Goalkeeper of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 winning Argentine team, Emiliano Martinez, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter's office today (July 03, 2023).  During the meeting, the PM appreciated the Argentine footballer for his stellar performance that contributed to Argentina lifting the Football World Cup 2022 trophy.  Martinez presented a signed Argentine jersey to the PM during their meeting. "You are the man who brought glory for Argentina. I wish you all the success," she was quoted as saying. Messi mania grips Argentina in 1st match as World Cup champs PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. Sheikh Hasina said football is the most popular sport in the world and Bangladeshis are passionate about it. She mentioned that her family is also a sports-loving one. "My father and grandfather were footballers," she said. The premier said her government has been constructing upazila-level mini-stadiums across Bangladesh to promote football and other sports. Read more: Indonesia to Host Argentina In a Friendly Football Match on June 2023 Emiliano Martinez, the Golden Gloves winner of FIFA World Cup 2022, was overwhelmed after learning of Bangladesh's huge fanbase. "I'm very happy to be here and happy to know about the passion for football among Bangladeshis," he said. Indian organizer and sports promoter Satadru Dutta and personal manager of Martinez, Santiago Liotta, are among the visiting delegation members. LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam, PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Swapan Bhattacharjee, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, PM's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Sheikh Helal Uddin MP and Sheikh Tonmoy MP were present at the meeting between PM Hasina and star Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Read more: Messi mania grips Argentina in 1st match as World Cup champs

2022 was an exciting year for football fans all around the world. Starting with the Africa Cup of Nations, and ending with the FIFA World Cup, 2022 was a year full of incredible moments, memorable games, and unexpected storylines. It was a year that will be remembered for many years to come. Let's take a look at some of the major football events of the 2022 sports year.  Major International Football Events in 2022 While there were hundreds of football events took place worldwide, a few of them were popular. The following part will focus on the top international football events of 2022. 9 January – 6 February: 2021 Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations is an international association football tournament for African countries which takes place every two years. The tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is the most prestigious tournament in African football. The tournament is also known as the “African Nations Cup,” and it is the most watched football competition in the continent. Although this tournament was supposed to take place in 2021, it was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  All 54 member countries of the CAF are eligible to enter the tournament and compete for the Africa Cup of Nations title. Out of the 54 countries, only 24 teams get to play in the tournament. The tournament is divided into two stages. The first is a group stage, in which all participating nations are divided into six groups of four teams each. Each team plays the other teams in their group in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage, which is a single-elimination tournament. The rules of the tournament are the same as those used in FIFA’s official international competitions. In addition, the CAF has implemented its own rules, such as the use of additional referees and the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Host: This year Cameroon hosted the tournament. Champions: Senegal won the 2021 African Nations Cup against Egypt. They won the game by 4-2 through a penalty shootout as both teams failed to score during the regular gameplay. It was Senegal’s first Africa Cup of Nations. However, they also appeared final two more times in 2002 and 2019. Awards: Man of the Competition: Sadio Mané (Senegal) Golden Boot: Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) (8 goals) Best Goalkeeper: Édouard Mendy (Senegal) Best Young Player: Issa Kaboré (Burkina Faso) Fair Play Award: Senegal. Read More: AFCON Championship 2021: Senegal defeat Egypt to win Africa Cup of Nations 20 January – 6 February: 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup The AFC Women’s Asian Cup is an international football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for women’s national teams from Asia. It is held every four years and is the women’s equivalent of the men’s AFC Asian Cup. The tournament determines the continental champion of Asia. The competition features 12 teams from the women’s football teams of the AFC. Qualification is determined by a continental qualification tournament held one year before the tournament. The tournament consists of a group stage, knockouts, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final.  