Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country.

But whatever happens, a tournament ridiculed in the build-up and began a little awkwardly has delivered an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that even the cynics have leapt on board.

Millions of words have been written criticizing the choice of Qatar as the host of the world’s second-largest sports event, and the debate will continue long after the last ball is kicked.

But for a month, the so-called beautiful game did, in the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, spread some joy.

The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Tunisia delivered shocks. New heroes emerged.

Yet the abiding memory for many will be Morocco’s shake-up of football’s hierarchy.

Thousands of Moroccan fans painted the desert red and turned Doha’s marketplace into a corner of Marrakesh as the Atlas Lions roared into the semifinals.

Harnessing the energy of their followers, Walid Regragui’s men scored victories over European aristocrats Belgium, Spain and Portugal on the way to becoming the first African and first Arab country to reach the last four.

France proved a match too far as it set up a showdown with Argentina in the spectacular Lusail Stadium where, nearly four weeks earlier, Argentina’s 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia lit the blue touch paper for an extraordinary tournament.

In five minutes in the second half, Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting lore by scoring the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the biggest statistical shock in World Cup history.

Infantino, who raised eyebrows on the eve of the tournament with a passionate monologue defending Qatari organizers, described the group phase as the best ever. Few would disagree.

Head-spinning moments

The 48 games produced 120 goals, only two red cards and enough head-spinning moments to garnish three tournaments.

A day after Saudi Arabia’s win, Japan came from a goal down to beat Germany, a result the four-time champions never recovered from as they went home early.

Iran, against a backdrop of widespread antigovernment protests at home, were smashed 6-2 by England, and then beat Wales with goals in the eighth and 11th minutes of stoppage time.

Late goals and hasty rewrites for the world’s media were a recurring theme, and the last three nights of group action were a white-knuckle ride on and off the pitch.

Japan stunned Spain in a stomach-churning finish to Group E, which at one point looked to be sending Costa Rica and Japan into the last 16 at the expense of Spain and Germany.

South Korea conjured a stoppage-time goal to beat Portugal and make it out of Group H to the heartbreak of Uruguay, while Mexico’s manic attempt to score enough goals against the Saudis to pip Poland to second spot in Group C ended in failure.

Every continent was represented in the last 16 for the first time, but after such a riotous group phase, would it fall flat?

No chance.

Australia gave Argentina a mighty late scare, Mbappe dazzled for France against Poland and a free-scoring England ended the Senegalese party in the tent-like Al Bayt Stadium, one of seven new stadiums built for the tournament, including the 974 Stadium comprised of recycled shipping containers.

Brazil danced its way to a 4-1 thrashing of South Korea while Portugal did the unthinkable and left out Ronaldo, only to find a new hero as Goncalo Ramos bagged a hat trick in a 6-1 rout of Switzerland.

Morocco went toe-to-toe with Spain in an absorbing 0-0 draw, and then knocked out the 2010 champions on penalties as Luis Enrique’s side failed to net a single kick.

Usual suspects

Unpredictable as the tournament was, the usual suspects assembled for the quarterfinals.

Some Neymar magic gave Brazil an extra-time lead against Croatia, only for Bruno Petkovic to level in the 117th minute with Croatia’s first effort on target. Almost inevitably, Brazil slumped out on penalties.

Argentina squandered a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands, which dumped its usual scientific approach in favor of lumping high balls into the box to destructive effect.

Wout Weghorst’s brace, the second in the 11th minute of stoppage time, silenced the blue-and-white horde, but Messi and co. edged a penalty shootout to decide a fractious contest.

Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups but his last appearance, again as a substitute, ended in tears as Portugal went down 1-0 to a history-making Morocco.

England’s penalty curse then returned as Harry Kane’s botched effort condemned it to a 2-1 defeat by France.

Messi, channeling his inner Maradona, inspired Argentina to beat Croatia, and few would begrudge the diminutive #10’s record-breaking 26^th World Cup appearance, ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.

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