RETRO
2022 football retrospective: Argentina, Karim Benzema and England in the spotlight
In 2022, Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or, the English were crowned European Nations champions and Argentina lifted the World Cup (RFI editing).
© Manu Fernandez / Rui Vieira / Martin Meissner / AP
Text by: Luca Endrizzi
5 mins
The 2022 sporting year has been rich in unforgettable performances on the football side, with in particular the England women's team, crowned European champions at Wembley, the Ballon d'Or won hands down by Karim Benzema and the crowning of Argentina of Lionel Messi during the World Cup in Qatar.
A look back at twelve intense months.
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A third world star for Argentina
The Argentine people vibrate for football and for their hero Lionel Messi.
It has been 36 years since the Albiceleste returned home with the World Cup.
The wait was long, like the final against the France team, ended on penalties after a scenario not recommended for fragile nerves.
Ten minutes from the end of regulation time, Argentina led 2-0 against an irrelevant French team forced to suffer the game of the South Americans.
Then, two flashes from Kylian Mbappé brought the Blues back to life.
In extra time, the Argentinians regained the advantage thanks to Lionel Messi, who had already opened the scoring.
But on a new penalty, Kylian Mbappé equalized again.
It was finally at the end of the penalty shoot-out that the World Cup landed in the hands of Messi & co, thanks to a save from Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez against Kingsley Coman and a shot off target from 'Aurélien Tchouaméni.
For Lionel Messi, the captain of the Albiceleste, the dream becomes reality.
His record is completed with the last title he lacked.
► To read also: 2022 World Cup: a legendary final and a third trophy for Argentina
A Ballon d'Or at home
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been sidelined in Qatar due to a muscle injury.
A damaging quack for the striker after a breathtaking season in the jersey of Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old Lyon native added a fifth Champions League crown and a fourth Club World Cup, and most importantly won the Ballon d'Or.
It had been 24 years since the most coveted individual prize had been won by a French player.
In 1998, Zinédine Zidane was the winner.
It was he who presented Karim Benzema with the Ballon d'Or 2022. On the podium, with him climb the Senegalese Sadio Mané and the Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, respectively second and third.
KARIM BENZEMA IS THE 2022 BALLON D'OR!
✨@Benzema@realmadrid#ballondor pic.twitter.com/TXLkHJIhJM
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@francefootball) October 17, 2022
A slightly muddled Champions League final
It was Karim Benzema, captain of Real Madrid, who lifted the cup to the sky with the big ears at the end of the Champions League final, which was held in Saint-Denis, in the Paris suburbs, between his club and FC Liverpool, May 28, 2022. The team led by Carlo Ancelotti won the most important continental trophy thanks to a single goal from the Brazilian Vinicius.
The final should have been held in Saint Petersburg, but due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, it was moved by UEFA.
Paris had recovered this large-scale event but the organization was not up to it.
The match started more than 30 minutes late due to incidents outside the Stade de France enclosure.
Didier Lallement, then prefect of police in Paris, spoke of massive counterfeit ticket fraud, especially by English supporters.
On the day of the final, the RER B was on strike, something that certainly did not facilitate access to the stadium.
The president of the Reds ended up asking for an apology for the abuse of his team's supporters, many of them families with children, violently repelled by the police, who used tear gas.
Apologies from the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, and UEFA will arrive a few days later.
The fiasco of a failed organization that will unfortunately remain intact.
► To read also:
Tensions in Paris around the Champions League final
OL and England at the top of women's football
The Olympique Lyonnais footballers were not intimidated by their opponents from Barça on May 21, 2022, during the final of the Women's Champions League, which took place at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.
Guided on the bench by ex-player Sonia Bompastor, in front of more than 32,000 spectators, the Lyonnaises made short work of the Catalans, beaten 3-1, and brought back to the west of the Alps the eighth OL European Cup.
Out of ten finals, the daughters of President Jean-Michel Aulas have lost only twice, an absolute record in women's football.
A few weeks later, England organized the tenth edition of the European Women's Football Championship.
This time, victory did not smile on the French women.
It was the English players who won for the first time in their history.
In the final, on July 6, the English faced Germany, deprived of its best director Alexandra Popp, injured during the warm-up.
After 90 minutes of play, the score was 1-1, demonstrating the balance between the two teams.
But there were no penalties thanks to Chloe Kelly, the English striker of Manchester City, who gave the final success to his team (2-1).
👉 What was your 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 moment of 2022?
🤩
=______________?
pic.twitter.com/qIt3lttw6I
— UEFA Women's EURO (@WEURO) December 27, 2022
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