Host: The tournament is organized by the AFC, with the final hosted by a different Asian country each time. With the most recent edition being the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup held in India. The next edition of the tournament is scheduled to take place in 2026. Champion: The current champion is China, who won the 2022 edition. Awards: Most Valuable Player: Wang Shanshan (China) Top Scorer: Sam Kerr (Australia) (7 goals) Best goalkeeper: Zhu Yu (China) Fairplay Award: South Korea. Read More: AFC Women's Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer another embarrassing defeat against Iran 1 June: 2022 Finalissima It is an annual international football tournament organized by CONMEBOL and UEFA. It was first played in 1985 as a successor to the Intercontinental Cup. The tournament features the champions of the two major continental champions, Copa America and UEFA European Championship. The tournament is organized by CONMEBOL and UEFA. It has been rebranded as Finalissima, and the most recent game was played between 2021 Copa America winner Argentina and 2020 Euro Winner Italy. In this game, Argentina won easily by 3-0 goals. Lautaro Martínez, Angelo Di Maria and Paulo Dybala scored for the Albiceleste. The last Finalissima match was held in 1993. Argentina won the championship by defeating the defending Euro champions Denmark. Host: England Champions and Awards: After almost 29 years, Argentina is the champion again; this time, they beat Italy. Messi won the man of the match award. Read More: Messi inspires Argentina to 3-0 Finalissima win over Italy 6–31 July: UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro is the main competition in European women’s football, organized by UEFA. The tournament is held every four years, and the 2022 edition took place in England. It is a competition between the national teams of the member associations of UEFA and consists of a qualifying round and a final tournament. The qualifying round is held among the 52 countries, while only 16 teams can play in the final tournament, which is held over a two-week period. Host: England Champion: This year England and Germany played in the final and England won the trophy. England won the game by 2-1 goal in 90 minutes of regular game time. Award: Player of the Tournament: Beth Mead (England) Young Player of the Tournament: Lena Oberdorf (Germany) The goal of the Tournament: Alessia Russo (vs Sweden). Read More: UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Final: England vs Germany preview, lineups, prediction 8–30 July: 2022 Copa America Femenina Copa America Femenina (also known as the South American Women’s Football Championship) is an international women’s football tournament organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). It is the oldest international women’s football tournament and was first held in 1991. It is held every four years and is a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympic Games. The tournament consists of ten teams from nine countries across South America. They are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The teams are split into two groups of five and play each other once in a round-robin format. The two teams with the most points in each group advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of the semifinals and the final. The tournament is organized and managed by CONMEBOL, with FIFA providing technical support. Host: 2022 Copa America Femenina was held in Columbia.  Champion: Brazil and Columbia were the two finalists. Brazil won the tournament by a 2-1 goal scored by Debinha from penalty. Awards: Golden Ball: Linda Caicedo (Colombia) Top scorer: Yamila Rodríguez (Argentina) (6 goals) Golden Glove: Lorena (Brazil) Fair Play: Chile. Read More: Bangladesh to host group matches of U-20 Women's Asian Cup 10–28 August: 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is an international football tournament organized by FIFA for female players under the age of 20. It is held every two years and features teams from around the world competing to be crowned world champions. The tournament features 16 teams that are divided into four groups four. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, which consists of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Host: The 2022 edition of the U-20 Women’s World Cup was hosted by Costa Rica.  Champion: The top four teams were Spain, Japan, Brazil, and the Netherlands. Spain won the tournament against Japan by a 3-1 goal; Gabarro scored one goal, and Paralluelo scored two goals for Spain. On the other hand, Amano scored the only goal for Japan. Awards: Golden Ball: Maika Hamano (Japan) Golden Boot: Inma Gabarro (Spain) (8 goals) Golden Glove: Txell Font (Spain) FIFA Fair Play Award: Japan. Read More: SAFF Women's Champs: Girls bring glory to Bangladesh 6-19 September: 2022 SAFF Women's Championship in Nepal The SAFF Women's Championship is the main association football competition for women's national teams in South Asia. It is organized by SAFF and was first held in 2010. Seven south Asian countries, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, and Pakistan, join the tournament. It is held every two years, and the most recent one took place in 2022 in Nepal. The tournament format includes a group stage, semifinal, and final. For the group stage, the teams are divided into two groups, including four teams in one group and three in another. The top two from each group proceed to the semifinal.  