A World Cup that has defied all expectations reaches its climax on Sunday when Lionel Messi could join Diego Maradona in Argentine immortality by taking the south Americans to the title or France could become the first nation to retain it since 1962.
Moroccans celebrate after their team won the Qatar 2022 World Cup round 16 football match against Spain. Photo: AFP
Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country.
But whatever happens, a tournament ridiculed in the build-up and which began a little awkwardly delivered an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that even the cynics leapt on board.
Millions of words were written criticising the choice of Qatar as host to the world's second-largest sports event and the debate will continue long after the last ball is kicked.
But for a month the so-called beautiful game did, in the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, spread some joy.
The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Tunisia delivered shocks. New heroes emerged.
Yet the abiding memory for many will be Morocco's shake-up of football's hierarchy.
Thousands of their fans painted the desert red and turned Doha's souq into a corner of Marrakesh as the Atlas Lions roared into the semi-finals.
Morocco fans show their support for their team, ahead of their Group F match against Canada, at Al Thumama Stadium on 01 December, 2022 in Doha. Photo: FIFA / Michael Regan / Getty Images
Harnessing the energy of their followers, Walid Regragui's men scored victories over European aristocrats Belgium, Spain and Portugal on the way to becoming the first African and first Arab country to reach the last four.
France proved a match too far as they set up a showdown with Argentina in the spectacular Lusail Stadium where nearly four weeks earlier Argentina's 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia lit the blue touchpaper for an extraordinary tournament.
In five second-half minutes Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting folklore by scoring the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the biggest statistical shock in World Cup history.
Infantino, who raised eyebrows on the eve of the tournament with a passionate monologue defending the Qatari organisers, described the group phase as the best ever. Few would disagree.
The 48 games produced 120 goals, only two red cards, and enough head-spinning moments to garnish three tournaments.
A day after Saudi Arabia's win, Japan came from a goal down to beat Germany - a result the four-time champions never recovered from as they went home early.
Japan's players celebrate a goal against Germany at the 2022 World Cup. Photo: AFP
Iran, against a backdrop of widespread anti-government protests at home, were smashed 6-2 by England, then beat Wales with goals in the eighth and 11th minutes of stoppage time.
Late goals and hasty re-writes for the world's written media were a recurring theme and the last three nights of group action were a white-knuckle ride on and off the pitch.
Japan stunned Spain in a stomach-churning finish to Group E which at one point looked to be sending Costa Rica and Japan into the last 16 at the expense of Spain and Germany.
South Korea conjured a stoppage-time goal to beat Portugal and make it out of Group H to the heartbreak of Uruguay while Mexico's manic attempt to score enough goals against the Saudis to pip Poland to second spot in Group C ended in failure.
Every continent was represented in the last 16 for the first time but after such a riotous group phase would it fall flat?
No chance
Australia gave Argentina a mighty late scare, Mbappe dazzled for France against Poland and a free-scoring England ended the Senegalese party in the tent-like Al Bayt Stadium, one of seven new stadiums built for the tournament, including the 974 Stadium comprising recycled shipping containers.
Brazil danced their way to a 4-1 thrashing of South Korea while Portugal did the unthinkable and left out Ronaldo only to find a new hero as Goncalo Ramos bagged a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout of Switzerland.
Morocco went toe-to-toe with Spain in an absorbing 0-0 draw, then knocked out the 2010 champions on penalties as Luis Enrique's side failed to net a single kick.
Unpredictable as the tournament was, the usual suspects assembled for the quarter-finals.
Some Neymar magic gave Brazil an extra-time lead against Croatia, only for Bruno Petkovic to level in the 117th minute with Croatia's first effort on target. Almost inevitably, Brazil slumped out on penalties.
Argentina squandered a 2-0 lead against a Netherlands side who dumped their usual scientific approach in favour of lumping high balls into the box to destructive effect.
Wout Weghorst's brace, the second in the 11th minute of stoppage time silenced the blue and white hordes, but Messi and Co edged a penalty shootout to decide a fractious contest.
Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups but his last appearance, again as a substitute, ended in tears as Portugal went down 1-0 to a history-making Morocco.
