Qatar 2022 has been a World Cup of shocks and spectacular goals. So, HITC Football looks at the best goals of the tournament so far – including Richarlison’s acrobatic shot for Brazil.
A total of 148 goals were scored over the 56 games that made up the group stage and last 16. France forward Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race on five goals in four games. Richarlison is one of nine players to strike three goals, along with Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Two England wingers, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, have helped Gareth Southgate’s side make the quarter-finals with three goals. They, France’s Olivier Giroud, Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands and Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos after a hat-trick also remain at Qatar 2022.
Qatar 2022 may set a new World Cup record for the most goals in a tournament
The 1998 World Cup in France and the 2014 edition in Brazil have returned the most goals at one tournament. Both tournaments saw 171 successful strikes over the 64 games at an average of 2.67 per match. Qatar 2022 has so far produced an average of 2.64 per fixture.
Just eight matches are still to be played in Qatar, starting with Croatia taking on Richarlison and Brazil. Vatreni face the Selecao in the quarter-finals on Friday, December 9 before the Netherlands meet Argentina. Morocco vs Portugal and England vs France are on Saturday.
Qatar 2022 is the last World Cup where a new record can be set for the most goals over 64 games. The 2026 edition co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada will feature 48 nations, up from the current 32. FIFA last increased its limit from 24 nations ahead of France 1998.
So, before the quarter-finals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, HITC Football has looked at the goals of the tournament so far from the 148 scored by a combination of 106 players yet…
7) Aboubakar thought he was offside for a Goal of the Tournament vs Serbia
Vincent Aboubakar scored one of the World Cup Goals of the Tournament so far in one of the games of Qatar 2022 so far. But the striker did not burst into a celebration as the ball hit the net. Instead, the 30-year-old thought he was offside until the VAR allowed the goal.
Cameroon spurned an early lead and trailed Serbia 3-1 after conceding on 45+1, 45+3 and 53 minutes. Yet Aboubakar gave the Indomitable Lions a lifeline on 63’ before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting added the African’s third on 66’. Their efforts saw the Group G tie end 3-3.
Aboubakar likely expected the offside flag to go up as he casually evaded Milos Veljkovic’s tackle and lifted the ball over Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. But he timed his run to perfection to break Serbia’s offside trap, drift onto Jean-Charles Castelletto’s ball through and scoop in.
6) Chavez unleashed a rocket for a Goal of the Tournament vs Saudi Arabia
Luis Chavez helped Mexico secure a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Group C with one of the goals of the 2022 World Cup. But he could not help keep El Tri in the tournament beyond the first round. They had made the Round of 16 at the past seven World Cups since 1994.
Henry Martin had already put Mexico 1-0 up after 47 minutes before Chavez stood over a free-kick. But it was his powerful drive from 32 yards out straight into the top corner that secured the win. Salem Al-Dawsari scored to dump Mexico out of Qatar 2022 in the 95th.
Chavez left Mohammed Al Owais helpless to deny the Pachuca midfielder his first and only goal at Qatar 2022. The 26-year-old could not have placed the ball any better as it crashed into the top corner. He offered the perfect amount of dip, curl and power on his 12th cap.
5) De Arrascaeta was at the double with a Goal of the Tournament vs Ghana
Uruguay met Ghana in their final game of Group H knowing they had to win to stand any chance of advancing. In the end, their 2-0 result was still not enough as South Korea beat Portugal. But Giorgian de Arrascaeta left the world stage having made his mark in Qatar.
The 28-year-old from Nuevo Berlin marked his first start of Qatar 2022 with a brace. The 42-cap technician bundled home Luis Suarez’s effort for his first of the tie. De Arrascaeta then showed his skill to round off a delightful piece of Uruguay teamwork with a powerful volley.
Facundo Pellistri lifted the ball on to Darwin Nunez on the edge of Ghana’s box in the 31st minute. The Liverpool star immediately knocked the ball down to Suarez, who instinctively looped over Daniel Amartey. De Arrascaeta took it first time to drill past Lawrence Ati Zigi.
4) Ramos burst out of Ronaldo’s shadow to stun Switzerland in the last 16
Ramos burst out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow to announce himself to the World Cup at 21 years old against Switzerland. Fernando Santos brought the forward into his starting XI in the Round of 16 for the Portugal icon. A call he would come to love during their 6-1 win.
