The 2022 World Cup was filled with fantastic moments from the group stage to the Final. There were a few standouts you can look at that can be considered the biggest takeaways from the World Cup.
As you watched the World Cup, it showcased the peak moments of the football world. It helped the sport become more prominent across different countries that did not appreciate football much. Take a look at the standouts from this 2022 World Cup event.
Lionel Messi carried Argentina to the World Cup victory
Argentina came away with their second World Cup trophy after this event. It was largely due to the efforts of their superstar captain, Lionel Messi. The diminutive star proved that he was still the best player in the world by becoming the offensive hub that Argentina needed. They are now the defending champions ahead of the World Cup Football 2026 in North America.
He made the right passes and scored goals as he had seven in the event. In every Argentina match, he always impacted the best result possible with the only exception being the game against Saudi Arabia.
Messi also vanquished the criticism of him not winning the World Cup in his career. With this World Cup win, Messi has essentially completed football. He has won everything any player can win league titles, Ballon d’Or awards, and the World Cup trophy.
Argentina had one of the most epic tournament runs of all time and that paid off well for them given that they worked hard to reach this. The rest of the Argentina squad proved they can carry their weight but Messi was the biggest star.
Morocco’s Cinderella run
The biggest surprise of the World Cup was Morocco making a run to the semi-finals. This was surprising because Morocco was not tapped as a favourite to advance to the round of 16. Despite the odds against them, Morocco became the first African country to exceed the quarter-finals and become part of the top four.
It was a revolutionary run from Morocco as players like Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, and Azzedine Ounahi showcased the team’s superb offence as they kept attacking from all over the pitch. They did not let up with their aggression and that helped with their constant success against the other top teams.
They ended the World Cup in fourth place but it was one of the best stories to come out of the event. Since Qatar was close to Morocco, its fans flew over to enjoy football and support their football team.
Qatar’s smooth handling of the World Cup
Qatar held a superb World Cup. They had top-tier stadiums close to each other which meant people could watch multiple matches a day. This was one of the most exciting World Cups ever because the teams only focused on the event.
They and the fans had a good experience with the trams and the matches themselves were phenomenal. This was arguably the best World Cup due to the nail-biting matches.
The storylines were also popping up like Argentina’s desperate quest to help Messi reach the mountaintop, Morocco’s Cinderella run or even France’s focus on defending their title.
Preview for the 2026 World Cup in North America
The three major countries in North America are the hosts of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico, Canada, and the United States will have stadiums that host all the matches with the final game being played in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
It will be tough to keep track of compared to Qatar but the signature bombastic presentation from North American sports is there. People should know that the World Cup will continue to have awesome matches while also having new stars reach the pinnacle of their careers.
In terms of favourites, it is tough to put Argentina as the favourites again, especially with Messi’s age reaching his late 30s by then. France is one of the biggest favourites as they were recent finalists and their squad led by Kylian Mbappé has tons of young superstars.
The World Cup Football 2026 in North America is set to be one of the best in history. The presentation will be amazing and the football will be the same.
