AL KHOR, Qatar — The 2022 World Cup began amid controversy with chaos. It began here at the Al Bayt Stadium with a night all about Qatar, then quickly turned upside down. It pushed Argentina to the brink after less than 48 hours, and soon discarded Belgium and Germany. It continued, all the way to the semifinals, with Morocco and Croatia — and that, on Tuesday and Wednesday, at the feet of two giants, is where it ended.
That’s where chaos gave way to order.
And that’s where cute, inspiring underdog tales gave way to a clash of the titans.