2022 FIFA World Cup

• 1. Host Selection And Bidding Process

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  In December 2010, the FIFA Executive Committee gathered in Zürich to vote for the host of the 2022 World Cup. The decision awarded Qatar hosting rights despite a high operational risk rating and intense competition from Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Two committee members were suspended before the vote due to corruption allegations regarding their votes. Media commentators criticized the choice as part of broader FIFA corruption scandals that later led to the 2015 FIFA corruption case. Investigations revealed that Qatar hired Kevin Chalker, a former CIA officer turned private contractor, to spy on rival bid teams and key football officials who picked the winner. In September 2023, court documents showed a transfer of $300 million sent to people who voted on the 2022 World Cup host. Phaedra Almajid, a former media officer for Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid, alleged that three African football officials were offered bribes to support Qatar's bid during a meeting in January 2010. She claimed Hassan Al Thawadi, who led Qatar's bid, offered €2.3 million each to Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast, and Amos Adamu of Nigeria. Al Thawadi denied these allegations, calling them false.

• 2. Infrastructure And Stadium Construction

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  Qatar built or renovated eight stadiums across five cities between 2010 and 2022. The first piles were driven into the ground at Al Bayt Stadium in 2014, while Lusail Stadium construction started on the 11th of April 2017 and was completed on the 21st of November 2021. All stadiums featured cooling systems designed to reduce temperatures within the stadium by up to 8 degrees Celsius. Six of the eight venues were located in the Doha metropolitan area, making it the first World Cup since 1930 where most stadiums were in one city. Stadium 974 was planned as a temporary venue but sat abandoned as of November 2024 despite being dismantled after the tournament. The Khalifa International Stadium was heavily renovated and commissioned in May 2017, while Education City Stadium was completed on the 15th of June 2020. Al Janoub Stadium officially opened on the 16th of May 2019, and Al Thumama Stadium finished construction on the 21st of October 2021. Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy expected all eight stadiums to be ready by 2022, with seven new builds and one renovation.

• 3. Human Rights And Labor Controversies

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  Amnesty International referred to forced labor and poor working conditions affecting migrant workers involved in preparing infrastructure for the event. The Guardian estimated that up to 4,000 workers could die from lax safety and other causes by the time the competition was held. Many migrant workers reported having to pay large recruitment fees to obtain employment, and some had their identity papers taken away. Between 2015 and 2021, the Qatari government adopted new labor reforms including a minimum wage for all workers and removal of the kafala system. However, Amnesty International stated that living and working conditions did not improve in the last years. In December 2020, Qatar said rainbow flags would be allowed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, though officials advised LGBT attendees to comply with modesty laws. Alcohol consumption became restricted during the tournament despite initial plans to sell it inside stadiums. Multiple news agencies described the controversy as a cultural clash between social conservatism and Islamic morality against Western liberal democratic norms. A number of groups expressed concern over human rights issues, worker conditions, and the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar.

• 4. Tournament Format And Schedule Changes

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  The 2022 FIFA World Cup took place from the 20th of November to the 18th of December 2022, becoming the first tournament held outside traditional months of May, June, and July. This schedule shift occurred due to Qatar's intense summer heat and high humidity levels. Major European leagues had to incorporate extended breaks into their domestic schedules starting late July or August to accommodate the event. The match schedule was confirmed by FIFA on the 15th of July 2020, with group stage beginning on the 21st of November before being tweaked to start on the 20th of November after Qatar lobbied for their team to open the tournament. New substitution rules allowed teams up to five substitutions in normal time plus an additional one in extra time. It marked the first World Cup featuring concussion substitutions where each team could use one dedicated substitute without counting toward regular quotas. Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered a concussion in his opening match against England and was replaced by Hossein Hosseini, marking the first use of this rule at a World Cup.

• 5. Match Results And Team Performances

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  Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening match when Ecuador won 2, 0 in Group A. They also became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after two games and the first home nation to lose all three group matches. Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-final, falling 0, 2 to France. Argentina defeated Saudi Arabia 2, 1 in what media considered one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. Japan beat Germany 2, 1 in Group E, while Spain lost to Costa Rica 7, 0, the largest defeat since Portugal's victory over North Korea in 2010. Brazil drew 3, 3 with Cameroon before losing 1, 0 to them in their final group game. Croatia advanced past Belgium despite being ranked second in the world, eliminating them from the tournament. Wales made their first appearance in 64 years, while Canada returned after 36 years missing the 2018 edition. Italy failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup for the first time in their history.

• 6. Final Match And Individual Awards

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  The final between Argentina and France ended 3, 3 after extra time, with Argentina winning 4, 2 on penalties. Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player to do so in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst in 1966. He also became the first player to score in two consecutive finals since Vavá of Brazil did the same in 1958 and 1962. Lionel Messi won his second Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player, fulfilling what some commentators called the capstone of his career. Mbappé won the Golden Boot with eight goals, the most since Ronaldo in 2002. Emiliano Martínez received the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper, while Enzo Fernández won the Young Player Award. The tournament set a record for highest number of goals scored in the 32-team format with 172 total goals. Every participating team scored at least one goal during the competition. This marked Argentina's third World Cup win and their first since 1986.