The final match of the 2022 Qatar Football World Cup was an exceptional event, after Argentina won the championship title for the third time in its history.
Tango’s team managed to take away their French counterpart’s previous title, after winning on penalties after an exciting match that extended into two additional halves, so Lionel Messi fulfilled his dream of carrying the cup and untied a knot that lasted for 36 years. .
After an exciting match defined as “the greatest” in the history of the World Cup final, communication sites were filled with hundreds of images and tweets that shed light on cultural, political and sporting aspects unknown to some.
This report looks at the major knocks and events that marked the closing game:
The game in the eyes of the great soccer stars
Senior football and sports stars interacted with the enthusiastic atmosphere of the Argentina-France match.
Former Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, nicknamed ‘The Phenomenon’, praised Messi and his teammates. He said in a lengthy post: “The ball offered by Messi erases any rivalry, even the historic rivalry between Brazil and Argentina. I have seen many Brazilians and people from all over the world cheering on Messi in this exciting final. This is a farewell worthy of this genius. Congratulations Messi.”
As for former England star Michael Owen, he tweeted: “Amazing game. This is the best final ever!”
In an Instagram post, Brazilian legend Pelé congratulated Argentina and France. He singled out Messi and Mbappe for his speech, saying: “As we are used to, today football continues to tell its story. Messi won the 2022 World Cup title for the first time, as he deserved.”
He continued, addressing his words to the French star: “My dear friend Kylian Mbappé scored four goals in the last match, which is a great gift for the fans who are looking to the future of our sport.”
Messi and Mbappe break records
The match, titled Messi and Mbappe, has prompted many to draw comparisons between them. This edition of the World Cup saw the creation of many records.
- Mbappé has scored 12 goals in just two World Cup appearances.
- The French star equalized the result of goals from Brazil’s brown jewel, Pele.
- Mbappe must score 4 goals to match the number of German Miroslav Klose, historic World Cup scorer with 16 goals.
In the final match against Argentina, Mbappé managed to score three “hat-tricks”, but did not allow the French team to win the title.
After that hat-trick, Mbappe leapt to fifth place on the all-time top goalscorers list, one goal ahead of Messi.
After scoring seven goals at the World Cup in Qatar, Messi took his tally in World Cup history to 13 goals. And the Argentine flea has become like this:
- Argentina’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup
- Only player to score in a World Cup as a teenager, 20s and 30s.
- Most created player in World Cup history, ahead of Maradona.
- More than ever he won the Man of the Match award at the World Cup, overtaking his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the light of these new data and records, the debate has been renewed on who deserves the title of best player in history: Messi, Maradona, Ronaldo or Pelé?
Some commentators believe that “Messi has resolved the issue after leading his country to win the two most important titles: the America’s Cup and the World Cup.”
Arab and some foreign observers have also called the Argentine star the “Football Sheik”, to underline his distinction.
While others refused to draw comparisons, stating that “the race for the title of the best player in history has not been definitively decided”.
The Sheikh of Football and the Symbolism of Wearing the Bisht
It seems that some have been inspired by the title “Sheikh of Football” from the moment Messi appeared to attend the coronation ceremony wearing it.
As everyone waited for the moment for the Argentine captain to receive the cup, a snapshot of him in the Qatari kit caught the eye and made headlines around the world.
And ahead of schedule, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, dressed the Argentine captain in the “Gulf Bisht”, so that this shot would become the most important image in the history of the World Cup and career player football.
The bisht is one of the oldest formal dresses in Qatar. It is a woolen cloak worn by men in large areas of the Gulf countries, Iraq and the Levant, as it is considered a symbol of luxury and dignity and a measure of social status.
The coup to put the bisht on Messi’s shoulders has sparked mixed reactions, and has renewed the political debate that has accompanied the tournament since the beginning.
While Arab singers have expressed their admiration for this snapshot, others have expressed their dissatisfaction.
Some have described the shot as Qatar’s “last clever and thoughtful touch in the World Cup”.
While others protested against the idea of putting bisht on a sports uniform. The Gulf robe covered part of Messi’s shirt, which angered many who accused Qatar of hijacking the historic coronation moment from the Argentina national team.
Some have even described Bisht as “a tool of the Qatari regime to divert attention from the human rights situation in its country”.
In the same context, some have written that “Messi’s use of bisht is the latest episode of the ‘sports wash’ policy adopted by Doha during the World Cup”.
On the other hand, other commentators believe that the criticism of the Gulf suit “revealed Western double standards towards Arabs”.
Some have pointed out that this commemorative photo “came as a closing ceremony for a World Cup that took place in an eastern land and represents a beautiful message of cultural coexistence between peoples”.
Some have cited an old photo from the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The image shows Pelé wearing the traditional Mexican hat, the sombrero, after Brazil won their third world title.
Exciting family snaps and celebrations
Following his coronation, the Argentine star appeared sharing his joy with his wife and children.
And the cameras monitored the joy of Messi’s mother as she ran towards her son to hug him after the victory. There were many comments that praised the role played by Mrs. Cuccittini in supporting her son Lionel.
The communication sites were also filled with video clips showing the streets of Argentina, which was transformed into a stormy sea of blue and white T-shirts.
And in the city of Rosario, the birthplace of Messi and some of Argentine football’s biggest stars, fans of competing local teams came together, pulled opponents aside and exchanged hugs in a scene that many have described how touching.
Dozens of comments spread across cyberspace reflect the Argentine people’s passion for the round witch and their thirst for victory at a time when their country is going through a serious economic crisis.
Joy and enthusiasm, then sadness… Macron inside 3 Situations
While Argentine President Alberto Fernandez preferred to watch the final match from his home, his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, wanted to watch it in Qatar. After the defeat of the “roosters”, Macron took to the field of the Lusail World Cup stadium, while trying to console Mbappé.
The photos released by tweeters documented the moments in which Macron appeared with different expressions that varied between joy, enthusiasm and sadness.
Macron’s presence at the World Cup finals has sparked a lot of criticism. Some have criticized his “insistence” on comforting his country’s players and “following” them to the locker room.
Some of them pointed out that Macron’s speech to the French national team after the match “looked like an election speech” and described his behavior as “an empty display of arrogance”.
The French presidency has already responded to criticism of Macron. “His presence is important to support the national team players,” said a presidential adviser. “The president is keeping a promise he made to himself,” he added.
Before the start of the World Cup, Macron announced that he would participate in the semi-finals or the final if the “roosters” qualified.
However, that statement did not mitigate criticisms that saw his presence in Qatar as a rebellion against European calls to boycott the World Cup in Qatar.
At the end of the match, the French president posted a thank you tweet His team said: “The Blues made us dream.”
