How Argentina Won the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup: A Data Story

Author

Aniruddha Parthasarathy, CUNY Graduate CenterFollow

Date of Degree

6-2025

Document Type

Master's Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Science

Program

Data Analysis & Visualization

Advisor

Howard T. Everson

Subject Categories

Computational Engineering | Multivariate Analysis | Statistical Models | Statistics and Probability

Keywords

Argentina, World Cup, soccer, football, Expected Threat (xT), pressing

Abstract

This project analyzes Argentina’s 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup win using open-source football (soccer) data. The project evaluates the team’s performance at a micro-level across three domains: without possessing the ball, possessing the ball and the team’s in-game management tactics. A statistical framework, i.e., multiple linear regression modeling, was used to identify the five key defensive actions influencing the Argentinian team’s intensity of pressure applied, and visualized by heatmaps and time-segmented plots. More specifically, an Expected Threat (xT) analysis quantified the threat or danger from passes and progressive carries (moving the ball at least 10 meters), revealing that Lionel Messi’s involvement, the team’s star player, increased average xT gains by ~17%. Temporal plots, annotated with key events such as substitutions and formation shifts, showed how Argentina maintained ball control under opposition pressure. These analyses suggest that selective pressing, multiple quick transitions, high levels of shooting accuracy, tactical flexibility, and some individual brilliance played pivotal roles in the Argentinian’s trophy win. The project website is hosted at: https://a-partha.github.io/Masters-Capstone-Project/, with full project code and datasets available at: https://github.com/a-partha/Masters-Capstone-Project. The analyses presented here contribute to the growing field of applied football (soccer) analytics by offering a reproducible case study of tournament-level performance. It also serves as a blueprint for integrating large-scale data with interactive visualizations to bridge the gap between technical analyses and broader public engagement.

Recommended Citation

Parthasarathy, Aniruddha, "How Argentina Won the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup: A Data Story" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6296