Host: Nepal Champion: Bangladesh won the 2022 SAFF tournament by defeating Nepal in the final. And Bangladesh made an unforgettable history by defeating Nepal 3-1. This high-voltage final match was held at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Bangladesh played well from the beginning of the match, and Nepal was practically suppressed. Bangladesh has never been a champion, even though they have participated in SAFF Cup many times before. Awards Most Valuable Player: Sabina Khatun (Bangladesh) Best Goalkeeper: Rupna Chakma (Bangladesh) Top scorer: Sabina Khatun (Bangladesh) Fair Play Award: Bangladesh. Read More: winners of SAFF Women's Football Championship 2022 11–30 October: 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup It is an international football tournament organized by FIFA for female players under the age of 17. It is held every two years and features 16 teams from around the world. The 16 teams are divided into four groups four. The top two teams from each group proceed to the knockout stage, which consists of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. Host: This year the tournament took place in India. Champion: Spain became the champion by defeating Colombia. Awards Golden Ball: Vicky López (Spain) Golden Boot: Loreen Bender (Germany) (4 goals) Golden Glove: Sofía Fuente (Spain) FIFA Fair Play Award: Japan. Read More: 6 Female Referees to Create History in Qatar World Cup. 20 November – 18 December: 2022 FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup is an international men’s football tournament that is held every four years by the governing body of soccer, FIFA. It is the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world, with 32 national teams competing for the title of World Champions. The teams are divided into eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finale. Host:  This year the World Cup was hosted by Qatar. This Middle Eastern country was the first Muslim country to host this event called the Greatest Show on Earth. Although Qatar was the host nation, they were not the favorite team in the World Cup.  Champion and Runner-Up: Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Neymar’s Brazil, and Mbappe’s France were the most favorites to win the tournament. Argentina and France played the well-deserved breathtaking final. As France is the current champion, their mission was to defend the World Cup. However, they failed, and Argentina won it after 36 years. Argentina defeated France in a tiebreaker shootout as both teams had a 3-3 score until the 120th minute. Messi was the main attraction throughout the tournament, and he did not disappoint the fans worldwide. Behind Argentina’s third World Cup title, Messi contributed the most. He was also in the fight for the Golden Boot with seven goals and three assists. As a result, Messi won the golden ball award. He won the award for the second time in FIFA World Cup. No other player in football history has this record. Awards: Golden Ball: Lionel Messi (Argentina) Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappé (France) (8 goals) Golden Glove: Emiliano Martínez (Argentina) FIFA Young Player Award: Enzo Fernández FIFA Fair Play Award: England. Read More: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi’s Records, Argentina’s Road to Victory Final Words 2022 Fotball year review shows that the year was full of excitement and surprises for football fans, with many memorable moments. From the impressive achievements of the World Cup champions to the inspiring stories of the underdogs, 2022 was a year that captured the hearts of soccer fans around the world. The title of SAFF Women's Championship is a great achievement for Bangladesh and the win will encourage the women footballers of the country in the upcoming years. 2022 was a year to remember, and we can’t wait to see what the future of football holds.

FIFA is taking “appropriate internal action” to address breaches of World Cup protocol by a celebrity chef who held the gold trophy on the field, soccer’s governing body said Thursday. The chef, who is known as Salt Bae and is regularly seen with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, mingled with Argentina players and posed for photos after their victory over France in an epic game on Sunday in Qatar. Read more: More than 25 million watched World Cup final in U.S. FIFA describes the trophy as “a priceless icon” which “can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.” “Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on Dec. 18,” the world soccer body said. “The appropriate internal action will be taken.” The chef, who has a restaurant in Doha, was a regular guest of FIFA with VIP access during the World Cup and posted photos and video clips on social media. Read more: Millions jam Buenos Aires streets to celebrate World Cup win After Argentina’s win in a penalty shootout following a thrilling 3-3 draw, he was filmed grabbing the arm of captain Lionel Messi on the field to get his attention. The soccer great seemed irritated in the film clip though later posed for a photo that Salt Bae posted on Instagram.

