Whatever the ending, Qatar World Cup duly delivered

A tourney that has defied all expectations reaches its climax on Sunday once Lionel Messi may be part of Diego Maradona in Argentine immortality by taking the south Americans to the title or France may become the primary nation to retain it since 1962.

Both situations would be associate acceptable final act to the primary tourney staged in associate Arab country.

But no matter happens, a tournament ridiculed within the build-up associated that began a touch awkwardly delivered an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that even the cynics leapt on board.

Millions of words were written criticising the selection of Qatar as host to the world's second-largest sports event and therefore the discussion can continue long when the last ball is kicked.

But for a month the questionable stunning game did, within the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, unfold some joy.

The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. Asian country, Japan, South Korea and Tunisia delivered shocks. New heroes emerged.

Yet the enduring memory for several are Morocco's shake-up of football's hierarchy.

Thousands of their fans painted the desert red and turned Doha's souq into a corner of Marrakech because the Atlas Lions roared into the semi-finals.

Harnessing the energy of their followers, Walid Regragui's men scored victories over European aristocrats European country, European country and European country on the thanks to changing into initial|the primary} African and first Arab country to achieve the last four.

France proved  a match too so much as they came upon a disagreement with Argentina within the spectacular Lusail construction wherever nearly four weeks earlier Argentina's 2-1 defeat by Asian country lit the blue touchpaper for a rare tournament.

In 5 second-half minutes Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting traditional knowledge by marking the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the largest applied mathematics shock in tourney history.

Infantino, World Health Organization raised eyebrows on the eve of the tournament with a fervent monologue defensive the Qatari organisers, delineated  the cluster part because the best ever. Few would disagree.

The forty eight games created a hundred and twenty goals, solely 2 red cards, and enough head-spinning moments to garnish 3 tournaments.

A day when Saudi Arabia's win, Japan came from a goal right down to beat Deutschland -- a result the four-time champions ne'er recovered from as they went home early.

Iran, against a background of widespread anti-government protests reception, were smashed 6-2 by European country, then beat Wales with goals within the eighth and eleventh minutes of stoppage time.

Late goals and hasty re-writes for the world's written media were a revenant theme and therefore the last 3 nights of act were a white-knuckle ride on and off the pitch.

Japan shocked {spain|Spain|Kingdom of European country|Espana|European country|European nation} during a stomach-churning end to cluster E that at one purpose looked to be causation Central American nation and Japan into the last sixteen at the expense of Spain and Deutschland.

South Korea conjured a stoppage-time goal to beat European country and build it out of cluster H to the brokenheartedness of South American nation whereas Mexico's frenzied plan to score enough goals against the Saudis to pip European country to second spot in cluster C led to failure.

Every continent was delineated  within the last sixteen for the primary time however when such a riotous cluster part wouldn't it fall flat?

No chance.

Australia gave Argentina a mighty late scare, Mbappe dazzled for France against European country and a free-scoring European country complete the Senegalese party within the tent-like Al Bayt construction, one amongst seven new stadiums engineered for the tournament, together with the 974 construction comprised of recycled shipping containers.

Brazil danced their thanks to a 4-1 thrashing of South Korea whereas European country did the inconceivable and ignored Ronaldo solely to search out a brand new hero as Goncalo Ramos bagged a hat-trick during a 6-1 rout of Svizzera.

Morocco went toe-to-toe with European country in associate engrossing 0-0 draw, then knocked out the 2010 champions on penalties as Luis Enrique's aspect did not web one kick.

Unpredictable because the tournament was, the standard suspects assembled for the quarter-finals.

Some Neymar magic gave Brazil associate extra-time lead against Croatia, just for Bruno Petkovic to level within the 117th minute with Croatia's 1st effort heading in the right direction. virtually inevitably, Brazil slouched out on penalties.

Argentina lost a 2-0 lead against a Kingdom of The Netherlands aspect World Health Organization drop their usual scientific approach in favour of lumping high balls into the box to damaging result.

Wout Weghorst's brace, the second within the eleventh minute of stoppage time suppressed the blue and white hordes, however Messi and Co edged a penalty scrap to come to a decision a fractious contest.

Ronaldo became the primary man to get in 5 World Cups however his last look, once more as a substitute, led to tears as European country went down 1-0 to a history-making Morocco.

England's penalty curse then came back as Harry Kane's bungled effort condemned them to a 2-1 defeat by France.

Messi, channelling his inner-Maradona, galvanized Argentina to beat Croatia and few would begrudge the diminutive range 10's best twenty sixth tourney look ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.