The 2022 FIFA World Cup closed with a bang as Argentina claimed their first title since 1986 with a penalty shootout victory over France which many are calling the greatest men's World Cup game in history.
It featured two goals by Lionel Messi, a hat-trick for Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, two dramatic French comebacks, and a spectacular save by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez that foiled a late French winner at the end of extra time.
In the shootout, Argentina were perfect from the spot, while France failed to convert two, and the Albiceleste claimed the cup.
Meanwhile, Croatia beat surprise side Morocco in the third-place consolation match. It's the third time in six participations in the FIFA World Cup that the small European country finished among the top three.
MORE: Final top scorer rankings | Final World Cup country rankings
World Cup 2022 tournament format
The 2022 World Cup followed along the lines of recent editions, with a 32-team group stage that whittled the field down to 16 teams — only the top two teams from each of the eight groups survived.
Those 16 group-stage qualifiers advanced to the single-elimination knockout stages — Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final — where the winner moved on and the loser went home. There had to be a winner on the day for every knockout-round match, and extra time and penalty kicks were used, if necessary, to determine the victor.
MORE: World Cup group tiebreakers and how they worked
What time did World Cup games start in Qatar?
There were up to four matches daily during the group stage with simultaneous matches held on the final day of the group-stage phase for competitive integrity. Throughout the knockout rounds, there were only a maximum of two matches per day up to and including the quarterfinals. There was only one featured contest in the final four matchdays that remained (two semifinal dates, third-place and the final).
Every time zone in the world got a chance to watch matches at decent times throughout their day, which was great for football fans. Here's a breakdown of how the local kickoff times in Qatar translate across various regions around the world.
MORE: Why was the 2022 World Cup played in Qatar?
World Cup 2022 kickoff times
| Stage(s) | Local (Qatar) | USA & Canada (ET) | UK (GMT) | Australia (AEDT) | India (IST) |
| Group stage only | 1 p.m. | 5 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 9 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. |
| Group stage only | 4 p.m. | 8 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 12 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. |
| Knockouts only | 6 p.m. | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | 2 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Group stage only | 7 p.m. | 11 a.m. | 4 p.m. | 3 a.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| Group/Knockouts | 10 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 6 a.m. | 12:30 a.m. |
Complete World Cup 2022 match schedule
Here's the final knockout round bracket after Argentina's final victory. The complete group stage standings follow at the end of this post.
World Cup Round of 16
| Date | Match | |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Netherlands 3, USA 1 | Highlights |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Argentina 2, Australia 1 | Highlights |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | France 3, Poland 1 | Highlights |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | England 3, Senegal 0 | Highlights |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | Japan 1, Croatia 1 (1-3 pens) | Highlights |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | Brazil 4, South Korea 1 | Highlights |
| Tues, Dec. 6 | Morocco 0, Spain 0 (3-0 pens) | Highlights |
| Tues, Dec. 6 | Portugal 6, Switzerland 1 | Highlights |
World Cup Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Croatia 1, Brazil 1 (Croatia win 4-2 on pens) | Highlights |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | Netherlands 2, Argentina 2 (Argentina win 4-3 on pens) | Highlights |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | Morocco 1, Portugal 0 | Highlights |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | England 1, France 2 | Highlights |
World Cup Semifinals
| Date | Match | |
| Tues, Dec. 13 | Argentina 3, Croatia 0 | Highlights |
| Wed, Dec. 14 | France 2, Morocco 0 | Highlights |
World Cup 3rd Place
| Date | Match | |
| Sat, Dec. 17 | Croatia 2, Morocco 1 | Highlights |
World Cup Final
| Date | Match | |
| Sun, Dec. 18 | Argentina 3, France 3 (Argentina win 4-2 on pens) | Highlights |
World Cup 2022 group stage
World Cup Group A table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Netherlands-Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| 2. Senegal-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| 3. Ecuador-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 4. Qatar-E | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | -6 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group A match schedule
| Date | Match | |
| Sun, Nov. 20 | Qatar 0, Ecuador 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | Senegal 0, Netherlands 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Qatar 1, Senegal 3 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Netherlands 1, Ecuador 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Netherlands 2, Qatar 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Ecuador 1, Senegal 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group B table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. England-Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 |
| 2. USA-Q | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| 3. Iran-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| 4. Wales-E | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group B match schedule
| Date | Match | |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | England 6, Iran 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 21 | USA 1, Wales 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | Wales 0, Iran 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Nov. 25 | England 0, USA 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Wales 0, England 3 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tues, Nov. 29 | Iran 0, USA 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group C table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Argentina-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| 2. Poland-Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Mexico-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 4. Saudi Arabia-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group C match schedule
| Date | Match | |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Argentina 2, S. Arabia 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Mexico 0, Poland 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Poland 2, S. Arabia 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Argentina 2, Mexico 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Poland 0, Argentina 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | S. Arabia 1, Mexico 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group D table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. France-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 2. Australia-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -1 |
| 3. Tunisia-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 4. Denmark-E | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group D match schedule
| Date | Match | |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Denmark 0, Tunisia 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | France 4, Australia 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Tunisia 0, Australia 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | France 2, Denmark 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Tunisia 1, France 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Australia 1, Denmark 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group E table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Japan-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 2. Spain-Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 |
| 3. Germany-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| 4. Costa Rica-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | -8 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group E schedule, results
| Date | Match | |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Germany 1, Japan 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Spain 7, Costa Rica 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Japan 0, Costa Rica 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Spain 1, Germany 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thu, Dec. 1 | Japan 2, Spain 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thu, Dec. 1 | Costa Rica 2, Germany 4 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group F table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Morocco-Q | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| 2. Croatia-Q | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | +3 |
| 3. Belgium-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 4. Canada-E | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | -5 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
Group F match schedule
| Date | Match | |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Morocco 0, Croatia 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Belgium 1, Canada 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Belgium 0, Morocco 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Croatia 4, Canada 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Croatia 0, Belgium 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Canada 1, Morocco 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group G table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Brazil-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| 2. Switzerland-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 3. Cameroon-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 4. Serbia-E | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | -3 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
NOTE: Brazil edged out Switzerland for first place based on the first tiebreaker (goal difference) with +2 vs. +1 for Switzerland.
Group G schedule, results
| Date | Match | |
| Thu, Nov. 24 | Switzerland 1, Cameroon 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thu, Nov. 24 | Brazil 2, Serbia 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | Cameroon 3, Serbia 3 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | Brazil 1, Switzerland 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Dec. 2 | Cameroon 1, Brazil 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Dec. 2 | Serbia 2, Switzerland 3 | HIGHLIGHTS |
World Cup Group H table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Portugal-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
| 2. S. Korea-Q | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 3. Uruguay-E | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 4. Ghana-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | -2 |
- Q = Qualified to Round of 16
- E = Eliminated
NOTE: South Korea claim goals scored tiebreaker (second tiebreaker) over Uruguay (4 goals to 2).
Group H schedule, results
| Date | Match | |
| Thu, Nov. 24 | Uruguay 0, S. Korea 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Thu, Nov. 24 | Portugal 3, Ghana 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | S. Korea 2, Ghana 3 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | Portugal 2, Uruguay 0 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Dec. 2 | S. Korea 2, Portugal 1 | HIGHLIGHTS |
| Fri, Dec. 2 | Ghana 0, Uruguay 2 | HIGHLIGHTS |