December 19 – World Cup organisers reportedly rejected a personal request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to deliver an address ahead of Sunday’s final.
December 19 – With the Qatar 2022 World Cup now complete, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa praised the hosting capabilities of Qatar in delivering the first World Cup in the Arab world and the second in Asia.
December 19 – Following a heartbreaking World Cup final defeat to Argentina, French coach Didier Deschamps left his future as manager of the national team in the balance.
By Samindra Kunti in Lusail
December 18 – In one of the greatest World Cup finals of all time, Argentina and Lionel Messi attained immortality defeating France and hat-trick star Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot after a 3-3 draw.
December 16 – After 62 matches, it’s down to the last two: on Sunday France and Kylian Mbappe and Argentina and Lionel Messi will face off to crown the world champion and bring the 22nd edition of the World Cup, the first one in the Middle East, to a close.
December 18 – Portugal have parted company with coach Fernando Santos following their shock 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the World Cup.
December 16 – In something of a first, no doubt fuelled in part by the widespread alcohol ban, not a single British fan has been arrested at the World Cup in Qatar, according to the UK’s football policing lead.
December 15 – Dutch giants Ajax have trained more players for World Cup teams (11) than any other club, according to latest data from the CIES Football Observatory.
By Samindra Kunti in Al Khor
December 15 – After a history-making run, Moroccan hearts were finally broken. But following their 2-0 semi-final defeat to defending champions France coach Walid Regragui said that with a sense of pride prevailed that his side had shown “a good image”.
December 15 – More than three dozen Nepali civil society groups have called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to “stop looking the other way” while migrant workers in Qatar are denied compensation.
December 14 – Morocco’s national airline said it was cancelling all flights it had scheduled for today to carry hundreds more fans to Doha for the eagerly awaited World Cup semi-final, citing what it said was a decision by Qatari authorities to restrict air travel.
December 14 – Lionel Messi is just one match away from the securing the biggest achievement of his glittering trophy-rich career after leading Argentina into their sixth World Cup final.
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
December 13 – Ahead of Argentina’s semi-final clash with Croatia, Lionel Scaloni has defended his players following their controversial behaviour during their quarter-final victory against the Netherlands, saying it is “out of touch with reality.”
By David Owen
December 13 – Atlético Madrid and Sevilla may have disappointed in this season’s Champions League, but their players are doing the business at Qatar 2022.
December 13 – A Belgian judge has charged four people after the seizure of €600,000 in cash and detained members of the European Parliament as part of an international investigation into claims that football World Cup host Qatar sought to buy influence, rocking the heart of the continent’s politics.