the top-scoring nation in the tournament with 16 goals showed their ingenuity in attacking.
Costa Rica conceded 11 goals to become the most conceding team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Spain's 7-0 Group E victory against Costa Rica marked the biggest win in the organization.
2022 Qatar's highest goal-scored match played between England and Iran in Group B, which ended 6-2.
Canadian fullback Alphonso Davies netted the fastest goal of the tournament in 68 seconds against Croatia in Group F.
Youssoufa Moukoko of Germany became the youngest player to put a World Cup match jersey on at 18 years and three days old.
Besiktas' veteran Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson was the oldest player in 2022 Qatar, at 39 years, 298 days of age.
In 2022 Qatar, with a total of 172 goals scored, became the most goals scored World Cup in history.
While approximately 3,4 million people watched the World Cup matches in the stadiums, there were an average of 53,000 spectators per match.
