Argentina win FIFA World Cup after thrilling final in Qatar

Sporting highlights of 2022

January
29-30 Rafael Nadal clinches 21st major at Australian Open. Ashleigh Barty is first Australian to win home Slam since 1978

February
Gu wins gold
4 Beijing hosts Winter Olympics, staged on artificial snow
6 Senegal win first international trophy at Africa Cup of Nations
13 Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl with late touchdown against Cincinnati

March
23 World No.1 Ashleigh Barty (below) announces shock retirement from tennis, aged 26

April
11 World No.1 Scottie Scheffler (right) clinches first golf major at U.S. Masters
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
May
22 Man City, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich win Europe’s top soccer leagues
23 Justin Thomas overhauls 7-shot deficit to win U.S. PGA Championship
28 Real Madrid beat Liverpool to claim 14th European Cup, inspired by Karim
Benzema (right), who later wins Ballon d’Or

June
5 Rafael Nadal extends Grand Slam records with 14th title at Roland Garros
9 Inauguration of Saudi-backed breakaway LIV league sparks civil war in golf
17 Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics to claim fourth NBA title in eight years 
28 Colorado Avalanche celebrate third NHL Stanley Cup title

July
17 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (below) wins record fifth 100m title at World Athletics Championships
31 Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten wins inaugural Tour de France Femmes
31 England win UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, beating Germany 2-1 in extra time

August
20 Oleksandr Usyk retains heavyweight boxing titles, beating Anthony Joshua in split decision

September
11 Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, 19, wins U.S. Open and becomes youngest ever men’s No.1
23 Tennis icons Serena Williams (inset) and Roger Federer retire within three weeks
of each other 

October
9 Max Verstappen clinches second consecutive F1 title in record-breaking season

November
5 Houston Astros beat Philadelphia Phillies to win MLB World Series
6 Francesco Bagnaia wins first MotoGP title
12 New Zealand beat England to win women’s Rugby World Cup
19 Australia win both men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup crowns
20 Qatar becomes first Middle Eastern country to host FIFA World Cup, estimated to cost up to $220b                

December
18 Lionel Messi lifts trophy as Argentina win first World Cup victory since 1986



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Pictures: Getty Images
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