Qatar

21 Dec 2022; MEMO: Qatar has estimated that it will make $17 billion in revenue after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar News Agency (QNA) has reported. With 1.2 million visitors and the sale of three million tickets for matches, the immediate revenue will be linked directly to visitor spending.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: Qatar has expressed its rejection of attempts to associate the Gulf State with misconduct, Al Jazeera has reported. The government in Doha is apparently furious at a Belgian investigation into an "alleged attempt to influence the European Parliament" which "relied on 'inaccurate' information." Relations between the two countries could suffer "negatively" as a result.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar is finally a World Cup champion.

Messi scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties Sunday to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.

18 Dec 2022; MEMO: Morocco's dream run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup ended in defeat as Croatia held on for a 2-1 win in the third-place playoff on Saturday, reports Anadolu Agency.

A frantic start at the Khalifa International Stadium saw Croatia take the lead in just the 7th minute through a diving header from defender Josko Gvardiol that capped off a cleverly worked free-kick routine.

It took Morocco all of two minutes to level matters with a headed goal of their own from defender Achraf Dari.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Fatima Garcia donned a headscarf and a black abaya — a long, loose-fitting robe — over her clothes as she walked into a mosque in Doha to learn about Islam.

In Qatar to enjoy the World Cup with friends, the Salvadoran visitor took a day off from soccer to go sightseeing at the Katara mosque, where preachers have been introducing Islam in multiple languages to curious fans from around the world.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Coming from Brazil for the World Cup in Qatar, Daniela Crawford had been worried about conservative dress codes. But like many women attending the tournament, she said she found no problems.

“In Brazil people are used to it, but we came here and decided to show how we are,” said Crawford — wearing shorts — as she took pictures with a Brazilian flag with her husband and two sons outside Doha’s Education City Stadium before the Brazil-Croatia quarterfinal match last week.

DOHA, December 13. /TASS/: A team of volunteers from Russia, serving at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has organized a Day of Russian Culture for their colleagues representing other countries, Anatoly Savinov, one of the event’s organizers, told TASS.

"Some 2,000 foreign volunteers, serving at the World Cup, are accommodated in a single hotel," Savinov told a TASS correspondent. "They came here representing dozens of different countries. We wanted to treat them with a large-scale presentation of Russia and to organize a holiday."

12 Dec 2022; MEMO: France's Sports Minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera has praised Qatar's "impressive" organisation and management of the World Cup, after her country's national team advanced to the semi-finals on Saturday night, defeating its English counterpart 2-1.

"We do not forget the words of His Highness the Emir (Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani) when he said: "Hello everyone," Oudea-Castera said after her country's qualification for the semi-finals, as reported by the Qatar News Agency on Sunday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Tears are flowing from soccer’s biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup.

First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next?

Momentum is building behind Messi’s push to cap his career with the biggest prize in the game. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals, almost in the same way Diego Maradona — the man with whom Messi is so often compared — led the South American nation to its second and most recent World Cup title in 1986.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo choked up with emotion as the tears ran down his cheeks. He momentarily covered his face with his hand, but couldn’t hide his disappointment.

This moment was too big.

It was likely the last World Cup match for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, and probably his last chance to win soccer’s biggest prize.

When it mattered most, he couldn’t conjure up the kind of soccer magic that has made him one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.