It's been a few months since the 2022 edition of the best competition in the world came to an end.
Since then, there has been lots of discussions about the controversy off the pitch, as well as the heroics on it.
It's time to reflect on a competition that will go down in history - for both right and wrong reasons- and consider what lessons we can take from Qatar.
1. Messi is Officially the G.O.A.T
After playing a key role in Argentina's fist world cup victory since 1986, Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy in the minds of many footballing fans as the greatest footballer of all time.
The Ronaldo vs Messi debate has arguably dominated football discussions for well over a decade, but Qatar 2022 appears to have settled it once and for all. The past few months have only cemented this further, with Ronaldo's reputation taking a plunge after heading to Saudi Arabia.
As for Messi, he is still celebrating a triumphant World Cup victory, which was the one trophy that alluded both him and Ronaldo. And with Messi now completing his collection as the player of the tournament, it seems that his GOAT status is undeniable.
I've been a Messi fan since he first burst onto the international scene with Barcelona, so I was very happy to see him finally lift the World Cup and establish himself as the true GOAT.
2. Football is For Everyone (when applicable)
One of the many concerns heading into this year's tournament was the current laws within Qatar and the impact on fans from around the world that would be visiting the country.
Whilst plenty of fans were outraged by the supposed lack of alcohol, with sponsors Budweiser having to save their stash of pints for the eventual winners, the main concern was due to the homosexuality laws within the host nation.
In recent years, we have seen plenty of campaigns which promote equality in football and to encourage the acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. However, the hard work from the likes of Stonewall's rainbow laces campaign has been thrown out the window for the sake of this tournament.
This issue came to light a number of times throughout the tournament's duration, but the sanctioning of the OneLove armbands raised the biggest concerns.
After countries began wearing the armbands in the lead up to the tournament to promote equality in football, FIFA announced that any captain wearing the armbands would receive an instant yellow card. Unfortunately, this resulted in teams deciding not to wear the armbands at the World Cup.
This shows how political messaging is only important to FIFA when it suits them - and doesn't affect their revenue. Whilst it is to be expected from FIFA at this point, it doesn't make it any less frustrating.
3. The Rest of the World is Catching Up to Europe
Since the turn of the 21st century, there is no doubt that European football has dominated the sport at both club and international level. The last non-European nation to win the World Cup was Brazil in 2002, with the knockout stages being dominated by the continent.
Whilst the powerhouses of South America have always been a threat to the throne, other continents such as Africa and Asia have struggled to reach the latter stages of the competition.
However, the latest tournament was the first real hints at a changing of the guard, as lots of European sides failed to live up to expectations, allowing other nations to step into the spotlight.
Though Argentina's success is the best example on paper, the team that demonstrated this turning of the tide the most was Morocco. The Atlas Lions made history in Qatar, becoming the first ever African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
And they didn't take the easy route either, beating the likes of Belgium, Spain, and Portugal on their way to the final 4.
Other notable mentions include Japan beating former champions Germany and Spain in the group stages, as well as Saudi Arabia's shock result against eventual winners Argentina.
4. The Sportswashing Discussion
Over the past decade, a lot of the conversations around sports have been targeted towards the actions occurring off the pitch in a way that we've never seen before. One of the many topic that keeps coming to fruition is the sportswashing debacle.
Sportswahing is a term that has been formed to describe when a corporation uses a sporting event or organisation to create a positive association that bolsters their image within the public eye. There are plenty of examples of this in sport, but the Qatar World Cup is the most apparent.
To say that Qatar winning the bid for the World Cup was controversial would be a huge understatement, with the decision showcasing the darkest side of the industry. Putting aside the controversy of the bid, the build-up to the 2022 World Cup was filled with rightful outrage over migrant workers and gay rights.
However, as soon as the tournament started, these discussions seemed to be mainly swept under the rug in order to focus on the football. The only main controversies even mentioned were the one love armbands and Germany's protest during the first game.
