The 2022 FIFA World Cup just proved how people all over the world love football. There were many unforgettable moments including Saudi Arabia’s victory over Argentina and Messi’s performance during the final. But did you know that the 2022 FIFA World Cup broke several records?
Records broken by the 2022 World Cup
First winter World Cup
For a place so hot, many questioned why Qatar was able to host the World Cup. For instance, the climate in Qatar is so hot that the 2022 FIFA World Cup was the first-ever winter World Cup.
Qatar had to install air conditioning units in all its venues just to make sure that both players and the audience watching are comfortable. In addition to this, games were played in the evening. But despite that, the humidity was at 60 percent during the opening game and the temperature felt like it was 31°C.
Highest scoring World Cup
One of the records broken by Qatar 2022 was the number of goals made. In 64 matches, teams scored a total of 142 goals throughout the tournament. That shows how offensive teams were. This showed their determination to push and to go for the win.
However, let's not forget that this World Cup also broke the record for the most games with scoreless draws. This could mean that it is not just all about offense. If you'll take a look at the first 20 games of the 2022 World Cup, there were already five times more scoreless draws than in the last World Cup games in Russia four years ago.
First woman to officiate men’s World Cup
You might be wondering if women are allowed to officiate men’s football. In reality, yes both men and women can be a referee even in the World Cup.
But since the first World Cup in 1930, there wasn't a woman who ever officiated in any of its games. But in Qatar 2022, Stephanie Frappart became the first female referee in its 92-year history.
However, Frappart isn’t exactly a neophyte in terms of officiating big games. In 2021, she also became the first female referee to officiate a men’s World Cup qualifying game.
First home team to lose at the first
A lot of home teams have won the World Cup title over the years. But for Qatar, things weren’t exactly good. Qatar was the first home team to lose its opening round during the World Cup.
Tournament streamed 104 million times on BBC Sport online and BBC iPlayer
The 2022 World Cup Final was a memorable one. Lionel Messi did the unthinkable which may have solidified his GOAT status in the eyes of fans. Given the exciting events during the 2022 World Cup, it isn't exactly surprising why BBC reached 38.8 million fans on TV alone.
The 2022 World Cup was streamed 104.7 million times via BBC iPlayer and Sports Online. In addition to this, there were a total of 52.8 million browsers that visited BBC Sport’s World Cup site.
FIFA went for websites illegally streaming the World Cup
It's common nowadays to see people watch illegal streams of different sports events. And it's no different with the 2022 World Cup. If you’re one of those sports fans who watch streams online, you may have even thought of getting a VPN for your devices to add a layer of protection on your information.
But what makes the 2022 World Cup different is that FIFA went after sites that were illegally streaming the event. According to the US Justice Department, authorities seized a total of 55 websites for streaming World Cup matches.
Most World Cup appearances
Messi made his 11th World Cup goal making him Argentina’s record holder for most scores at World Cups. He also made the record for most World Cup appearances for Argentina. While Messi made his 25th World Cup appearance, the late Diego Maradona, on the other hand, had 21 World Cup appearances.
And thanks to Messi’s efforts, Argentina’s record of not losing a World Cup semi-final match still stands to this day. Argentina is only the fifth team in World Cup history to reach the final after losing their opening game.
Conclusion
Despite the criticisms received by Qatar and FIFA for the 2022 World Cup, it can still be considered a successful event. Football fans are happy with all the action they saw. Plus, the event itself made history, breaking several records in the process.
