2022 FIFA World Cup
Qatar • November 20 - December 18, 2022
🇦🇷
Champion
32
Teams
64
Matches
172
Goals
2.69
Goals/Match
3,404,252
Attendance
Overview
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the twenty-second edition held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022. This was the first World Cup held in the Middle East and Arab world, the second in Asia after 2002, and the first held in November-December instead of the traditional June-July period due to Qatar's extreme summer heat. The tournament featured 32 teams playing 64 matches across 8 stadiums in 5 cities, making it the most compact World Cup since 1930.
Argentina won their third World Cup title, defeating France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw following extra time at Lusail Stadium. Lionel Messi scored twice in the final, while Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player to score three goals in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966. This was Argentina's first World Cup title since 1986 and completed Messi's collection of major trophies. The final is widely considered one of the greatest World Cup finals ever played.
Morocco made history by becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals, defeating Belgium, Spain, and Portugal before losing to France. Lionel Messi won his second Golden Ball (also 2014), becoming the first player to win it twice. Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot with 8 goals, the most since Ronaldo in 2002. The tournament set a record with 172 goals scored in the 32-team format. Emiliano Martínez won the Golden Glove, and Enzo Fernández won the Best Young Player award. This was the last World Cup with 32 teams, as the tournament expands to 48 teams in 2026. Host nation Qatar became the first host to be eliminated after just two games.
Final Standings
Top 8 teams with detailed statistics
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
🥇1 | 🇦🇷 Argentina Champion | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 14 |
🥈2 | 🇫🇷 France Runner-up | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 16 |
🥉3 | 🇭🇷 Croatia Third | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 |
4 | 🇲🇦 Morocco Fourth | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 11 |
5 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 8 |
6 | 🏴 England | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 10 |
7 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 10 |
8 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 9 |
Legend: Pld = Played, W = Won, D = Drawn, L = Lost, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Difference, Pts = Points
Note: Last World Cup with 32 teams. Showing top 8 finalists.
Golden Boot
Kylian Mbappé
France
Lionel Messi
Argentina
Olivier Giroud
France
Julián Álvarez
Argentina
Gonçalo Ramos
Portugal
Bukayo Saka
England
Cody Gakpo
Netherlands
Álvaro Morata
Spain
Marcus Rashford
England
Richarlison
Brazil
Semi-finals & Final
Argentina's third World Cup title
Knockout Stage
Semi-finals
Third Place
Final
Stadiums
Al Bayt Stadium
Khalifa International Stadium
Al Thumama Stadium
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium
Education City Stadium
Key Moments
- Argentina won their third World Cup title
- Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties (3-3 AET)
- First World Cup in Middle East and Arab world
- First World Cup in November-December
- Last World Cup with 32 teams (48 from 2026)
- Lionel Messi: 7 goals, Golden Ball (2nd time)
- Kylian Mbappé: 8 goals (Golden Boot), hat-trick in final
- Emiliano Martínez: Golden Glove
- Enzo Fernández: Best Young Player
- Morocco: First African/Arab team in semi-finals
Historic Moments
- Argentina: Third World Cup title
- First World Cup in Middle East
- 172 goals (32-team record)
- Morocco: First African semi-finalist
- Mbappé: Hat-trick in final (first since 1966)
- Messi: Second Golden Ball
- Most compact tournament since 1930
- Last 32-team World Cup