Despite its controversy, the 2022 World Cup has proven to be unforgettable. We haven't even gotten to the group stages, and yet we've seen some stunning goals, miraculous victories and new stars. The Fifa world cup has once again lived up to its hype. This article highlights three key moments from the first two matchdays, which I believe must be mentioned.
First of all, Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest upsets in the history of football. Their strong footballing legacy, 36 games undefeated record and the undeniable goal scoring threat from Lionel Messi makes them extremely strong contenders to take the trophy home. However, they were unable to beat Saudi Arabia in their first world cup fixture. Some blame it on Argentina’s lack of intensity and complacency, others claim it was due to Saudi’s tactical merit. Ultimately it was a mix of both. Argentina did not play anywhere near to their usual level, they were slow on the offense and lazy on the defense. Whilst Saudi Arabia’s intensity and perfect execution of the offside trap proved deadly towards the South American side. Football gamblers call it a nightmare, everyone else calls it a miracle.
Matchday 1 also presented us with a potential goal of the tournament, as Richarlison shined during his world cup debut against Serbia. Vinicius Jr. ran down the leftwing, as he spotted Richarlison in the box, he played on a perfect trivella pass in between two defenders which ultimately found Richarlison. He took one shot, and immediately with full composure and elegance executed an infamous bicycle kick which was smoothly placed on the bottom left corner of the net. The match proved to be the perfect stage for Richarlison to show the world why he deserves to be Brazil’s number 9.
Jamal Musiala is a name for the headlines as he has put in back to back eye-catching performances despite playing for an underwhelming German side. Against Spain he put the German team on his back and prevented their elimination from the world cup picking up one assist and 3 key passes at just the age of 19. The Bayern Munich player has an overall transfer value of 97 million euros, which he is undoubtedly living up to. Finally, it would be unfair not to mention Kyllian Mbappe who’s already scored three goals this tournament.
By Nick