Top 8 Records at the 2022 World Cup

At 37 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022), with his opening goal against Ghana on November 25th. His goal this year was from the penalty spot in a 3-2 victory over Ghana in Group H. With this goal, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score for Portugal in a World Cup.

By playing in this match, Ronaldo tied the record for participating in five World Cups, a feat shared with six other players, including Lionel Messi. After Ronaldo, four players have scored in four World Cups: Pele, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose, and Messi. The Argentine star failed to score in the 2010 World Cup, despite his team scoring 10 goals that year. Ronaldo's opener against Ghana also helped him extend his record for the most international goals for a national team, now standing at 118 goals in 192 appearances. However, he still lags behind Klose's 16 World Cup goals. Ronaldo also holds the record for being the youngest player to score for his country at a World Cup, doing so at just 21 years and 132 days in 2006.

England and the United States played to their fifth-ever scoreless draw in World Cup history. Later, Croatia and Belgium also ended in a 0-0 draw. The 2022 World Cup saw four other goalless draws: Mexico vs Poland, Denmark vs Tunisia, Croatia vs Morocco, and South Korea vs Uruguay. All of these matches ended in 0-0 ties.

This marked the first time in World Cup history that eight teams had played to a 0-0 draw in a single tournament. England surpassed Italy's record with their 22nd draw at the World Cup, while Italy ranks second with 21 World Cup draws.

"This Thursday, a trio of female referees will make history by officiating their first-ever men's World Cup match. Referee Stephanie Frappart (France), alongside assistants Neuza Back (Brazil) and Karen Diaz (Mexico), will take charge of the Germany vs Costa Rica match. History is being made," FIFA announced on Twitter on November 29th.

Thus, Stephanie Frappart will become the first female referee to officiate a men's World Cup match in 2022. This milestone also marks the first time a completely female officiating team has been assigned to a World Cup match. According to media reports, FIFA has placed significant trust in the French referee, choosing her to oversee the crucial Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica, which is pivotal for both teams' qualification to the knockout stage. Spanish newspaper Marca has highlighted Frappart as one of the highest-quality referees.

Frappart, a renowned referee from UEFA, was named the World’s Best Female Referee for three consecutive years (2019 to 2021) by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). The 38-year-old, who began as a female football player, transitioned to officiating full-time in 2001.

With changes in tournament format, African teams have gained more opportunities to showcase their talents on the global stage. From Egypt's appearance at the 1938 World Cup to Cameroon’s memorable quarter-final run in Italy 1990, and the recent impressive performances by Senegal and Ghana, the perception of African nations in World Cup history has evolved. Thanks to Morocco, history was made once again. The Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

This year's dark horse topped a tough group featuring second-ranked Belgium and 2018 runners-up Croatia. Morocco continued their remarkable journey by eliminating Spain in the Round of 16, and sending Portugal home in a stunning upset. No African team had ever reached this stage in World Cup history. The closest any African side came was Ghana in 2010, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay.

The 2022 World Cup concluded with an exhilarating final between Argentina and France. The two teams treated fans to a goal-fest, drawing 3-3 after 120 minutes of play. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Argentina triumphed 4-2 to claim the title. With 6 goals scored in the final, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar set a new record with a total of 172 goals scored over 64 matches (an average of 2.69 goals per game). This broke the previous record of 171 goals, set in the 1998 and 2014 World Cups.

The largest margin of victory in the 2022 World Cup was Spain’s stunning 7-0 win over Costa Rica. Another match also featured 7 goals, as Portugal defeated Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16. The record of 172 goals in 2022 may be surpassed in 2026, as the next World Cup will feature 48 teams, resulting in more matches and potentially more goals.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has become the most expensive tournament in history. The host nation spent a staggering $220 billion on preparations, according to Deloitte. This amount doesn’t even account for potential additional costs that may arise after the tournament’s conclusion. This figure exceeds Qatar’s projected GDP for 2022, which was $180 billion.

Most of the spending went toward building the infrastructure, including stadiums, roads, a subway system, a new airport, and other projects. The Qatari government invested $36 billion in an automated metro system connecting 8 stadiums. Additionally, other costs such as media campaigns, and payments to global celebrities and former football stars like David Beckham, who reportedly received hundreds of millions of dollars to promote the event, also added to the expense.

For context, the second most expensive World Cup took place in Brazil in 2014, where the total costs amounted to $15 billion.

Over the course of his remarkable two-decade career, Messi has collected 37 club trophies, 7 Ballon d'Or awards, and 6 European Golden Shoes. He has also won a Copa America, an Olympic gold medal, and set numerous football records that seem nearly impossible to surpass. The final missing piece in Messi's career was the World Cup title, which he brilliantly secured on December 18 after 120 captivating minutes at Lusail Stadium.

December 18 was an unforgettable night for Argentina's fans around the globe, as Messi and his teammates brought home the World Cup. Argentina claimed their first title in 36 years, since their last victory in 1986. Following the final, Messi set a new record for Argentina, scoring 7 goals in the 2022 World Cup and earning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

With the historic trophy, Messi further solidified his legendary status in football, securing his place as the greatest player in the world.

Kylian Mbappé has joined Geoff Hurst in setting a World Cup final hat-trick record. In the thrilling December 18 final between France and Argentina, Mbappé netted 3 goals, bringing his total World Cup goals to 8. This remarkable feat earned him the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot. Additionally, Mbappé surpassed football legend Pelé to become the player with the most World Cup goals before the age of 24.

Despite the disappointment of losing the World Cup after a dramatic 3-3 draw followed by penalties, Mbappé's future remains incredibly bright. With his youth and talent, he is poised to shine in many more World Cups with the French national team.