Lionel Messi's career by the numbers
The following is a look at Argentina captain Lionel Messi's career by the numbers:
499 million
Global followers on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram (over 10 times the population of Argentina)
Lists
World agrees that we've just witnessed the greatest World Cup final ever
For nearly 80 minutes it looked like the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final was going to be pretty straightforward. Lionel Messi and Argentina had dominated France and taken a 2-0 advantage, but Kylian Mbappé turned the game on its head over the final 10 minutes to force a thrilling extra-time period before a nerve-shredding penalty shootout.
In the end, it was undeniably the greatest World Cup final in the event's history. Argentina had played some thoroughly enjoyable football with 10 shots on target, but France made them suffer to earn a first title 1986.
World Cup final starting XIs: Ángel Di María makes surprise start for Argentina
LUSAIL, Qatar - Ángel Di María is starting for Argentina in their World Cup final clash against France as coach Lionel Scaloni opted for a 4-3-3 formation on Sunday.
Di María, who has not started since the group phase and played only eight minutes in the quarterfinal victory against the Netherlands, is on the right flank of attack, with Lionel Messi set to become the player with most appearances at the World Cup finals (26).
The 10 players who'll determine Sunday's World Cup final
With over one billion people tuning in around the globe, Sunday's World Cup final represents the grandest stage in all of sports. For the players, it's a chance to touch immortality by joining the pantheon of winners.
Many on France's team already tasted glory in 2018, but now they're focused on becoming the first nation to successfully defend its crown since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
5 pieces of s**thousery that took Argentina-Netherlands to a glorious level
Argentina and the Netherlands delighted the globe with one of the greatest World Cup quarterfinals of all time on Friday. Argentina took a 2-0 lead with Lionel Messi providing an outrageous assist before converting from the penalty spot and that advantage remained until the 83rd minute.
World Cup quarterfinals: Power Rankings
After two days of really not knowing what to do with ourselves, the World Cup finally returns Friday with the start of the quarterfinals. At this point, the bracket doesn't lie — the eight remaining teams all fully deserve their places, and we've got a nice variety with five European nations, two South American and one African.
Action begins Friday at 10 a.m. ET with Croatia vs. Brazil and continues at 2 p.m. ET with Netherlands vs. Argentina. Saturday features Morocco vs. Portugal at 10 a.m. and England vs. France at 2 p.m.
The fastest players at the 2022 World Cup (so far)
Running fast is not necessary to be a good player in soccer. If it was, Usain Bolt would have been a phenomenon when he tried to turn pro.
Having said that, we can't deny that speed always captivates the eye. You can see how a sprint perforates a defense or how a player dashing back to stop a counterattack is always an exciting view during a game.
Concacaf’s 2022 World Cup grades from best to worst
After the Round of 16 there are no teams from Concacaf still competing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Of the five confederations that competed in Qatar, Concacaf had the lowest number of victories with a measly three. None of the four teams finished with a winning record.
The gradebook is coming with full force Concacaf, and it’s not pretty. Here are the 2022 Concacaf World Cup grades.
10 coaches for the USMNT to consider who aren't Gregg Berhalter
Wednesday's news is that the search for the next USMNT coach could be a short one — Gregg Berhalter and U.S. Soccer have opened discussions on a new contract with the manager's current deal expiring at the end of the year.
10 players whose reputation tanked during the World Cup
The lasting memories of World Cups should be the celebrations of football — the glorious goals, the mesmerizing skills, the feel-good stories. But we also know that there's no joy without suffering and no winners without losers, and sometimes, it's those dramatic failures that really resonate because life's a snitch and then you die.
Some of this is completely unfair to players who've given us so much over the years and to young guys who've got a lot of ball left to play, but these are the 10 individuals who really let me down in Qatar.