Whatever the Ending, Qatar World Cup Duly Delivered

Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates in acrobatic fashion after scoring the winning goal in the Group C match against Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. (AP)
Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates in acrobatic fashion after scoring the winning goal in the Group C match against Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. (AP)
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Whatever the Ending, Qatar World Cup Duly Delivered

Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates in acrobatic fashion after scoring the winning goal in the Group C match against Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. (AP)
Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates in acrobatic fashion after scoring the winning goal in the Group C match against Argentina, at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. (AP)

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. 

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country. 

But whatever happens, the Qatar tournament criticized in the build-up and which began a little awkwardly delivered an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that even the cynics leapt on board. 

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. 

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 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. 

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 comprised of 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 favor 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. 

England's penalty curse then returned as Harry Kane's botched effort condemned them to a 2-1 defeat by France. 

Messi, channeling 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. 



Bayern’s Kompany Ready to Catch Some Z’s After Bundesliga Title Win 

Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany attends a press conference prior to the UEFA Champions League Second Leg football match Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen on March 10, 2025. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany attends a press conference prior to the UEFA Champions League Second Leg football match Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen on March 10, 2025. (AFP)
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Bayern’s Kompany Ready to Catch Some Z’s After Bundesliga Title Win 

Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany attends a press conference prior to the UEFA Champions League Second Leg football match Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen on March 10, 2025. (AFP)
Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany attends a press conference prior to the UEFA Champions League Second Leg football match Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen on March 10, 2025. (AFP)

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany wants nothing more than a good night's sleep after his team won the Bundesliga title last week with two matches left to play.

The Belgian, in his first season at the club, said the constant preoccupation with the next match during the season did not really allow him to really enjoy the simple pleasures.

"Sleep, really sleep," Kompany said in a club interview when asked what he was most looking forward to after the title win.

"You constantly have the pressure of the next game. You achieve something but then you have to start building for the next achievement."

It was by no means an easy domestic season for Bayern and Kompany, with the club facing stiff competition from last year's champions Bayer Leverkusen, who also eliminated the Bavarians in the German Cup.

Bayern were also eliminated by Italy's Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals.

"Sometimes you have these moments with the family during the year, but then your head is somewhere else," Kompany said.

"Now in the next few weeks I will leave some of that behind. But you can only do that after winning."