GOAL takes a look at some of the interesting records that were set in the 2022 World Cup.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup was a unique celebration of the beautiful game that saw the marquee tournament being held in the months of November and December for the first time in its history.
Moreover, it was a ‘compact’ World Cup which meant that all eight stadiums were based in and around Qatar’s capital city of Doha which allowed a fan to watch multiple games in a single day; once again a first in history.
If Qatar was rewriting history off-the-pitch then Lionel Messi was busy setting records on the pitch. The Argentine skipper was in stellar form throughout the competition to propel the Albicelester to their third global crown after a gap of 36 years.
GOAL takes a look at some of the exciting records that were either matched or set in the 2022 World Cup.
GettyLusail – The jewel in the crown
Lusail Stadium is a futuristic venue with state-of-the-art facilities. The stadium’s iconic design is inspired by the interplay between light and shadows which symbolises the famous Arabic lantern called Fanar.
It hosted a total of 10 matches during the World Cup, including the biggest of them all – the 2022 World Cup final. Right from the group stages to the title decider, this astounding sporting arena was in the thick of things. In fact, it was for the first time since the ninth FIFA World Cup in 1970, a single venue staged 10 matches.
Previously only three venues; Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario (Uruguay 1930), Santiago’s Estadio Nacional (Chile 1962) and Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca (Mexico 1970) had each staged ten matches during the first, seventh and ninth editions of the World Cup.
Most goals in a single World Cup edition!
When Messi and Kylian Mbappe are in full throttle you can expect a flurry of goals. The 2022 Qatar World Cup set a new record for the total number of goals scored in a single tournament with 172 goals for an average of 2.69 goals per match for its 64 fixtures.
It beat the previous tournament record of 171 goals that was set in 1998 (France) and 2014 (Brazil). Moreover, this goal-per-match average is also the highest for a 32-team tournament when FIFA expanded the World Cup in 1998.
Well, thanks to an enthralling finale that saw six goals shared between France and Argentina.
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GettyMessi – Hail the KING!
The 2022 World Cup final has been regarded by many as the greatest game in the competition’s history. Lionel Messi scored twice on a night that will be etched in his memory forever as it was that night when his place at the pinnacle of football history was sealed! Well, at least for now.
He won the Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament for his seven goals and three assists in seven matches and with that became the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final in a single edition of the tournament.
In his nineteen previous appearances at four FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006-2018), Messi had scored just six goals and none of them was scored at the knockout stages.
He has been directly involved in 21 goals at the World Cup for Argentina (13 goals, 8 assists), the outright most of any player for any nation at the finals on record (since 1966).
Moreover, with his assist against Mexico in the group stage, he is now both the youngest (18y 357 days against Serbia & Montenegro in 2006) and the oldest (35y 155 days vs Mexico today) player to both score and assist in a single World Cup game since 1966.
Germany, South Africa, Brazil, Russia and now Qatar, the little magician has assisted in five countries across four continents. Phew!
Lionel record-breaking Messi!
source: goal.com
