Messi's World Cup Triumph, Djokovic's Deportation & Other Major Sports Events of 2022

A lot is at stake when an athlete represents his country on the international stage. That's why any development related to someone, for instance, Novak Djokovic, Lionel Messi, or Virat Kohli for that matter, holds the power to cause ripples across the world.

2022 turned out to be another memorable year due to sports - from saucy headlines to political rows to achieving lifelong dreams, it was literally filled with so many interesting things.

Let's look back at the biggest sports stories that made headlines in the last 12 months.

1. Novak Djokovic's Deportation From Australia

Novak Djokovic's Australian saga was perhaps one of the most controversial topics in the sports world in January.

After being granted a medical exemption to compete in the Grand Slam Down Under, the Serbian lost his 11-day-long battle with the country's authorities, as his visa was revoked by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke over his COVID-19 vaccination status. Djokovic has refused to vaccine himself and remains unvaccinated to date.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts during a practice session ahead of the Adelaide International Tennis tournament in Adelaide, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022.

2. Rafael Nadal Becomes First Man to Claim 21 Grand Slams

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal became the first man to claim 21 Grand Slam titles after defeating Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final earlier this year. With his victory in Australia, he became the third player after Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver to win all four Slams at least twice in their careers.

3. Virat Kohli Steps Down as Team India Skipper

In a surprise move on January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as skipper of India's Test cricket team. The development came a month after the national selectors stripped him of captaincy in the 50-over ODI match format.

The Delhi-born talismanic cricketer took over the reins of India's Test team in 2014 when the legendary M.S. Dhoni retired from the longest format of the sport.

India's Virat Kohli fields during the day four of the first test cricket match between Bangladesh and India in Chattogram, Bangladesh, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.

Kohli then led the team to the No. 1 ranking as well as winning the first series in Australia in 2019. He is the most successful Indian skipper in Test cricket after registering 40 victories in 68 matches.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo Surpasses 800 Goal Mark

In March, CR7 etched his name in the annals of football after his stunning hat-trick against Tottenham made him the all-time top scorer in the game, overtaking Austro-Czech Josef Bican's (805) long-standing record. The Funchal-born footballer's current tally stands at 819 with 701 strikes during his illustrious club career across teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus and a world record 118 goals for Portugal.

5. Global Sporting Bodies Ban Russian And Belarusian Players

After Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February, the country's athletes were isolated from global events.

After FIFA, UEFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) barred the Russian players from taking part in their respective competitions, Wimbledon jumped on the bandwagon in April.

Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, competes in the women's short program team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Beijing.

6. Indian Men's Badminton Team Lifts Maiden Thomas Cup Title

The Indian men's badminton team scripted history by clinching their maiden Thomas Cup title by beating Indonesia 3-0 in the final in May.

Many experts, including former cricket captain Sunil Gavaskar, dubbed India's first victory in the 73-year history of the Thomas Cup as the "1983" moment for badminton. Notably, India had won their first World Cup crown in cricket in 1983 before it became the No.1 sport in the country.

7. Real Madrid Crowned Kings of Europe

In May, Real Madrid beat English giants Liverpool 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final, thus becoming the first side to claim 14 titles in the competition.

The hero of Los Blancos's historic victory in Europe's premier club competition was star man Karim Benzema.

The French striker scripted history during the 2021-22 season as he became just the second man ever to score a hat-trick in consecutive knockout Champions League games with his treble against reigning European champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

8. Nikhat Zareen Becomes Indian Boxing's New Queen

Indian women's boxer Nikhat Zareen became the fifth Indian boxer after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL, and Lekha KC to win a gold medal at the World Championships as she registered a 5-0 win against Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in the flyweight category in Turkey.

Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen, who won gold medal at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, laughs during a felicitation ceremony for Indian women boxing team in New Delhi, Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

9. Indian Lawn Bowls Women's Team Scripts CWG History

Rupa Rani Tirkey and her three teammates namely, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia, and Lovely Choubey made history in August, winning the country's first-ever gold medal in the women's fours event in lawn bowls at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

10. PV Sindhu Clinches Elusive CWG Gold in Birmingham

Former world champion P.V. Sindhu of India made history at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this year.

