World Cup 2022

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​32 nations have competed over 29 days, and one victorious team will finally get to hold the solid gold trophy and take it home to their country... but will it be on a plane to Europe or South America?

We'll find out at the final on Sunday.

For me, this has been a World Cup of firsts: The first to be held in the Middle East, the first to be held in an Arab country, the first with female referees, the first to be held in winter, the first time an African and Arabic nation has made it to the semi-finals...

And, of course, my first World Cup!

World Cup 2022 | English

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When Qatar was announced as host for the tournament 10 years ago, many people were surprised.

Doha, the capital city, is the main focus of the country - over 90% of Qatar's population is based here - so getting the city ready to host millions of visitors was a big question.

Unlike any other World Cup, which are normally held across whole countries, all the games here have basically been held in Doha.

Huge sums of money have been spent on the eight stadiums, which are all within one hours drive of each other, this has made travelling between matches relatively easy for fans.

During the World Cup, there seems to be a new activity or event to see here in Doha every day, but apparently this isn't what it's like normally.

World Cup 2022 | English

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Speaking to Waad, a Qatari woman who runs an Abaya store (a type of dress worn by some Muslim women), she told me: "As soon as the tournament began, places started popping up and opening everywhere, new restaurants and beaches, there's usually not much to do."

When I visited a new amusement park with rollercoasters, fun fair and an ice rink, I was surprised to find out that it was only built six months before the start of the tournament. It's clear that Qatar wanted to accommodate the expected two million visitors to the country during the World Cup.

World Cup 2022 | English

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The match on Sunday afternoon could be sub-titled 'Messi versus Mbappé', as two of this World Cup's biggest stars face off against each other.

This game has different emotions for the star players. For Kylian Mbappé, if France bring home the trophy, it will be twice in a row from his first two World Cups, not bad for a player still early in his career.

However, for Lionel Messi, the star has already said this will be his last World Cup game, so going home with the trophy will make stepping away from the biggest stage in football a whole lot easier.

World Cup 2022 | English

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For me, I've loved every moment of being here - from dripping with sweat in the heat whilst reporting to you all in the morning, to witnessing football magic in the stadiums.

Whoever wins on Sunday has deserved it, because it has certainly been a World Cup to remember.

World Cup 2022 | English