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The top prize in international soccer will be awarded Sunday as Argentina battles defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup finale.
Ahead of the titanic clash that will see Lionel Messi pursue the trophy that has eluded him his entire, legendary career, FIFA will present a closing ceremony that promotes togetherness and features some of the top worldwide acts performing songs from the tournament's official soundtrack.
But first, the details.
Date: December 18, 2022
Time: 8 a.m. EST
Location: Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar
How to Watch: Fox (TV), Fubo (streaming)
Nigerian-American performer Davido will become the first artist to open the World Cup by performing at the draw, then the closing ceremony when he is joined by Japanese singer Aisha for a rendition of 'Hayya Hayya (Better Together).'
Elsewhere as part of the ceremony, dubbed "A Night to Remember," Ozuna and Gimes will perform "Arhbo" and an all-female lineup of "Light the Sky" will feature Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi, Rahma Riad, Manal and Balqees.
"The real ones know what this journey is made up of and some may never acknowledge my value or my due, but I'm forever grateful for my team, my friends, and for the ones who always believe in me! I only hope to do bigger and better things on my own terms, and i hope to always make you guys proud! I'll never take the influence that I have for granted," Fatehi wrote on Instagram, conveying the significance of the journey that brought her to be a part of this year's tournament.
The ceremony will precede France's attempt to become the first team since the 1958 and '62 Brazil squad to win and run it back as repeat champions. The only other team to accomplish that feat was the 1934 and '38 Italy squads.
Kylian Mbappé will be the star to watch on that team while Messi and his desire to capture the FIFA World Cup Trophy bears paying attention on the other side of the field. In a year in which upsets were to be had, and underdogs like Croatia and Morocco advanced late in the competition and had a real shot at competing in Sunday's game, it is somewhat apropos that the two best players in the tournament will clash for the most coveted trophy in the game.
With 28 days of action in the books, the World Cup is set to wrap up with the closing ceremony and final between Argentina and France on Sunday.
Unlike an Olympics closing ceremony, which happens after the last event has been contested, the World Cup equivalent will be held prior to the FIFA tournament's final match.
Because of this, it's more truncated than you might expect; according to a press release from FIFA, it will last 15 minutes (compared to closer to 30 for the opening ceremony).
Here's everything you need to know to tune in to the World Cup closing ceremony in Qatar, as well as what to watch for when you do.
World Cup 2022 Closing Ceremony
Date: Sunday, December 18
Location: Lusail Stadium; Doha, Qatar
Time: 8 a.m. ET (4 p.m. local time)
TV: Fox, Telemundo (U.S.)
Live Stream: Fox Sports app, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
FIFA had been keeping the full slate of closing ceremony performers under wraps, but on Friday night, it released a list of acts, including headliner Nigerian-American musician Davido, whose song with Aisha, "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)," is featured on the 2022 World Cup soundtrack.
Also taking the stage will be Ozuna and Gims performing "Arhbo" and an all-female lineup singing "Light the Sky," including Nora Fatehi, Balqees, Rahma Riad and Manal.
"'A Night to Remember' will reflect on the tournament through music and poetry," according to FIFA
Per ABC News, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will also "reportedly feature in a music video for this year's World Cup finale."
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will lead the six-person U.S. delegation at the closing ceremony.
After the closing ceremony at 8 a.m. ET at Lusail Stadium—the largest venue that has hosted tournament games, with a capacity of 80,000—the final between Argentina and France, the 64th match of the tournament, will get underway at 10 a.m. ET. The opening ceremony was held at Al Bayt Stadium.
Both Argentina and France are looking to win a third World Cup title.
Much of the focus in the college football world is on bowl season and the upcoming College Football Playoff, but future championships could be won and lost before that on the recruiting trail.
This year's early National Signing period is from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, and there are still a number of top options on the board as teams look to solidify their 2023 classes.
With that in mind, here is a look at the announcement schedules for some of the top unsigned players, per 247Sports.
One of the most interesting recruiting battles is for edge-rusher Damon Wilson considering it appears to be between Ohio State and Georgia. That those two teams will face each other in the CFP adds another layer to the recruitment.
In October, Peter Warren of On3 Sports suggested the Buckeyes held a "big lead," but On3's Chad Simmons said in December that Georgia was "the team to beat."
It is notable that the two crystal-ball selections on 247Sports are in favor of the Buckeyes.
The prediction here is Ohio State leans on legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has coached the likes of Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young and others, and lands a major recruiting win.
It's not all bad news for the SEC, though, as cornerback Desmond Ricks will end up at LSU.
Ricks visited the Tigers for the Alabama game, which ended up being an electric atmosphere and one of the most memorable contests of the entire college football season. LSU earned the dramatic 32-31 win in overtime when head coach Brian Kelly elected to go for the two-point conversion following his team's touchdown.
It surely made an impression, and the two crystal-ball predictions on 247Sports are in favor of the Tigers.
It likely doesn't hurt LSU's cause that other commits have done their best to recruit Ricks using social media.
Kelly has plenty of momentum on his side after winning the SEC West in his first season as the head coach at LSU and now has the opportunity to bring in a top-five recruiting class with a strong push.
Adding Ricks would help him do just that.
Ahead of Saturday night's game against the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills tweeted photos of their snow-covered stadium.
After heavy snowfall overnight and throughout the day Saturday, Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, resembled a winter wonderland.
Southern Erie County, which is the location of Orchard Park, has a lake-effect snow warning until Monday afternoon, and the forecast calls for snow before, during and after Saturday's game.
Per AccuWeather, four to eight inches of snow are expected to accumulate during the day and another one to three inches to come Saturday night.
Wind gusts could reach up to 21 mph, and there will be a low temperature of 29 degrees with a real-feel temperature of 15 degrees due to the wind chill.
Andy Slater of Fox Sports added that the National Weather Service is expecting the heaviest snow in Orchard Park on Saturday to take place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, which will be during the game.
The National Weather Service also reported the possibility of thundersnow, which is a phenomenon that happened in Buffalo during a blizzard last month.
By comparison, AccuWeather is calling for a high of 77 degrees and a low of 71 degrees in Miami on Saturday.
While the conditions in the Buffalo area won't be as bad as they were last month when a scheduled home game against the Cleveland Browns had to be moved to Detroit, there still figures to be enough snow and wind to impact the game significantly.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa downplayed playing in the snow this week, noting that it snowed when he attended college at the University of Alabama, but he likely hasn't experienced what he will see Saturday night.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is far more acclimated to the snow after spending the past several years in Buffalo, perhaps giving the Bills a leg up in a hugely important game.
With a win, the 10-3 Bills can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday, and while a victory would not clinch the AFC East, it would move them to 11-3 and the second-place Dolphins to 8-6 with only three games to play.