Sindhu, who is the only Indian female athlete to clinch medals in back-to-back Olympics in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo 2020, beat Canada's Michelle Li in straight games to add the women's singles title at the Commonwealth Games to her cabinet.

India's Venkata Sindhu Pusarla reacts after winning the Women's singles gold medal badminton match against Canada's Michelle Li at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

11. Swiss Maestro Roger Federer Hangs His Boots

In September, Roger Federer, the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles, announced his retirement from tennis.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form, but I also know my body’s capabilities and limits and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years," Federer said in a video message on Twitter.

An emotional Roger Federer, left, of Team Europe sits alongside his playing partner Rafael Nadal after their Laver Cup doubles match against Team World's Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe at the O2 arena in London, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

The Swiss maestro, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, lifted his first Grand Slam trophy back in 2003 at Wimbledon. Overall, he won six Australian Opens, one Roland Garros, eight Wimbledon, and five US Open crowns during his illustrious career which began in 1998.

He is currently third in the Grand Slam race behind arch-rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic who have 22 and 21 Majors to their names respectively.

12. 'What Is Cricket Without India?'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were engaged in a long bitter war of words over the Indian cricket team's participation in next year's Asia Cup.

After BCCI secretary Jay Shah declared that the Men in Blue will not tour Pakistan for next year's Asia Cup, the Pakistani cricket authorities even threatened to pull out of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, triggering a strong reaction from the country's sports minister.

"The ODI World Cup will take place next year in India and all big teams around the globe will take part in it because you can't ignore India in any sport. India has contributed a lot to sports, especially cricket. What is cricket without India," the Sports Minister told reporters in New Delhi.

The row eventually led to the sacking of then PCB chief Ramiz Raja with the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government replacing him with former federal minister Najam Sethi last week.

13. Cristiano Ronaldo Drops Bombshell With Explosive Interview

In November, Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways with Manchester United following his bombshell interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

The Portuguese superstar blasted Manchester United's top management, including club boss Erik Ten Hag, as he alleged that he doesn't respect the club's Dutch coach because he didn't show respect towards him.

"I don't have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me. If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you," Ronaldo told the British media personality.

Al-Nassr confirmed the signing of Ronaldo on a free transfer on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about his move to Asia.

Although the Saudi club didn't disclose the terms of the contract with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, reports in the British media pegged the deal at a staggering $200 million a year, making him the highest-paid footballer in history.

14. CR7's World Cup Dream Ends in Tears in Qatar

Ronaldo's dream of adding a World Cup title to his trophy-loaded cabinet ended in a tearful exit from Qatar after his Portugal side was shocked 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The Funchal-born football star wasn't even allowed to fully display his magic in the Arab world as he remained on the sidelines for the majority of time versus the Swiss in the Round of 16, before being benched in the quarterfinal against Morocco once again.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Morocco and Portugal, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.

Ronaldo, however, did become the first player to score in five different editions of football's greatest competition after he delivered in Portugal's first game against Ghana in Qatar.

15. Lionel Messi Ends FIFA World Cup Drought, Lays Claim to GOAT Title

Two weeks ago, Lionel Messi's Argentina ended their 36-year wait for a FIFA World Cup title, beating France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out in an epic final in Doha.

Messi's long cherished dream of lifting the biggest football trophy in his arms finally came to fruition after La Albiceleste managed to hold onto their nerve during the dramatic penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 thriller across 120 minutes.

Besides securing the World Cup title, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker became the only footballer to defeat the defending Copa America, European and World Champions in a row, having accomplished the feat by overpowering Brazil in the Copa America final last year, Euro winners Italy in the Finalissima earlier this year and 2018 World Champions France this December, elevating his status as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

Football fans release a sky lantern with a picture of Argentina's football player Leo Messi to celebrate Argentina’s victory over France in the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in Kolkata on December 19, 2022.