10 big moments from the World Cup 2022

The World Cup in Qatar is now at the semifinal stage: Either Argentina, France, Croatia or Morocco will win football’s biggest prize at Lusail Stadium next Sunday.

The Top 10 Moments are as follows:

Iran players not singing the anthem

In their first game of the tournament against England, Iran’s players took the bold step of not singing their national anthem before kickoff. It was a gesture to show their support for the nationwide protests taking place in their country in the wake of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death in the custody of the morality police.

Saudi Arabia beating Argentina

Argentina’s World Cup campaign has been so fraught with drama that it’s easy to forget that it began with them losing to Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening game.

The second-lowest-ranked team in the tournament mounted an incredible comeback after going a goal down to score twice in the space of five minutes in the second half. The result sent tremors across the footballing world. The fact that Saudi Arabia lost their following two group games didn’t matter. It wasn’t just a win for the national team. It was a win for the nation.

German players covering their mouths

In their opening group games, the captains of England, Wales, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark had decided to wear OneLove armbands, a symbolic gesture for anti-discrimination. But FIFA banned the armband and threatened sanctions for any team whose captain wore it on the pitch.

In protest of having their freedom of expression curtailed, the entire German national team posed for their pre-match photo with their hands covering their mouths.

Messi’s goal against Mexico

Emiliano Martinez’s heroics in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands have taken Argentina within a victory of the final. Following their defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening game, Martinez had said every game from then is akin to a final. The first of those came against Mexico, where a defeat would have sent Argentina back home.

Brazil put on a show against South Korea

Sure, this wasn’t a moment – it was 45 minutes. But it was a flash of brilliance that would eventually pass too soon. Brazil were 4-0 up at halftime in their round of 16 game. It wasn’t just the South Korean backline, but the wider footballing world they had dancing to their samba beat. It was a performance that Brazil have been historically renowned for: quick attacking play, sharp movement and dollops of flair.

Weghorst’s moment of genius

Wout Weghorst’s goal in the 11th minute of injury time to bring the Netherlands back from the brink of defeat against Argentina in the quarterfinal will go down as one of the great World Cup moments of all time. The craft and awareness of the quickly taken free kick took the Argentine defence and millions across the world by surprise. The timing and weight of the goal aside, the fact that Weghorst was a Burnley forward whose style of play had made him a figure of scorn in the footballing public only heightened the incredulity of the moment.

Croatia’s ageless soldiers

They ground out a penalty shootout win over Japan in the round of 16 and then held their nerve against the much-fancied Brazil to book a spot in the final four on Friday, building on a stunning legacy.

Morocco’s magical run

When they lifted coach Walid Regragui up high to celebrate their quarterfinal win over Portugal, it epitomised Morocco’s unprecedented accomplishments.

At every World Cup there’s one team that punches above its weight, defeating odds and opposition alike. It was Ghana in 2010, Costa Rica in 2014 and Croatia in 2018. This time, the mantle has been taken up by Morocco, who have created history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals.