Annual Report 2023
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

The World Cup at a glance

The host nation

The FIFA World Cup 2022™ in Qatar was the first edition of the tournament to be hosted in the Middle East and the most geographically compact since the inaugural installment in 1930. The finals took place between 20 November and 18 December 2022.

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ was the 22nd edition of the tournament. The tournament involved:

  • One host country and eight stadiums;

  • 32 teams;

  • 64 matches.

Three matches played at Lusail Stadium, including the final, recorded the highest-attendance (88,966) for a FIFA World Cup fixture since the final of the 1994 tournament, in which 94,194 fans descended on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA in the United States to see Brazil take on Italy.


Key match facts

A record number of groundbreaking achievements were witnessed at Qatar 2022. A host of memorable moments were served up, both on and off the pitch, with many matches considered to be history in the making.

Record-breaking achievements

Qatar became the 80th nation to compete at the FIFA World Cup.

Youngest

Goalscorer

Aged 18 years and 110 days, Spain’s Gavi was on target in La Roja’s 7-0 win over Costa Rica to become the youngest World Cup goalscorer since Pelé at the 1958 finals.

Global visitors

Fans descended on Qatar from across the world.

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local and international Hayya cardholders were in attendance. The Hayya card permitted free travel on Qatar's public transport systems on the day of a match if attendees held a match ticket for such match and the Hayya Card.

World Cup appearance

Lionel Messi made his 26th FIFA World Cup finals appearance in the 2022 final, surpassing the record set by Lothar Matthäus.

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Fastest goal

Canada’s Alphonso Davies scored the fastest goal at Qatar 2022, with his strike against Croatia timed at just 68 seconds.

Match statistics

Thirty-two teams battled it out for FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar, with Argentina ultimately claiming the coveted crown.

  • Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

  • Group B: England, IR Iran, USA, Wales 

  • Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland 

  • Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

  • Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

  • Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia 

  • Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

  • Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, Korea Republic 

Tournament highlights:

Most goals 16 (France)
Most wins 5 (France)
Top goal-scorer (8) Kylian Mbappé
Goals in the first 10 minutes of regulation time 12 (6.98%)
Yellow cards 227 (avg./game: 3.55)
Red cards 4 (one straight red card, and three following a second yellow card)
Most yellow cards 16 (Argentina)

Firsts at Qatar 2022

Middle East and midseason

It was the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted in the region and the first edition not held in the summer.

African semifinalists

Qatar 2022 was the first time an African team made it to the semi-finals, with Morocco’s incredible campaign capturing the hearts of fans.

Female refereeing trio

Stéphanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a FIFA World Cup finals match. The French official lined up alongside assistants Neuza Back and Karen Diaz to form the first-ever female trio to officiate a game at the tournament.

Four-game knock-out stage scoring streak

Lionel Messi became the first player to score in four successive FIFA World Cup knock-out matches since the round of 16 was introduced at the 1986 finals in Mexico.

Player to score at five editions of the World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five FIFA World Cup campaigns (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022).

Volunteers

A diverse group comprising around 20,000 skilled, multilingual and motivated volunteers helped to deliver the FIFA World Cup while showcasing the true spirit of Qatar. More than 400,000 volunteer applications were submitted for a programme that involved a rigorous selection and training process. The selected volunteers represented a spectacularly diverse mix of 150 nationalities and involved participants from all walks of life who ranged in age from 18 to 77.

Volunteers

The heartbeat of the game

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Volunteer applications received – a FIFA World Cup record

Volunteers of 150 nationalities, with 17,000 Qatari residents and 3,000 international volunteers

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Volunteer hours completed, equating to 160,539 shifts

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Spectator service volunteers assisted with information, wayfinding, ticket checking, accessibility services, the lost and found facility and much more across the eight stadiums.

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Hours of training delivered by the volunteer training team, with over 350 in-person training sessions held at the Volunteer Centre

Spectator service volunteers and 33 contractors were assigned exclusively to mobility assistance services

Further tournament information
Ceremonies

The opening ceremony was held at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday, 20 November. The 26 minute show wowed the thousands in attendance and billions watching around the globe.

FIFA staffing and facilities

An expert team was assembled at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to manage logistics, overseeing areas ranging from medical services to security.

Featured Pages

The World Cup at a glance

A look-back at the tournament’s record-breaking success as 32 countries contested the month-long competition in Qatar.

Fan experience

Over 1.8 million fans visited Doha’s FIFA Fan Festival to enjoy the live match broadcasts and vibrant entertainment at the greatest football party in the world.

Ticketing and hospitality

The Official Hospitality Programme was the most successful in the tournament's history. It included guaranteed match tickets and a range of other benefits.

Commercial

Commercial Affiliates helped to bring the FIFA World Cup closer to fans globally and contributed to the successful delivery of the tournament across multiple functional areas.

Sustainability

A comprehensive, dedicated programme oversaw stadium energy and water impacts through efficient design, construction and operations.

Social Impact

Under the Football Unites the World umbrella, FIFA teamed up with a range of international partners and organisations to promote and highlight causes such as antidiscrimination during the FIFA World Cup.