Have you ever imagined a goal feast, intense battles, thrilling 120 minutes, repeated twists and turns, and nerve-racking tiebreakers at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2022 final? Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina won the title with incredible success. Lionel Messi got the adorable golden trophy.  This is called destiny, Lionel Messi will lift the World Cup, but not in the easiest way. Countless dramas with a final test of nerve, perhaps the most incredible drama in the history of the World Cup final has ended with Messi lifting the trophy. Finally, Argentina’s 36-year wait for the world cup has ended. Who knows, maybe this tournament will end the debate about the great footballer of all time. Many people did not want to accept Messi as the best because he did not win the elusive World Cup trophy, and finally, he won that one too. Journey of Champion Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2022 After many regrets, disappointments, and pains, Lionel Messi and his Argentina finally got hold of the World Cup. Millions of football fans around the world are sure to be very proud and happy. However, the journey was not very smooth, and it was a hell of a ride for Argentina. The 36 trophyless years are finished now. Let’s recap Argentina’s World Cup-winning journey. Dramatic Final After being ahead with two goals until 80 minutes, Argentina could not win in the first 90 minutes. An extra 30 minutes was not enough to bring out the result. Despite Lionel Messi’s double goal, Argentina failed to keep the lead. Kylian Mbappe’s hat trick brought France back into the game. In the end, a tiebreaker decided the outcome. After defeating the French, Messi finally kissed the trophy for new world champion Argentina. Albiceleste has become the world champion for the third time. Read More: FIFA mostly wins big but loses some trust at Qatar World Cup Mbappe equalized with two goals in 97 seconds after Argentina was ahead for 80 minutes in Sunday’s final at Lusail Stadium. Again Mbappe drew level 3-3 with a penalty after Messi’s second goal in extra time as Argentina went ahead again. Then Diego Maradona’s successors beat France by 4-2 goals in the tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, both teams scored their first shot. After that, goalkeeper Martinez became a wall, blocking Kingsley Coman’s shot. Ahelia Tchouameni hit their third shot wide. Finally, Argentina erupted in joy when Gonzalo Montiel hit the target in Argentina’s fourth shot. And blue-white waves rise in Lusail stadium. The statistics also show how exciting the match was. At the same time, the image of the Argentine power and the turning of the French. Argentina was a little ahead in possession of the ball and a lot in attack. They took 20 shots on goal and 10 on target. France was half in these two places; Five targets out of 10 shots. Further, fouls have also happened; Argentina fouled 26, and France 19. Read More: Benzema posts tweet indicating international retirement

Even before an epic final won by Lionel Messi and Argentina, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was calling it “the best World Cup ever” in Qatar. There was clear self-interest to declare the success of a tournament that was politically fraught for most of the 12 years since the wealthy emirate was picked as host by a previous FIFA leadership broadly tainted by corruption allegations. FIFA's fundamental role is to oversee global soccer's rules and make sure World Cups happen on schedule: Goal achieved, billions of dollars duly earned. Read more: World Cup review: Best and worst of the tournament in Qatar As ever with arguably world sport's most colorful governing body, there was much else going on. ON THE FIELD When the games begin focus shifts to the field, and FIFA got that early on day three when Messi and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1 in an upset for the ages. One day later, Germany lost to Japan and then Brazil delighted the world in its first game against Serbia. Morocco picked up the baton and was the first African or Arab nation to still be playing on the last weekend of a World Cup. Games were consistently compelling if not the best quality. These were not vintage Spain or Netherlands teams, and not even Brazil by the time of its quarterfinals exit. The drama rose with simultaneous group-stage games that carried Japan, South Korea and Croatia to the round of 16 and sent Germany and Belgium home. All continents got teams into the knockout rounds, letting Infantino repeat his claim of soccer “becoming truly global for the first time.” When the final was a true classic on Sunday, Argentina winning on penalties after a 3-3 draw, it left everyone except France feeling like they won. POLITICS It was a most political World Cup. Before a game was played there was scrutiny of Qatar for its human rights record, employment practices and a years-long boycott by neighboring states in which FIFA pushed for the Gulf region to share the tournament. In the final weeks of preparation, Qatar pushed back more confidently against its critics – a process FIFA joined after teams and media arrived on site. Infantino’s infamous “I feel gay, I feel a migrant worker” speech on Nov. 19 hit many of the host nation’s talking points that alleged western hypocrisy and racism. FIFA gave assurances in private — to European teams about captains wearing anti-discrimination armbands; to fans about wearing rainbow symbols; to World Cup sponsor AB InBev about selling Budweiser beer with alcohol at stadiums – that started to collapse. Bonds of trust were severely strained. Pre-tournament talk of being open to supporting a compensation fund and better resources for migrant workers in Qatar was mostly shut down. Read more: 2026 World Cup hosts take diplomatic handover from Qatar Qatar’s World Cup was a state-run project and it seemed clear who was in charge. When European women lawmakers