Football as a sport keeps getting bigger, better, and more interesting as the years go by. 2022 was no different, as the year ended with a month-long extravaganza in Qatar — the FIFA World Cup — which ended with Lionel Messi's Argentina lifting the coveted trophy for the third time, and the first time in 26 years.
This year, many top teams have faltered while others have shone, and some of the biggest leagues of the world have been home to top surprise packages. As the year comes to an end, we take a close look at some of these teams, and how they have fared:
January-February: From Senegalese delight to India's AFC debacle
Led by Sadio Mane, who changed the red of Liverpool for the red of Bayern Munich, Senegal lifted the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, beating Mohamed Salah's Egypt in the final. Mane scored thrice and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament but was unfortunate to suffer an injury just before the FIFA World Cup, after playing a key role in Senegal's qualification.
During the same time, India were hosting the AFC Women's Asian Cup but were forced to leave the competition after a barrage of Covid cases affected the team. The side were disqualified after the first game itself.
May: Ibrahimovic and his tryst with AC Milan
AC Milan are football royalty in Italy's top football league — the Serie A. Hence, it is surprising that the Italian club took a decade to win a Scudetto! Led by Swedish master Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan made sure that Juventus could not continue their dominance, and pipped their biggest rivals Inter Milan to the coveted trophy as the side finally proved their mettle after their decline.
July: Victory for England's women's team
Chloe Kelly was the name that fans of England were chanting when their women's team did what the men's team have not been able to do till now — Win the Euros. Led by master tactician Sarina Wiegman, the Englishwomen face Germany, record-holders of the competition, having won the trophy eight times before.
With the host nation being held to a 1-1 draw in regulation time, Kelly scored the winning goal to etch her name in the country's history books.
August: Disgrace for AIFF and heartbreak for Gokulam Kerala
India's premier football league, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was banned by FIFA after they were accused of third-party intervention. This meant that the Gokulam Kerala women's team, who was in Uzbekistan for the AFC Women's Championship, had to return back without playing a single game.
The AIFF eventually held their elections and Kalyan Chaubey pipped Bhaichung Bhutia to the position of president of the executive committee.
September: Arsenal, Napoli rule the roost, Freiburg the surprise package
The English Premier League (EPL) has been dominated by Manchester City over the last four seasons, but the 2022-23 campaign has sprung a surprise. The North London club are 5 points clear off the top of the table, and have set their sights on qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in six seasons at the least, if not winning the title.
Moving over to Serie A, Napoli are having a similar campaign, if not better. The Italian outfit are eight points clear at the top of the standings, with defending champions Milan playing catch-up.
In Germany, Bayern Munich woke up from their sleep just in time to move to the top of the league. But the real winners have been SC Freiburg, who have really come off their own in the ongoing season,
Freiburg are second on the table, just four points behind Munich. They will fight for a Champions League spot, a first for the side in their long history.
October: FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup finally kicks off
Delayed due to Covid, India finally hosted the U-17 Women's World Cup, which was postponed from 2020. Matches were hosted in Bhubaneswar, Goa and Mumbai, and although the Indian football team did not perform as well as they would have liked to, the tournament was a big success, paving the path for future FIFA tournaments.
November-December: The biggest football party of them all!
Come November, excitement for the biggest football event of the year began. Although hosted in controversial Qatar, once the tournament kicked off, football reigned supreme as the press deemed the 2022 FIFA World Cup one of the best ever held.
From shock results to emotional heartbreaks, and last-minute gasps, this edition had everything. Argentina fell to Saudi Arabia in their opening match, and it was all everyone could talk about. But the team held their ground and went from surprise losers to deserved champions in a span of 20 days. It was a fitting swansong for Lionel Messi, who might have finally settled the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ debate concerning Ronaldo and himself.
