A Recap of the Most Exciting Matches of the FIFA World Cup 2022
In terms of popularity and recognition, no sport comes close to football. The majority of the fans follow every type of football league or tournament held throughout the year. Besides watching tournaments and matches, ardent fans like indulging in fantasy football games. They love participating in different types of fantasy football league and win exciting rewards by creating teams and predicting the outcomes of matches.
Most Exciting Matches of the FIFA World Cup 2022
Talking about tournaments, the most anticipated football tournament of all time is the FIFA World Cup, which is held once every four years. The recent 2022 FIFA World Cup was played in Qatar, and it gave fans the opportunity to witness some of the best matches. Here is a detailed look at some of the most exciting games of the FIFA World Cup 2022:
- Germany vs. Japan
One of the most exciting matches that took place in the 2022 World Cup was the face-off between Japan and Germany. Japan defeated Germany by scoring two goals as opposed to the latter’s one. The game’s outcome was quite unexpected since Germany had star players in their lineup who performed exceptionally well in their respective leagues and tournaments.
The game was an exciting affair for fans of both sides. For starters, Ilkayty Gundogan, the top-tier midfielder from Manchester City, put the first goal on the scoreboard by scoring a penalty in the second half. Kai Haverts, the star forward, put the ball behind the net, but sadly, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Die Mannschaft tried his absolute best to put up more goals for his team on the scoreboard by taking 26 attempts on goal. However, thanks to Japan’s star goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, the Germans could not score. The heroics of the goalkeeper motivated Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano to score two goals in the 75th and 83rd minute, respectively, to clinch the win for their team.
- Portugal vs. Ghana
Even though Portugal did not have the result they hoped for in the 2022 World Cup, they entertained fans by showcasing an exceptional match-off against Ghana. Portugal defeated their opponents by scoring three goals against the latter’s two.
Portugal’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, wrote history by becoming the first player to net goals in five World Cups after he scored a penalty. Ghana’s players also left no stone unturned to make it hard for Portugal to clinch the victory. Andra Ayew put up the first goal for his t4am by tapping in the goal behind the net in the 73rd minute.
Portugal scored two goals in the 78th and 80th minute, respectively. The second goal was scored by Joao Felix, and the third one was by Rafael Leao. Ghana’s Osman Bukari netted the second goal for his team in an attempt to reclaim the match in the 89th minute, but sadly, the match ended with the final score of 3-2. This is how Portugal sealed a victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Ghana.
- Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
Argentina’s first game in the 2022 World Cup against Saudi Arabia was quite a shocker for Argentinian fans. Deemed one of the best teams in the world, Argentina lost its first match against Saudi Arabia by one goal. Lionel Messi, Argentina’s star player, threatened the Saudi side by scoring an early penalty.
However, things went sideways very quickly in the match. In the 48th minute, an equalizer came from Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Alshehri. He netted the ball and equalized the score for his team, which put the Argentinian side in a struggling position.
Followed by the equalizer, Salem Al-Daswari scored another goal in the 53rd minute, putting his team ahead of Argentina. From there, the Argentina team was not able to do much. They could not score an equalizer; thus, the match’s outcome went in favor of Saudi Arabia as the final scoreboard read “Argentina 1 – Saudi Arabia 2”.
- Netherlands vs. Argentina
The Netherlands team has been a force to reckon with in World Cups for many years. The clash between Netherlands and Argentina in the 2022 World Cup gave fans of both sides a fantastic match to witness and remember.
Argentina started the game on a high note as Manuel Molina and Lionel Messi scored one goal each. However, the last 10 minutes of the match changed the game’s direction entirely.
Wout Weghorst scored two goals in the closing minutes to equalize the score. Finally, Argentina won the match by defeating the Netherlands 3-4 in the penalty shootout.
- Argentina vs. France
The final match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is considered the greatest match in the history of the prestigious event. Lionel Messi opened for his team by scoring a penalty early on in the game. Followed by the first goal, Angel Di Maria further increased Argentina’s lead by scoring a second goal.
All was going well for the Argentinian side until Kylian Mbappe, the young prodigy from Germany, scored two consecutive goals for his team and turned the tide of the match. Even though Messi scored the third goal for his team, Mbappe equalized the score again by scoring a 116th-minute penalty.
In the penalty shootout, Argentina prevailed and clinched the prestigious trophy by defeating France. The final penalty shootout score read 4-2, making the match the most exciting one in the history of World Cups.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was memorable for so many reasons, but the most prominent one was the exciting clashes that took place between teams, as mentioned above.
Read Also: Real Madrid Lineup