The 2022 FIFA World Cup is officially over, with Argentina pipping 2018 champions France to clinch the title on Sunday. Google was well prepared for the sporting spectacle ahead of its start with detailed data on matches, standings, and a nifty penalty shootout game on Search to get the hype going before the tournament. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has now revealed that Search managed to record its highest-ever traffic on the day of the final, a significant landmark in its two-and-a-half decade-long existence.
Several questions have been raised at the tournament’s host nation Qatar during and in the years leading up to the event. However, most of the world’s attention was focused on the field, especially during the tournament’s latter stages, as reaffirmed by Pichai’s revelation on late Sunday. The Alphabet and Google CEO didn’t share the exact figures, but we expect a detailed report underlining the numbers in addition to the most searched terms at a later date.
Part of the reason for Search registering massive traffic on the last day of the tournament can be attributed to the vast set of tools made available to the users. In addition to catching up on the schedule and the tournament standings, fans could watch game highlights via YouTube (in most regions) and even access statistics, albeit restricted to goals, assists, yellow cards, and red cards.
Given the number of close games, surprise early exits, and underdog victories witnessed during the month-long event, it’s no surprise that it was one of the most talked about tournaments in recent history. In related news, Argentine soccer legend and World Cup winner Lionel Messi’s Instagram post celebrating the victory has also become the most liked on the platform, speaking volumes about the sport’s global popularity.