Moroccan Celebration and an Unforgettable Clash of Giants
The 2022 World Cup, the first ever held in the summer, also brought with it a huge burden unrelated to football. Even before the opening whistle, criticism was heard over the price paid by many workers with their lives on the altar of the grand project built in the oil-rich emirate, and over the ongoing dissonance between the values international football supposedly represents and the local values. But there was football too, and plenty of it, with surprising Morocco recording a historic achievement for Africa, Croatia’s momentum, and a final that will not be forgotten between Argentina and France. In the 11th episode of “Digging Journalism at the World Cup,” we go back to that winter (!) in Qatar, through the headlines and stories that were etched into all our memories, on the field and off it. Watch the full podcast >> Podcast Digging Journalism, Qatar World Cup “974 Forever” 7 View gallery
It feels as though 974 was the most prominent story of the World Cup in Qatar. Simply because we heard 974 times that Stadium 974 was made up of recycled shipping containers that the Qataris would dismantle after the World Cup. Like a built-in condition, like having to add “published in London” after mentioning the newspaper Al Hayat. And the truth is that it fit this World Cup, which felt like a kind of cliché. A cliché of money buying influence, a cliché about a corrupt sports organization that, for money, actually moved a World Cup to winter, while ignoring the slavery-like conditions of the construction crew, and compromising on women fans’ right to wear whatever they wanted or on fans’ right to drink beer.
Huge upset 7 View gallery
There are moments in a World Cup when football simply tells the world it is not willing to follow the script. In the 2022 World Cup, those moments came already in the group stage, with Saudi Arabia and Japan. Yes, the eventual world champion started its journey with a 2-1 loss to the Saudis, shortly before the Japanese beat Germany by the same score. But from here our story roughly splits. Saudi Arabia did not reach the knockout stage, while Japan advanced from its group ahead of two world champions, Spain and Germany.
The black horse is still here 7 View gallery
After the 2018 World Cup, it was reasonable to assume Croatia had given everything it had. Four years later, a decline was naturally expected. Well, you can laugh at Modrić and his friends. In the round of 16 they beat Japan in a penalty shootout, and from there moved on to the quarterfinal against Brazil, perhaps the tournament’s most dazzling team. The match went to penalties, and Croatia arrived there cool and calm. In the end, Brazil went home. Argentina in the semifinal was already one step too far, but even that loss did not erase the achievement. Final in 2018, semifinal in 2022, for a country the size of a medium-sized county in Germany, and no one even calls it an upset anymore.
Great start, less great ending 7 View gallery
The start really was great. Already in the first match against Serbia, Richarlison scored one of the tournament’s most beautiful goals, and Brazil looked deep, balanced, and ready for the carnival. In fact, throughout the group stage it did what it needed to do, and in the round of 16 it demolished South Korea 4-1 already in the first half. But then came Croatia in the quarterfinal. Brazil dominated, tried, and eventually got its moment with a huge goal from Neymar in extra time, but then, instead of closing the match, Brazil shot itself in the foot. Croatia launched a counterattack, Petković took the shot, and the ball ended up in the net of the Seleção. In the penalty shootout the story was decided for Brazil once and for all, and the first word in the headline once again became relevant for them.
The Moroccan renaissance 7 View gallery
Morocco was a team of passport control. There were players born in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada, but in its stands there was a clear unity. Flags, whistles, prayers, and a great deal of passion. On the pitch, the Moroccans made an astonishing run. A draw against Croatia, then victories over Belgium and Canada, and first place in the group. After that it overran Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the quarterfinal, and try believing that Morocco tossed two football powers from the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar into the sea like that.
Number 1 7 View gallery
Messi did not come to Qatar just to add another chapter to a great career. He came to take off his back a monkey that by then had grown to gorilla size. And it started badly, with the loss to Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia!!) in the first match. Exactly what is needed to awaken the demons, or to put a spike in your self-confidence. Later, in the knockout stage, it already seemed the man understood there was no way back. A win over the Netherlands, a celebration against Croatia, and everything was set for the big stage, the final against France. A match that promised a lot, and also delivered, quite a lot.
The greatest final of them all 7 View gallery
For nearly 80 minutes, it was not even a great final. Argentina was completely in control, Messi scored from the penalty spot and Ángel Di María added another. It felt like a final in which Argentina did everything right and France simply did not show up. But then Mbappé arrived, and within 97 seconds a match that was over became a thriller. Then Messi scored again in extra time, Mbappé completed a crazy hat trick, and they went to penalties because they had to stretch the pleasure just a little longer. In the shootout, Argentina was steadier. Montiel converted the last one and Messi fell to his knees. The world got the image it had been waiting for, and we got the best final ever. Including the future, probably.
The podcast “Digging Journalism at the World Cup” from Be.po is available to listen to and watch on the ynet website, in all podcast apps, and on the Be.po YouTube channel.