Portugal could cut through Switzerland like cheese and it took Ramos 17 minutes to break the deadlock. He would add further goals on 51 and 67 minutes to become the first player to score a hat-trick at Qatar 2022. Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro and Rafael Leao would also hit.
Ramos scored the goal of the game and one of the strikes of the tournament so far to put Portugal 1-0 ahead in their World Cup Round of 16 tie. The Benfica talent took Joao Felix’s pass and fashioned a yard of space. He then unleashed a rocket into the near-top corner.
Yann Sommer stood no chance of denying Ramos on his first start at the 2022 World Cup. The pace of his strike took the ball beyond the Borussia Monchengladbach star before he could react. Ramos’ shot also required inch-perfect precision to edge through a small gap.
3) Fernandez helped to kickstart Argentina’s tepid World Cup vs Mexico
Enzo Fernandez helped to kickstart Argentina’s tepid World Cup campaign in their 2-0 win over Mexico. La Albiceleste showed great attacking promise in their opening tie with Saudi Arabia. But after Argentina saw three goals chalked off for offside, Saudi Arabia won 2-1.
The South Americans could have been facing an early exit without a win over Mexico in the next game. And it appeared a draw would be all they could manage before Messi drilled in from the edge of the box. Only for Fernandez to upstage the Albiceleste icon with his own.
Lionel Scaloni introduced the 21-year-old from the bench on 57 minutes and would see his decision pay dividends. Messi rolled the ball over to the Benfica midfielder on the edge of Mexico’s area before Fernandez showed beautiful trickery and picked out the far corner.
Erick Gutierrez was too afraid to tackle Fernandez as the youngster teased the 27-year-old with the ball at his feet. A drop of the left shoulder then sent Gutierrez the wrong way and opened a window to shoot. A window Fernandez would not waste as the ball glided home.
2) Richarlison turned mis-controlling the ball into magic in Brazil vs Serbia
Richarlison showed the World Cup why Tottenham Hotspur paid Everton £60m to sign the Brazil forward in July with his goal of the tournament contender against Serbia. The 41-cap attacker from Nova Venecia had also just broken the deadlock with a tap-in on 62 minutes.
It could have ended very differently, though, when Richarlison mis-controlled Vinicius Jr’s cross in the 73rd. Instead, the 25-year-old turned inadvertently flicking the ball into the air into an acrobatic finish that flew past Milinkovic-Savic before the 25-year-old could react.
Richarlison watched the ball all the way as his mis-controlled touch floated it over his left shoulder. He would then ignore the pressure from Veljkovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to flash a scissor-kick volley on the swivel into the net and light up what was often a dim tie.
1) An Al-Dawsari screamer saw Saudi Arabia shock Argentina and the world
Qatar 2022 has been littered with upsets from Japan coming from behind to beat Germany and Spain 2-1, Morocco beating Belgium 2-0, Tunisia overcoming 2018 World Cup winners France 1-0, Cameroon pipping Brazil 1-0 and Morocco dumping Spain out 3-0 on penalties.
But Saudi Arabia’s shock 2-1 come-from-behind win against Argentina also featured one of the Goals of the Tournament so far. Saleh Al-Shehri struck out Messi’s 10th minute penalty in the 48th. Herve Renard’s minnows then kept up their pressure and went in front on 53’.
Al-Dawsari sent the Lusail Iconic Stadium wild as the Al-Hilal winger put the Green Falcons ahead. The 31-year-old’s touch was not perfect to bring the ball down inside the box under pressure from Nahuel Molina. Yet Angel Di Maria would also fail to take it away from him.
Enjoying the 71st of his 73 caps, Al-Dawsari marked the match by turning between Molina and Di Maria. Rodrigo de Paul then tried to get close but Al-Dawsari’s quick feet let him cut past the Atletico Madrid ace. Leandro Paredes’ rash lung would also have no effect on him.
Al-Dawsari ignored Paredes sliding into his path to flip the game on its head. He picked out the far corner of the Albiceleste net with a delightful effort with just enough curl. Emiliano Martinez at full stretch could only get his fingertips to it and do nothing to stop it going in.
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