The 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December. Argentina won its third title after drawing 3–3 with France and winning the final penalty shootout 4–2. Croatia finished third and Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach a men's World Cup semifinal.
Argentina recovered from an opening defeat by Saudi Arabia, won its next two group matches and survived a tense quarterfinal shootout against the Netherlands. A 3–0 semifinal victory over Croatia led to a final shaped by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Messi scored twice, Mbappé completed a hat-trick and Emiliano Martínez made decisive interventions before Gonzalo Montiel converted the winning penalty.
Qatar 2022 produced one of the most dramatic World Cup finals and completed Messi's championship career with Argentina. Mbappé became only the second man to score a final hat-trick, Morocco changed expectations for African teams, and several group-stage favourites were eliminated by narrow margins. The compact geography and late-year schedule also made the tournament structurally different from every previous edition.
Argentina changed personnel and midfield relationships after losing to Saudi Arabia. Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez became central contributors, while Ángel Di María returned to influence the final.
Messi scored seven goals and received the Golden Ball. Martínez's penalty saves helped Argentina survive shootouts against the Netherlands and France.
Explore Argentina World Cup teams →France advanced despite several pre-tournament injuries and used Mbappé's speed, Olivier Giroud's central presence and Antoine Griezmann's deeper creative role.
Mbappé scored eight goals and a final hat-trick, but France lost the shootout after recovering from 2–0 and 3–2 deficits.
Explore France World Cup teams →Croatia again used midfield control and knockout resilience, eliminating Japan and Brazil on penalties. Dominik Livaković was decisive in both shootouts.
Argentina won the semifinal 3–0, but Croatia defeated Morocco 2–1 to finish third four years after reaching the final.
Morocco won a group containing Croatia and Belgium, then eliminated Spain on penalties and defeated Portugal in the quarterfinal.
A compact defensive structure, strong support and fast wide attacks carried the team to fourth place, the best finish by an African or Arab nation.
The Netherlands won its group and defeated the United States in the round of 16. Two late Wout Weghorst goals forced extra time against Argentina.
Argentina won the penalty shootout after a tense 2–2 draw, ending the Netherlands' unbeaten campaign.
Japan came from behind to defeat both Germany and Spain and won a difficult group. The team repeatedly changed momentum through substitutes and fast transitions.
Croatia ended Japan's first quarterfinal attempt in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 round-of-16 draw.
Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina, Japan beat Germany and Spain, and Morocco won a group containing Croatia and Belgium. Germany and Belgium were eliminated.
Morocco eliminated Spain on penalties, Croatia advanced against Japan in a shootout and the remaining group winners largely progressed.
Argentina and Croatia advanced on penalties, Morocco defeated Portugal and France edged England 2–1.
Argentina defeated Croatia 3–0 and France beat Morocco 2–0. The final ended 3–3 before Argentina won the shootout 4–2.
Messi scored seven goals, assisted three and became the first player to score in the group stage and every knockout round of one World Cup.
Mbappé won the Golden Boot with eight goals and became the second man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Martínez made decisive shootout saves and stopped Randal Kolo Muani late in extra time of the final before receiving the Golden Glove.
Griezmann operated as a creative midfielder, pressing reference and set-piece provider during France's run to the final.
Amrabat protected the defence, covered wide transitions and helped Morocco control space against several possession-heavy opponents.
Livaković made crucial saves in shootouts against Japan and Brazil and helped Croatia claim a second consecutive World Cup medal.
The tournament had 24 participants. The current 7a0 data set contains 24 selected squads, each with real player names, shirt numbers, positions, ratings and legend markers.
The list above describes current game coverage, not the complete tournament field shown in the group section.
The edition remains part of World Cup history for several connected reasons:
Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout after the final ended 3–3 following extra time.
Kylian Mbappé scored eight goals and won the Golden Boot.
Messi scored seven goals and received the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach a men's World Cup semifinal.
The current synchronized game data contains twenty-four selected squads from the tournament.
Editorial review: 7a0.online
Last reviewed: 2026-07-25
Tournament facts are checked against the cited records. Game ratings, position eligibility and tactical descriptions remain independent 7a0 editorial values.
Compare Argentina's champions with France, Croatia, Morocco and the tournament's other available squads.
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