came to games wearing the “One Love” armband, Middle East officials started sporting a Palestinian armband. When an Italian field invader displayed European activist messages, days later a Tunisian man did the same with a Palestinian flag. During the tournament, basic operational detail was hard to get and most requests were ignored. Routine briefings and news conferences at past World Cups, including Russia in 2018, did not happen. A guiding principle seemed to be “never complain, never explain” for World Cup organizers. FANS The FIFA president is traditionally jeered at World Cup finals. It happened again on Sunday when Infantino was introduced for the trophy presentations. Infantino also was booed when the TV broadcast showed him sitting in VVIP seats during the England-Wales game. Both countries had armband and rainbow issues with FIFA, while British media extensively covered migrant labor issues. Though Argentina and Morocco fans traveled in big numbers, fewer than expected Europeans came to Qatar. The pre-tournament target was 1.2 million international visitors but the official total was less than 800,000 entering the final week. Yet, when thousands of Morocco fans tried to arrive for an unexpected semifinal against France last Wednesday, several flights into Doha were canceled to limit numbers. High-priced accommodation like tents and cabins also seemed to put off visiting fans. Empty seats at kickoff for most games would steadily fill by halftime. There was evidence and anecdotes of residents in Qatar being taken to games and offered free tickets, and the host nation’s loudest cheer squad was fans brought from Lebanon and Syria. When tournament attendance topped 3.4 million, it was unclear and went unanswered if the total included all the volunteers, catering and security staff who clocked in to work in stadiums. MORE MONEY This was a clear win for FIFA, despite a likely breach of contract issue to resolve with AB InBev. FIFA reported higher than expected revenue of $7.5 billion for the four-year commercial cycle tied to Qatar’s World Cup. The World Cup was a tougher sell in the past decade when new sponsors came only from Russia and Qatar — two often problematic host nations — and China while prosecutors in the United States, Switzerland and France ran corruption investigations targeting soccer officials. A late run of sponsor signings for this World Cup included tourism in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas, plus companies in the online gambling, cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors. Read more: Messi fulfils his destiny, Argentina win third World Cup Most deals now expire and FIFA plans to cash in from staging a bigger 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, by offering sponsors huge local markets and more games being played mostly in high-yield NFL stadiums. Infantino said on Friday that FIFA’s four-year forecast is for $11 billion through 2026. All 211 member federations will be getting millions more dollars from Zurich. HIGH LIFE FIFA leaders could stay in opulent Qatari hotels that opened just in time for the World Cup. One base was the waterside Fairmont Hotel, nearly 40 stories high and shaped like a curved sword. It offered 18-karat gold tiles in the shower of some suites and a 56-meter (185-foot) high chandelier in the lobby. Coupled with an unprecedented level of security at a World Cup, it added to the feel of FIFA isolating in an ivory tower. While France’s President Emmanuel Macron went for a brief walkabout at the main market in Doha, Infantino almost never met ordinary fans. One regular Infantino companion was a celebrity chef famed for painting gold leaf on steaks that costs hundreds of dollars at his restaurants. The chef, known as Salt Bae, also seemed to breach World Cup protocol by holding the gold trophy when joining the Argentina players on the field on Sunday for post-game celebrations. For veteran FIFA watchers, it was an apt final symbol for the World Cup in Qatar.

A 25-year-old Argentine fan in Sylhet's Shibganj "died of a heart attack" after celebrating the South American side's thrilling World Cup final triumph against France Sunday night. Joybroto Bhattacharya, from Sunamganj's Chhatak, died early Monday while undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College. He was a civil engineering graduate and worked at a private firm. Citing Joybroto's sister, senior lawyer of Sylhet District Bar Mujibur Rahman, said: "Joybroto watched the match last night with his friends at a Shibganj mess. After Argentina beat France, he erupted in joy and came out on the street chanting slogans." "At that time, Joybroto felt pain in his chest. As the pain became acute, his friends took him to MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital around 3am. An hour later Joybroto died." Osmani Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan said Joybroto might have died of a heart attack. "But we are not yet sure of the cause of his death." Read more: Argentine fan electrocuted to death while hanging flag in Laxmipur Mohammad Ali Mahmud, officer in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said: "MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital informed us of the death early Monday. Joybroto's body was handed over to his family at 10am."   Argentine fans in Bangladesh erupted with screams as La Albiceleste defeated France 4-2 on penalties to claim a third World Cup title. Read more: Argentine fans chanted “Bangladesh-er doa chai!” before last night’s Qatar World Cup final    

