Beyond the pitch, the tournament had a profound effect on the host nation and the global community:
The knockout stage, held from December 3 to December 18, 2022, featured the top 16 teams in a "winner-takes-all" format. Key highlights of this phase included:
The FIFA World Cup 2022 was a historic event that reached its pinnacle during the knockout stage, often colloquially viewed as the tournament's "Part 2" after the initial group phase. This stage transformed the competition from a broad group battle into a high-stakes, single-elimination drama that concluded with one of the most celebrated finals in football history. The Drama of the Knockout Stage
The final at Lusail Iconic Stadium saw Argentina face off against France . It featured a record-breaking performance by Lionel Messi and a historic hat-trick by Kylian Mbappé—the first in a final since 1966.