It’s a goal! 6 of the best strikes of the 2022 FIFA World Cup so far | Football News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Down to its business end with the last four teams standing — Argentina, Croatia, France and Morocco – all set to battle it out in the semi-finals on December 14 and 15, the ongoing FIFA World Cup has been a true spectacle and has produced some incredible and jaw-dropping performances and results. Many predictions have well and truly gone out of the window.
From powerhouses like Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Germany being shown the door sooner than expected, to the sensational run of teams like Croatia and Morocco, the World Cup in Qatar has been a rollercoaster with a sea of emotions on display.
Amid all the razzmatazz in the desert, the tournament has been a goal fest too, with a total of 158 goals being scored in 60 matches so far.
From deft touches to solo acrobatic stunners to highly-precise set-pieces hitting the back of the net, quite a few goals in the World Cup have been truly spectacular and breathtaking.
TimesofIndia.com here takes a look at 6 of the best goals of the tournament so far:
Richarlison screamer against Serbia (Brazil vs Serbia)
Brazil forward Richarlison de Andrade produced arguably one the best goals in World Cup history in the five time champions’ opener against Serbia. The 25-year-old scored twice in Brazil’s comfortable 2-0 win. However the biggest talking point was Richarlison’s second hit at the target.
The bicycle kick that Richarlison struck in the 73rd minute was simply an outstanding effort where he skillfully controlled the cross with his left leg inside the Serbian box and then found the net with a right foot strike over his head, beating a Serbian defender and the goalkeeper comfortably.
Watch Richarlison’s goal here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

The wonder goal from Richarlison was followed by a huge roar from the Brazil fans inside the stadium as he sealed the fate of the game with his acrobatic strike.
Unfortunately, Brazil’s run at the 2022 World Cup ended in the quarters with a shock defeat on penalties to Croatia.
Rashford’s direct free-kick against Wales (England vs Wales)
England’s hopes of becoming the world champions after 56 years were put to rest with their quarter-final loss against France. But the Three Lions played exceptionally well before their last-eight exit.
And one of England’s incredible moments in Qatar was on display in the group game against Wales when their star striker Marcus Rashford netted the first direct free-kick of the 2022 World Cup.
From outside the Wales box, Rashford fired the free-kick past the goalkeeper Danny Ward to the top-right corner to become the third English player to score a direct free-kick in a World Cup match after David Beckham and Kieran Trippier.
Watch Marcus Rashford’s incredible goal here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

England comprehensively won that match 3-0 to top their group. Later in the round of 16, England defeated Senegal 3-0, but then lost to France 2-1 in the quarters.
Mbappe scorcher against Poland (France vs Poland)
Defending champions France have bossed their way to the semis at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and their star striker Kylian Mbappe has been coming out all guns blazing on the pitch in almost every game. He is currently the highest goal scorer (5) of the tournament so far and number one in the race for the Golden Boot.
And one of Mbappe’s wonder strikes was registered in the round of 16 match against Poland when the 23-year-old scored a scorcher in his team’s 3-1 comprehensive win.
Forging superb team-play with Marcus Thuram, Mbappe collected the Thuram pass from the left-flank inside the Polish box. He then swivelled around and struck the ball with his right foot to find the top right corner.
Getting the ball past the Polish defender goalkeeper with ease, Mbappe’s hit was the perfect example of precision striking.
Watch Kylian Mbappe’s wonder goal here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

Messi thunderbolt against Mexico (Argentina vs Mexico)
Argentina’s World Cup campaign got off to a torrid start as they began with a shock 1-2 loss against Saudi Arabia. However their campaign got a new lease of life with a 2-0 win over Mexico in their second group match. And the breath of fresh air for Argentina’s campaign came via a Lionel Messi goal that he struck in the second half of the contest against the Mexicans.
The Argentine skipper produced a superb strike from just outside the Mexican box in the 64th minute. The left-footed bullet from Messi beat the goalkeeper with ease and finished at the bottom right of the net.
Watch Messi’s wonder strike here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

Enzo Fernandez later scored the second goal for the two-time champions as they finished with a 2-0 sweep of Mexico and their first full points.
Ramos wonder strike against the Swiss (Portugal vs Switzerland)
The Portugal versus Switzerland round of 16 clash turned out to be a goal fest as Fernando Santos’ side fired in six goals with Gonçalo Ramos slamming the first hat-trick of the edition.
While all the three goals scored by Ramos were incredible, his opening strike in the 16th minute turned out to be a special effort.
Inside the Swiss box, Ramos, in what was his first international start, was delivered a terrific pass by Joao Felix but the striker was short on space with the defender closing in. But what followed next was a left-footed bullet strike from Ramos that went over the keeper’s head and thudded into the net.
Despite an awkward angle and limited space, Ramos squeezed the ball into the net with perfection, making the goal a stunning effort.
Ramos topped off his first World Cup goal with a smoking pistol celebration amid huge cheer from the fans.
Watch Goncalo Ramos’ beautiful goal here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

Salem Al-Dawsari historic winner against Argentina (Saudi Arabia vs Argentina)
Saudi Arabian winger Salem Al-Dawsari etched his name in the history books when his 53rd minute strike against Argentina caused one of the biggest upsets ever in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
With both the teams level at 1-1 after goals from Lionel Messi (10’P) and Saleh Alshehri (48′), Salem’s right-footed strike from the edge of the box to the far right corner of the Argentine net stunned the Messi-led side.
Watch Al-Dawsari’s goal here: (Footage Courtesy: FIFA):

Dodging three defenders in an impressive fashion, Salem’s precise strike past the goalkeeper earned Saudi Arabia an unforgettable victory against the two-time champions, which has been dubbed by many experts as possibly the biggest upset ever in a World Cup match. The 31-year-old then topped off the goal with a somersault backflip.