France forward Karim Benzema posted a message on social networks Monday indicating that he is retiring from internationals, a day after the national team lost the World Cup final without him. After raising the Ballon d'Or award as the world's top player to crown his remarkable rise, Benzema's dream of winning the World Cup was over last month before the tournament in Qatar even started as he tore a muscle in his left thigh during training with Les Bleus. "I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I'm proud of it! I have written my story and ours is ending," Benzema wrote on his 35th birthday, in a post accompanied by a picture of him in a France shirt. Read more: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory The Real Madrid striker was France's top scorer at the 2014 World Cup but did not play in the country's victorious 2018 World Cup campaign because he was still exiled from the national team for his alleged role in a sex-tape scandal with then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena. The fallout from that scandal led to a dramatic fall from grace for Benzema. He faced a nationwide deluge of vitriol and scathing criticism, including on the political level. It led to a long exclusion from the national team from October 2015 until his recall by Deschamps in May last year. With his relationship with Deschamps repaired, Benzema scored freely for France with 10 goals in 16 games after his return to reach 37 overall, and he formed a great partnership with Kylian Mbappe. His most impressive run of performances came in last season's Champions League as he led Madrid to the title – his fifth in Europe's top competition – with 15 goals. He has moved up to second place on Madrid's all-time scoring list with 329 goals. At last year's European Championship, Benzema looked sharp and was France's top scorer with four goals. Olivier Giroud started for France in Benzema's place at the World Cup in Qatar and finished the tournament with four goals, but he was substituted before halftime of Sunday's final with Argentina leading 2-0. France fought back for 2-2 after 90 minutes and 3-3 following extra time before Argentina won a penalty shootout to cap one of the most exciting finals in World Cup history. Read more: France's Benzema ruled out of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday congratulated Argentine President Alberto Ángel Fernández on their victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022.  "On behalf of the people of Bangladesh and my own behalf, I have immense pleasure in conveying our heartfelt felicitations and warmest congratulations to you and the friendly people of the Argentine Republic on the spectacular victory of the Argentine football team in the FIFA World Cup 2022," she said in a letter to the Argentine President. She also stated that the affection and love for football, particularly the Argentine football team, profoundly connects people of the two countries. "The people of Bangladesh have demonstrated their admiration and love through the spontaneous celebration of winning the World Cup Football Championship of your national football team." Read more: “Hearts of the people of Bangladesh and Argentina are dearly united by football” Sheikh Hasina said that the unprecedented love and affection between the peoples of two football loving nations have paved the way for solid bilateral relations. She expressed hope to further consolidate the relations by opening Missions in each other's capitals in the coming days. Read more: Vamos Argentina, says Professor Yunus congratulating Messi's team on World Cup win

A record 15.5 million unique viewers watched the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022's final on Toffee, the only digital entertainment app which livestreamed the mega sports event in Bangladesh. Also, Toffee hit a new milestone garnering around 1 billion views of the mega sports event. Football fans across the country turned to Toffee to enjoy every World Cup match, starting from November 18 to December 18. For the first time in Bangladesh, millions of viewers have opted for a digital platform to watch the tournament, which was previously only broadcast on TV. Read more: World Cup's Round of 16 watched by over 25 million viewers on Toffee Banglalink acquired the exclusive rights to become the licenced mobile broadcaster of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and livestreamed the sports event through Toffee. Also, it partnered with Google for streaming scalability and implementing organic search results as well. Erik Aas, chief executive officer of Banglalink, said: "As a future-ready digital service provider, we addressed the shift in people's sports consumption habits and offered a personalised viewing experience on Toffee." "The massive turnout of viewers is another sign of our growing prominence as a digital operator."

Before last night’s (December 18, 2022) decisive game in Lusail, Qatar, Argentine supporters cheering for Messi and the national team were seen asking for prayers from Bangladesh. “Bangladesh-er doa chai!” — they kept saying. In a live match report of Tsports, Argentine fans in Qatar were recorded seeking prayers from the diehard Argentina supporters in Bangladesh. Soon after, a TikTok video showcasing that went viral. Also read: 2026 World Cup hosts take diplomatic handover from Qatar After at least four decades of impassioned support for Argentina football team, Bangladeshi fans finally got the acknowledgment in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Argentina’s Bangladeshi fanbase made headlines in international news several times in the past few weeks during the FIFA World Cup. After FIFA tweeted the video of Bangladeshis cheering after Messi's goal, the whole football world came to know about Bangladesh's craze for Argentina. Even football stars like Gary Lineker were surprised to see this love of Bangladeshis. Also read: Qatar offers World Cup visitors an introduction to Islam Argentine football fans even opened a Facebook group for Argentina fans of Bangladesh’s cricket team, as a way of reciprocating the love Bangladesh has shown for decades. That’s not all. Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero tweeted that he will take measures to reopen the embassy of Argentina in Bangladesh, which was closed in 1978.