Johannesburg - It’s been a special sporting year, to say the least, with 2022 ending off in spectacular fashion with Argentina’s Lionel Messi winning his very first World Cup.
This week, the Saturday Star looks back at the most talked about sporting stories of the year.
Argentina crowned Fifa World Champions:
Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory with a penalty shootout triumph over France after an epic final in Doha finished 3-3 in extra-time.
Messi's spectacular performance sealed his status as one of the greatest players of all time, joining fellow icons Pele and Diego Maradona in an elite group.
The final has gone down as one of the greatest football finals in history.
Djokovic sent packing:
Novak Djokovic flew to Melbourne in January, hoping to capture a 10th Australian Open. However, the famously unvaccinated Serbian had his visa cancelled and was held in a hotel housing refugees before being deported on "health and good order" grounds. Djokovic was also banned from travelling to the United States, ruling him out of the US Open, but he managed to capture a seventh Wimbledon title in July.
Aussie legend Shane Warne dies
Australia great Shane Warne, widely regarded as one of the greatest Test players of all time, died of a suspected heart attack in March this year. He was 52.
The announcement came just hours after the death of fellow Australian great Rod Marsh was announced, one of cricket's outstanding wicketkeepers.
Warne, credited with reviving the art of leg-spin, was part of a dominant Australian Test team and helped his country win the 1999 World Cup.
Named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, alongside Donald Bradman, Garfield Sobers, Jack Hobbs and Viv Richards, Warne's impact was enormous.
The bowler became as well known for a colourful life away from cricket as he was for his exploits on the field.
UEFA Champions League final chaos
The May 28 final at the Stade de France in Paris descended into chaos when thousands of Liverpool fans were unable to gain access to the ground for the match against Real Madrid. Ticket-holding fans, who were attacked with tear gas by police and fell victim to street crime, were initially accused of trying to enter the stadium illegally. These allegations were disproved, and organisers and security chiefs were damned for poor organisation.
A French Senate inquiry contradicted assertions by Uefa and the French government that Liverpool fans without proper tickets were mainly responsible for the trouble.
Tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams retire
Tennis said goodbye to two of its greatest stars this year. Roger Federer, unable to shake off a lingering knee injury, called it quits at the age of 41 in September after a career which yielded 20 Grand Slams.
Serena refused to use the word "retirement" when she played what was likely her final tournament at the US Open. Now 41, the American said she was "evolving" away from tennis. She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and was number one for 319 weeks.
LIV golf controversy
Backed by the deep pockets of the Saudis, LIV Golf got underway in July, splitting the sport as it attracted major winners such as Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau with pledges of multi-million dollar purses for 54-hole, no-cut tournaments. The new circuit has been accused of "sports washing" Saudi Arabia's human rights record, and the US tours responded by suspending any players who competed in LIV events.
Banyana Banyana make history:
Banyana Banyana broke their long-standing curse - on their sixth attempt - to win the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), edging host nation Morocco 2-1 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in July this year.
Three goals were scored in the second half, with Hildah Magaia netting a brace and Rosella Ayane putting fear into the visitors late in the match with her consolation strike.
But the South African ladies earned a hard-fought victory against a determined Moroccan outfit, who were eager to raise the trophy in front of 52 000-strong home crowd.
Banyana had been denied in five previous Women's Afcon finals – 1995, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018 – and at the 2022 edition, tasted glory for the first time in the history of the national senior women's team.
It was also the first time since Bafana Bafana's heroics in 1996 that a senior national football team was victorious in the Nations Cup.
Beijing Winter Olympics doping scandal
Kamila Valieva was at the centre of a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The Russian, who was 15 at the time, became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in an Olympic competition, helping Russia secure gold in the team event. It then emerged she had tested positive before the Games for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina but which is banned for athletes because it can boost endurance.
Russia/Ukraine War
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February saw them and their allies Belarus become outcasts of world sport. Russia was kicked out of the football World Cup and world athletics championships, while tennis players from both nations were banned from Wimbledon.
Cristiano Ronaldo interview shocks football world:
Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United contract was terminated by mutual consent after the Portugal international made several allegations against the Premier League club in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan recently.
Speaking to Morgan, Ronaldo claimed to have been “betrayed” by the Old Trafford club and said he had no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.
Brittney Griner released from Russian custody after prisoner swap:
The eight-time All-Star was detained for 294 days in Russia for allegedly carrying a marijuana concentrate in her luggage.
After a 10-month detainment in Russia and getting sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges, the WNBA All-Star was allowed to return to the United States. The Joe Biden administration negotiated a one-for-one prisoner swap involving convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The exchange took place on December 8 in the United Arab Emirates after President Biden gave his final approval for the swap.
Morocco makes history
The biggest, and perhaps the best part of the Fifa World Cup came when Morocco beat Portugal to reach the semifinal and become the first Arab and African team to reach that stage of the competition.
Celebrations erupted across the world, drawing in congratulations from fans and leaders alike. The team was, unfortunately, knocked out by France.
US sports journalist Grant Wahl dies in Qatar:
A prominent football journalist from the United States died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
Grant Wahl, 48, collapsed as extra time began in the Argentina-Netherlands game on Friday night.
Early reports suggest he may have had a heart attack, but this has yet to be officially confirmed.
Last month, Wahl was briefly detained by Qatari authorities for trying to enter a stadium wearing a rainbow shirt in support of LGBT rights.