Focussing on the football during the game isn't the issue. After all, the players aren't at fault for this and shouldn't be punished for something they can't help. However, it was the lack of discussions or protests after the games that was the unnerving part.
The fact that many fans and journalists came back from Qatar praising their experience, not only in the stadium but at the country itself doesn't sit right after all the reports before the tournament.
Whilst it's difficult to the know the truth of what was happening behind the scenes without being there, all the signs lean towards the Qatar World Cup acting as the leading example of how to successfully conduct sportswashing.
5. The Best Final in Sporting History?
What makes for a good cup final? Is it the narrative coming to a satisfying conclusion? Is it how dramatic of the events on the pitch? Or is it simply about how many goals are scored?
Well, no matter what you believe makes for an entertaining final, the 2022 world cup final had it all! As a neutral, this is one of the greatest games of football to watch, and it happened on the world's biggest stage.
Leading into to the match, the story was all about two things, Messi vs Mbappe, and whether Messi could cement his legacy as the GOAT.
When narratives like this are sewn into the fabric of a match, they often fail to deliver in the way that many fans expect. But this time around, fans were not left disappointed, as both Messi and Mbappe played major roles in the match.
Even if you took the exposition away from this final, it would still be considered an incredible match. The incredible 80th minute comeback from France truly turned the game on its head, and followed by the drama of two goals in extra time and a penalty shootout, this game was an absolute spectacle.
And to top it all off, the world of football got the fairy-tale ending of Messi finally claiming the one trophy that he needed to put him ahead of the other greats of the game.
Whilst it's cliché to say that Hollywood couldn't have written a better script, the 2022 World Cup final was an unbelievable event that showcased the best of the beautiful game.
6. The Downfall of Cristiano Ronaldo
Whilst Messi had a very successful time in Qatar, the man that has been on the other side of the GOAT debate, Cristiano Ronaldo, suffered a disappointing fate that he may never recover from.
Going into the tournament, it felt like a make or break moment for both players, as this World Cup was probably their last chance to get their hands on football's biggest prize.
However, both players were going through a fairly rough patch compared to the rest of their careers, with Ronaldo in particular struggling to get a game at Man United. Then, that Piers Morgan interview came out.
It felt like a weird decision at the time, as it would only create distractions off the pitch as well as some tension between his fellow Portuguese teammates like Bruno Fernandes. And ultimately, CR7 paid the price for such rash actions.
As someone who has been a fan of Messi and never really liked Ronaldo for the way he acted at Real Madrid in particular, I was happy to see Messi finally get the upper hand on his long-time counterpart. However, it was a shame to see Ronaldo go out in the way that he did.
After failing to impress in the group stages, only scoring one goal and not really having any impact on the games, Ronaldo was shockingly benched by managed Fernando Santos for the knockout stages. This led to Portugal being knocked out by Morocco in the quarter finals.
Since his exit from the World Cup exit, things have gone from bad to worse, as CR7 failed to entice a European side into signing him after his Manchester United contract got terminated. Instead, Ronaldo is now with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, a major downgrade for one of the World's best.
Whilst the seeds for the downfall had been planted way before his World Cup 2022 campaign had begun, the events in Qatar showed the world how far Ronaldo has truly fallen since his glory days at Real Madrid, and it seems like he has reached the point of no return.
7. Will Football Ever Come Home?
Another team that didn't quite live up to the hype in Qatar were England. After fairly successful runs in the last couple of international tournaments, many were hoping that the Three Lions would finally bring football home.
However, their dreams were cut short at the quarter final stages, losing 2-1 to eventual finalists France. Despite performing well in the group stages, England couldn't get past a formidable French outfit.
This seems to be a reoccurring issue for Gareth Southgate's side, as they struggle when tested against a top-tier side. Because of this, the question of whether it will ever come home has resurfaced once again.
Qatar was seen as one of England's best chances to win the world's biggest prize for the first time since 1966. The combination of good tournament form in recent years, a stellar squad filled with young players, and weaker sides with lots of injuries made it a perfect time for England to win.
