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The Qatar World Cup was heavily criticised due to the Arab country's poor human rights record - but the controversial tournament was still a commercial success for FIFA

Sunday's World Cup final, which ended with Lionel Messi finally grasping the one trophy he'd never won, was the most dramatic in tournament history. It was great theater, a bare-knuckle brawl that played out over 120 minutes and four rounds of penalty kicks before Argentina was declared the victor following…

THE BIG DEBATE: How will you remember the Qatar World Cup? We spoke to our reporters who were there and who covered the tournament from home to find out their standout moments

DOHA, Qatar — A World Cup that opened with a beer ban ended with a champagne toast. A tournament that started with a call for cultural sensitivity finished with a cultural icon being celebrated.

The monthlong tournament in Qatar was filled with excitement, surprise and controversy. Argentina's victory in the final — which gave Lionel Messi his first title — cemented it as one of the best.

Trouble brews in the run up to every global, mega sporting event — such as buses not running on time, or venues seemingly not ready for action. But it melts away when the games begin. But what lasts?

Forty-eight teams, three host countries, and potentially more than 100 games.

Emir of Qatar put a bisht on Argentina captain Messi during the World Cup closing ceremony.

Lionel Messi was given a Qatari bisht by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani before lifting the World Cup for Argentina