Brazil's 2-0 win over Serbia to close out Thursday's action means all 32 teams have now played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The global finals gives us a chance to see the world's biggest stars on the grandest stage – and some have fared better than others so far.
We take a look back on the first match performances of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
LIONEL MESSI
It took only 10 minutes for Messi to make his mark in Qatar, slotting home a penalty against Saudi Arabia as the Argentina captain joined an elite band of players to score at four finals.
That was as good as it got for Messi, though.
After Messi had a goal chalked off by VAR for offside – one of three disallowed for Argentina in the first half – Saudi Arabia staged a heroic comeback to pull off one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
First, Saleh Al Shehri charged forward and past the robust Cristian Romero, and dispatched superbly a low finish beyond Emiliano Martinez.
Six minutes later, Saudi were in front. Salem Al Dawsari evaded a collection of Argentine markers on the corner of the area with typically quick feet before he curled an unstoppable shot high into the opposition net.
Messi and Co were flat in attack as they went in search of an equaliser. They will need a big improvement, starting against Mexico on Saturday, if they hope to progress from Group C.
Ratings: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
KYLIAN MBAPPE
The title-holders got their World Cup defence off to a flying start with a 4-1 walloping of Australia in Group D.
The Socceroos stunned Les Bleus through a well-worked Craig Goodwin goal on nine minutes. After that it was all France. Perhaps more accurately, it was all Mbappe.
The Paris Saint-Germain showed he has the speed to cause any team problems, continuously ghosting past the Australia defence, as seen when he showed his defender a clean pair of heels before crossing to Olivier Giroud to head home his second and France's fourth.
It wasn't just his terrifying pace; Mbappe showed he has all the tricks with a series of back-heels and flicks, including a sumptuous one to find Adrein Rabiot, who in turn passed for Giroud to score the equaliser.
And then there was the goal, Mbappe leaping majestically to head home an Ousmane Dembele cross via the post.
France's talisman has already given an early glimpse that he has the appetite to power an injury-ravaged team in the absence of Ballon d'Or winner Karin Benzema.
If 2018 announced the arrival of Mbappe on the world stage, 2022 could be his coronation as the game's biggest star.
Ratings: France 4-1 Australia
CRISTIANO RONALDO
If Ronaldo was worried about joining the job seekers' queue following the termination of his contract with Manchester United, you'd never know it.
On Thursday, the 37-year-old claimed a piece of World Cup goalscoring history as he became the first man to score in five editions of the World Cup as he slotted home a controversial penalty to help Portugal down Ghana 3-2 in their Group H clash.
The typically ice-cold spot-kick was Ronaldo's eighth career goal at the World Cup.
"It was a beautiful moment, my fifth World Cup, we won, and we started with our good foot," Ronaldo said after the win.
"It's a very important win, we know the first match is crucial, but the world record is also something that makes me very proud."
But there was controversy surrounding the penalty, which was awarded after Ronaldo crashed theatrically to the turf following minimal contact with Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu.
Furious Ghana coach Otto Addo described the penalty decision as a "gift" to Ronaldo.
He may have a point, and Ronaldo was effective without being spectacular against the Africans. What is undeniable is that, no matter the background noise, Ronaldo has a habit of still making himself the centre of attention on the biggest stage.
NEYMAR
The sight of Neymar crying on the bench and ice taped to his injured ankle following a heavy tackle was not a welcome one and could potentially end his tournament before it even gets going.
The Brazil captain Neymar suffered a sprained ankle in his team's 2-0 Group G win over Serbia on Thursday and faces a medical assessment in the next 48 hours, the national team doctor said after the match.
Doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said the Brazilian superstar suffered the injury after a collision with his opponent.
Neymar was substituted in the 79th minute.
"We need to wait 24 to 48 hours to have a better assessment," Lasmar said. "We have not scheduled any MRI and tomorrow we'll have a new assessment.
"We need to wait, we cannot make any premature comments about his evolution."
Neymar was seen limping heavily after the game while photos of the striker showed swelling on his right ankle.
Coach Tite said the Paris Saint-Germain player initially stayed on the field after hurting his ankle "because the team needed him".
He also moved to play down fears that the 30-year-old could face a lay-off long enough to end his World Cup campaign.
"You can be certain that Neymar is going to play in the World Cup," he said.
A downcast-looking Neymar declined to speak to journalists as he left the stadium on Thursday. Let's hope Tite's assessment of Neymar is brighter than the player's demeanour at the end of the game.
Ratings: Brazil 2-0 Serbia
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The%20specs
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
