2022 FIFA World Cup Part 3: The Finals Quiz

Answer: Morocco

Only Croatia (12) and Morocco (22) qualified from outside the top ten world rankings. No one was surprised to see Croatia qualify as they were 2018 finalists against France (they lost 4-2). However, Morocco had the best defence of the entire 2022 competition to that stage, conceding just one goal. They not only qualified as head of their group, but their seven points from three group matches was equal-highest for that stage (no country won their three group matches). Morocco held Spain to a 0-0 score-line in the Round of 16 and did not concede a single goal in the penalty shootout.

Their goalkeeper became a national hero overnight. Yassine Bounou goes by the name of Bono and he briefly became the best-known Bono in the world. This 194cm 77kg keeper played for the Spanish top-league team Sevilla. He was not feeling well for the team's second group stage game but he returned for the final group game, a 2-1 victory over Canada. As Canada's goal was an own goal, he didn't allow an opposing player to score. And at the end of the Round of 16, no opponent had scored against Morocco, or Bono, not even in a penalty shootout.

Answer: Croatia won on penalty shoot-out 4-2

In this match, possession was evenly shared but Brazil had 11 on-target scoring shots in total, to Croatia's 1. At the end of regulation time, it was 0-0. When Neymar scored for Brazil in the 106th minute, that was expected to be the final score but with three minutes of extra time remaining Petkovic slotted an equaliser.

Croatia went first in the penalty shoot-out. They scored with their first four to lead 4-2 (Brazil missed their first). Brazil needed to score with their 4th to stay in the match but when Marquinhos hit a post, it was all over: Croatia had qualified for the semis with successive penalty shoot-out games. Brazil had qualified for the quarter-finals in the previous four World Cups but had crashed out before making the final. History repeats itself.

Answer: 2-2. Argentina win after penalty shootout 4-3

When Lionel Messi scored a 73rd-minute penalty, complementing Molina's 35th-minute goal to take the score to 2-0, most believed the Argentinians had done enough to win. But then Dutch substitute Weghorst scored twice, both late, including a sublime goal from a free kick set play in the 11th minute of stoppage time.

However, in the tense penalty shootout, the Dutch missed on the first shot and were on the back foot for the entire shootout. They missed again so when Argentina missed one it was not costly. The South Americans booked a semi-final spot against Croatia winning the shootout 4-3.

Answer: Morocco 1 Portugal 0

The Portuguese dominated possession with 74% of the ball, but could not convert and there were few chances for either team. A combination of a good header from En-Nesyri and a bad mistake from the Portuguese goalkeeper allowed Morocco to take the lead which they never relinquished. Ronaldo came on as a substitute and managed to get a shot on target as Portugal peppered the goal in desperation towards the end. The Moroccans held fast and became the first African team to play in a World Cup semi-final.

No other team had managed to score against them at this late stage of the competition. A truly remarkable achievement.

Answer: France 2 England 1

This was a see-sawing battle with France scoring first in the 17th minute to lead at half-time 1-0. Harry Kane equalised in the 54th minute scoring a penalty. In the 78th minute, France scored again. Kane had a second chance to equalise with an 80th minute penalty but sent the shot over the bar. It was a costly error. France defended their lead and won 2-1.

Before this match, the two sides had met six times since 2000 - France had won four times with one draw; and England's only win was a friendly in 2015.

Answer: Argentina scored an own goal

Argentina lost their first group match to Saudi Arabia 2-1 but scored the opening goal. They then won their next four matches including the Round of 16 match and their quarter-final. They scored the opening goal in each and every match, including this one where they won decisively 3-0. Including this match, Argentina had scored 12 goals (5 by Messi) but no own goals.

Croatia had not lost a match until this one (two draws in the group stage) and had only conceded two goals in the tournament to two separate teams. They were hopeful of repeating their 2018 campaign where they made the final, but fell one rung short this time. The normally impenetrable Croatian midfield was no match for the piercing Argentinian attack.

Answer: Mbappe scored a hat-trick for France

Talk about David and Goliath! In the second semi-final France were defending their title against an African country of which none had ever reached a semi-final before.

The match got off to a bad start for Morocco as something happened in the fifth minute that had not happened before in this tournament: The opposition scored a goal. This seemed to rattle the Moroccans as, while they dominated possession with 68%, they could not find the back of the net as they made 13 shots at goal but only three were on target. When Muani scored for France in the 79th minute making it 2-0, France shut down the match and for the first time this tournament they did not concede a goal.

Answer: Croatia 2 Morocco 1

Croatia were finalists in 2018. While they could not repeat that they wanted to at least come third. Morocco wanted to to prove their semi-final loss to France was the exception in a successful 2022 campaign.

The two sides had already met in the group stage where they played a 0-0 draw. The only other time the two sides had met was in the Hassan II semi-final in 1996 where Croatia won on penalties (7-6) after scores were locked at 2-2. This match was played at a lively pace with Croatia finding the back of the net in the 7th minute, only for Morocco to equalise two minutes later. Orsic slipped one in for Croatia in the 42nd minute; and then the Croatian midfield shut down the match to protect their lead.

Answer: 4

Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986. In '78 they beat the Netherlands 3-1 after extra-time and they won 3-2 over West Germany in 1986. They were runners up in 1930, 1990, and 2014.

France won their first world cup in 1998 thrashing Brazil 3-0 then became World Champions again in 2018 beating Croatia 4-2. They were runners-up in 2006 when they lost to Italy on penalties. In the last fifty years only two of the matches resulted in more than one goal separating the two teams (2-0, one win each). The last time they met, was in the 2018 Round of 16 when France knocked out Argentina 4-3.

Answer: Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick

At half-time, Argentina were 2-0 up thanks to a Messi penalty at 23 minutes and a glorious shot by Di Maria from the left flank at the 36th-minute mark. There was TV commentary about Argentina changing tactics to protect their lead after half-time but France was having none of that. Mbappe scored quickly twice late in the second half, firstly by penalty in the 80th minute and then by a lovely shot from the left wing a minute later. In extra-time, when Lionel Messi scored his second goal in the 108th minute, most commentators thought that was the winning goal but Mbappe scored his hat-trick goal via a 118th-minute penalty.

It's a cruel thing to lose a World Cup final on penalties. But France, reigning World Cup champions missed twice (4-2), handing the title of World Cup Champion for 2022 to Argentina. Shades of 2006 (when they lost to Italy 5-3 on penalties).

Lionel Messi scored 7 goals for the tournament and won the Player of the Tournament Award.