But with the Three Lions failing to capture gold once again, it seems like the mentality and chemistry of this talented side is not yet ready to win big, and may never will be.
8. VAR is Not the Problem
Moving away from the players, another dissapointment during the World Cup was the officiating. Despite the introduction of new semi-automatic VAR technology, this tournament was full of controversial decisions.
Perhaps the biggest incident that caused debate was during the game between Spain and Japan, where the ball appeared to cross the line before Japan went on to score a crucial goal that would influence the rest of the group.
Whilst this decision has appeared to be the correct call after much debate and analysis, the uncertainty around the initial decision caused some uproar amongst the worldwide spectators, even though VAR made the right decision without hesitation.
This particular scenario is a great example of how the problem with VAR is not with the technology itself, but how it is implemented by officials, as well as how it is perceived by fans.
Since VAR was first introduced into the world of football, it has sparked plenty of debate over whether it is a necessary inclusion in modern football, and how it should be utilised.
Whilst that is a whole discussion within itself, the World Cup showed that there is still a way to go in order to optimise the technology. Personally, I thought the officiating in Qatar was fairly poor due to a lack of cohesion from the referees, which is mainly down to cultrual differences.
This lack of uniformity and standard regulation was apparent in the decision where VAR could not intervene. Instead of having a standard procedure to follow, referees stuck to their opinions, and with such a wide range of officials from all over the world, this is bound to lead to irregularities and controversial decisions.
Whilst there is still lots of work to be done in terms of VAR and the implementation of technology within football, I also beleive that more needs to be done to enforce standard officiating procedures on a global scale, along with better training for referees on how to communicate these decisions.
9. Mbappe Could Become the GOAT
Though his PSG team-mate eventually stole the headlines in Qatar, Kylian Mbappe had an incredible World Cup campiagn!
The 24-year-old became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, picking up the Golden Boot in the process. All of this, and he didn't even end up on the winning side.
Whilst everyone has known about the frenchman's world-beater potential since he stole the show at the last World Cup, there have been some doubts over how good he truly can be.
After winning the world's biggest prize with France in 2018, Mbappé has failed to take the world by storm at club level with PSG, who have yet to win the Champions League despite their star-studded squad.
But it seems like the Parisian came to Qatar as a man on a mission, to prove that he has what it takes to be the next big thing after Messi and Ronaldo.
Mbappe still has a lot to acheive before he can be mentioned in the same breath as some of the greats, but if he keeps performing to the level that he is, then all eyes will be on him at the next World Cup.
10. The Beautiful Game Needs to Stay That Way
On the pitch, the latest edition of the world's biggest sporting tournament was full of plenty of highs and lows. The action-packed event was filled with upsets, falls from grace, mesmerising performances, unbeleivable acts of class, all topped off with one of the best sporting finals of all time.
However, a lot of these events were overshadowed by the actions occuring off of the pitch. Whilst many fans knew that this would be the case way before the tournament started, it puts a nasty stain on what otherwise would have been an amazing World Cup.
This tournament going ahead in Qatar without being affected too much by the controversies seems like a next step within the beatiful game, a step that puts a dark cloud over the fanatsy land we associate with the biggest sport in the world.
The main takeaway that I had from Qatar is that the institutionalisation and billionaire influence over the elite level of football is only going to get worse, which is why it is important for us fans to grasp onto the parts of the sport that have yet to fall into the control.
Whether it's playing at a local 5-a-side, watching a non-league game every now and then, or following the women's team of your favourite club, there are plenty of ways to make sure that the beautiful game remains to some degree, before it gets lost within the proposed super leagues and corporate dictatorships.
Whilst I don't think fans should boycott these events -after all, I probably won't stop watching football when I get the chance- I do beleive that modern football fans need to swivel so that we are supporting the true elements that are left within the beautiful game, before it's too late.
Comments