For all the controversy preceding the 2022 World Cup, football would finally intervene to take the spotlight off the scandal and entertain the world for four weeks. 

The historic tournament was capped with a fairy-tale final: Messi overcoming Mbappé to lift Argentina’s first World Cup in 36 years, eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo in the rivalry of a generation and etching his name in the pantheon of footballing greats. 

Before Messi could lift the trophy on Sunday evening, he was draped in a traditional Arab robe by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, in one last show of soft power by the host nation. 

Messi, for his part, removed the robe before the Argentina team paraded the trophy around the Lusail Stadium, and before the photo that has since become the most-liked post on Instagram was taken. 

It’s an image that may come to define what will likely be remembered as Messi’s World Cup rather than Qatar’s – which is no bad thing for Qatar. The hosts were handed a Hollywood storyline that will be recalled by football fans for years to come. 

But enough of the football; who were the winners and losers off the pitch?

Winners

Morocco and Africa 

The tournament’s surprise package, Morocco flew the flag faultlessly for both Arabic and African football. After topping a group that included Belgium and Croatia, the Atlas Lions would go on to beat Spain and Portugal before falling to France in the semi-finals. 

Along the way, Morocco won the hearts of opposition fans, thanks in no small part to the team’s display of humility and hard work. Images of players hugging and dancing with their mothers struck a chord with audiences around the world. 

Achraf Hakimi celebrating with his mother after defeating Spain in the Round of 16 is everything ❤️🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/XPiBNtHpNc

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 6, 2022

Off the pitch, Moroccan manager Walid Regragui firmly reminded the media that his team was playing not only for the Arab world, but also for Africa. His comments coincided with the African continent’s best-ever performance at a World Cup. 

England and Southgate

England’s World Cup campaign ended in tears, but the team’s efforts did not go unappreciated by fans back home. As with last summer’s Euros, the players won the hearts and minds of the public, earning Gareth Southgate another shot at a major tournament. 

The team’s social media channels were aflush with light-hearted, behind-the-scenes content. Even the players themselves got involved, with Bukayo Saka’s ‘spelling school’ accumulating tens of millions of views on TikTok. 

@bukayosaka87 Todays episode of Saka’s Spelling School @James Maddison @Jack Grealish ♬ Cricket Sound – Sound Effects

For all of Southgate’s imperfections as a football manager, the unity he has helped cultivate among players and fans can’t be denied. And it seems primarily on these grounds that the English FA has decided to renew his contract. 

Qatar

Now that the dust has settled, it’s clear that Qatar succeeded in its aim: to raise the nation’s profile on the world stage. That’s in spite of the very real concerns about human rights, which were soon swept aside once the first ball was kicked. 

Viewing figures show that there was no real boycott. Doubts about the logistics of a one-city tournament were quickly put to bed. The eleventh-hour ban on booze actually proved to be quite a good thing. And pundits are evidently too embarrassed to admit they had a good time. 

On the pitch, the tournament delivered a storyline for the ages. From the shock upsets of the group stage to arguably the greatest final in the tournament’s history, Qatar got everything it could’ve wanted from hosting a World Cup.

Losers

FIFA and the EU

FIFA has shown repeatedly its willingness to work with anyone who will make the organisation and its officials richer, but the implication of the EU in the awarding of the World Cup, revealed midway through the tournament, was a subplot few could have predicted. 

The scandal alleges that senior figures within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money, involving literal bags of cash, to influence decisions in Qatar’s favour. Several arrests and resignations have followed, with the EU’s credibility irrevocably damaged. 

Infantino

Never one to shy away from the camera, Gianni Infantino endeavoured to make himself the centre of attention at this year’s World Cup. Unfortunately for him, his string of public appearances only succeeded in causing confusion. 

The FIFA president kicked off the tournament with a bizarre speech in which he claimed to feel “Arab”, “African”, “gay” and “disabled”. In the same speech, he urged players to “respect football” by not protesting while simultaneously claiming that FIFA was defending human rights. 

After a brief spell of media silence during the early knockout rounds, Infantino returned shortly before the final to laud the tournament as the greatest ever – the exact praise he had given to the 2018 World Cup in Russia four and a half years earlier. 

And he wasn’t done there: in the award ceremony he could be seen hovering around the World Cup trophy like he’d scored the winning penalty himself, sticking tighter to Messi than he’d been marked all game. 

Macron

Emmanuel Macron was one of several influential figures Infantino could be seen schmoozing with during the World Cup. The French president was also responsible for perhaps the most cringe-inducing moment of the entire tournament. 

Following France’s defeat in the final, Macron took to the pitch to console the players, only to be completely ignored by both Mbappé and Didier Deschamps.

Macron is utterly desperate for a reaction from Mbappe but in three major efforts, the striker gives him no eye contact, and no photo opportunity.

— Chris Doyle (@Doylech) December 18, 2022

He was also pictured handing out awards and medals alongside Infantino and the Emir of Qatar, leading some people to question the nature of the French president’s relationship with FIFA and the host nation.

What can we learn from the 2022 World Cup?

The 2022 World Cup leaves a legacy as perhaps the world’s most controversial major sporting event. But for all the uproar heading into the tournament, objections were relatively mute once the football got going. 

Most pundits quietly got on with their work, while the likes of England and Wales backtracked on plans to wear the pro-LGBTQ+ OneLove armband after FIFA threatened sporting sanctions. 

However, some protests were still visible: Germany responded to the armband ban by posing for their team photo with hands over their mouths; Alex Scott went ahead and wore the armband live on air; Iran showed solidarity with anti-government protests in the country by refusing to sing the national anthem. 

It’s in these instances, where social values stand strong in the face of external pressure, that genuine progress can be inspired. 

Looking to build a reputation as squeaky clean as Southgate’s Three Lions, or shape a narrative as inspiring as Morrocco’s run to the semis? As a Birmingham PR agency with vast experience delivering quality communications, we’re perfectly placed to help elevate your brand’s profile!