It was an unhappy World Cup for Portugal's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
England's penalty curse then returned as Harry Kane's botched effort condemned them to a 2-1 defeat by France.
Messi, channelling his inner-Maradona, inspired Argentina to beat Croatia and few would begrudge the diminutive number 10's record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.
Ten tournament highlights
Saudi Arabia stun Argentina
Argentina were cruising in their opening Group C game after Lionel Messi scored a first-half penalty. But the Green Falcons swooped after halftime with Saleh Al-Shehri squeezing in a low shot to equalise and five minutes later Salem Al-Dawsari curled in a scorching second to leave Argentina in disbelief and Saudi fans joyously singing 'where is Messi?'.
South Korea's nervous wait
When Hwang Hee-chan scored a stoppage-time winner for South Korea in their final Group H game the hard part was just starting. The Korean players then had to spend almost 10 agonising minutes in a tight huddle in the centre circle peering at phones, hoping Uruguay would not score another goal against Ghana. Finally, with a last-16 place assured, they sprinted en masse towards their delirious fans.
Magical Messi bamboozles Croatian Gvardiol
Such has been the Argentine number 10s impact in Qatar that the seven-time Ballon D'or winner could have multiple entries on the memorable list. But the way he held off Croatia's masked defender Josko Gvardiol, then bamboozled him with an electrifying twist to set up the third goal in a 3-0 semi-final win encapsulated the 35-year-old's genius.
Ronaldo exits final World Cup in tears
Portugal's talisman became the first male player to score in five World Cups with a penalty against Ghana. But the 37-year-old was subsequently left out of the starting line-up and after he was unable to save his side after coming off the bench in the quarter-final against Morocco he was filmed walking down the tunnel in floods of tears.
First felamle referee at a men's World Cup
Frenchwoman Stephanie Frappart was handed control of Germany's final Group E clash against Costa Rica, becoming the first female referee to officiate at a men's World Cup.
Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez described it as a big step forward in 'sexist sport' and the 39-year-old Frappart produced a calm and assured display in Germany's victory.
Japan hit back to shock Germany
Before kickoff in their Group E opener Germany's players covered their mouths in protest at FIFA's threat of sanctions against the wearing of the 'OneLove' armband.
At the final whistle they were left gobsmacked after Japan's substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano secured an unlikely 2-1 comeback win for the Samurai Blue whose fans celebrated hard before bagging the litter in the stadium.
Morocco's fans
Thousands of them descended on the Arabian Gulf to roar the Atlas Lions and they were richly rewarded as Morocco became the first African and first Arab country to reach the semi-finals.
The noise the red-clad hordes created in the stadiums was deafening and reached fever pitch in the penalty shootout defeat of Spain in the last 16 and against Portugal in the quarter-finals when a cacophony of whistles greeted every touch by the opposition as Morocco protected their 1-0 lead.
Group E finale mayhem
A group that began with Germany losing to Japan and Spain putting seven goals past Costa Rica concluded on a tumultuous night that almost turned the football world upside-down.
Germany needed a win over Costa Rica and for Spain to beat Japan to go through as runners-up, and at halftime that was exactly what was happening. Then everything went mad.
Japan scored twice in three minutes early in the second half and Costa Rica flipped their game against Germany to lead and for four minutes the live table showed Japan and Costa Rica in first and second place with Spain and Germany going home.
Germany ended up winning 4-2 to save Spain's bacon, although they were on the flight home the next day.
Mbappe destroys Poland
Kylian Mbappe has enhanced his reputation as one of the best players in the world in Qatar and the Frenchman was simply unplayable in the last-16 against Poland.
First he set up Olivier Giroud to open the scoring then took matters into his own hands with two sublime finishes to seal a 3-0 win. The speedster was clocked at 35.3kph during the game.
Cameroon's Aboubakar sinks Brazil, then sent off
A manic group phase concluded in almost comical fashion as Cameroon's Vincent Aboubakar scored a stoppage-time winner against an already-qualified Brazil, took his shirt off, and was immediately given a second yellow card by an apologetic referee who shook the player's hand.
- Reuters
