With so much action happening every day at the FIFA World Cup 2022, we attempt to pick one magical moment that helped define the day.
December 18: Messi and his touch of rare genius
This last 'moment of the day' of this 2022 World Cup could only be one thing -- the moment Lionel Andres Messi showed the world just he can do when he is on his A-game, just what he can do when he speaks with the football a language only the two of them truly understand.
December 17: Mislav Orsic's inventive interpretation of geometry raises Croatia to third
It was a significant strike, but in its inventiveness, it captured the essence of this game: that strange blend of regret and glory and pure footballing entertainment.
December 14: The certainty of Mbappe and the hesitation of Hamdallah
Abderrazak Hamdallah dithered. Kylian Mbappe did not. In elite sport where the margins are so tiny as to be invisible, sometimes that's all it takes to decide who reaches a World Cup final, and who doesn't.
December 13: Messi magic
Lionel Messi rolls back the years as he outsprints and outwits the best defender at the World Cup, before setting up Argentina's third in their thumping win against Croatia.
December 10: El Yamiq's kiss of relief on Pepe's head
In that kiss lay the story of this drama: of Morocco's bravery and joy, of Portugal's disbelief and shock, of the sheer history-making magnitude of it all.
December 9: When Petkovic knocked the wind out of Brazil
Bruno Petkovic equalised late on in extra time, setting the stage for Croatia to beat Brazil 4-2 on penalties.
December 6: When Portugal's team sheet confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo being benched
A moment that happened off-the-field: when Portugal's team sheet dropped... and Cristiano Ronaldo's name wasn't in the playing XI.
December 5: Vinicius Jr.'s calm before the storm unleashed by Brazil on South Korea
It's the calm before the storm -- the fleeting instant where Vinicius Jr. sets himself up before scoring the first goal in Brazil's 4-1 hammering of South Korea.
December 4: Antoine Griezmann is the (invisible) glue that holds France together
Griezmann is one of the modern game's most prolific goalscorers and here was breaking up an attack inside his own box for the umpteenth time. This is not normal.
December 3: Daley Blind embodies the beauty of Dutch football
On most football pitches, on most nights, there isn't a footballer better with the ball at their feet than Daley Blind. There's a reason this match was his 98th for the Netherlands.
December 2: Son Heung-min's pause of genius against Portugal
It's the kind of small moment that separates the very good from the great, that can lift a nation from the brink of elimination and into the knockouts, that can define one of the most dramatic days in Word Cup history.
December 1: Josko Gvardiol's incredible tackle keeps Croatia alive, kicks Belgium out
On the night, in the 92nd minute of this draining virtual knockout match at the biggest stage of them all, Lukaku had been all these things. Gvardiol hadn't made a mistake, but all he could do was fling himself into that last-ditch challenge.
November 30: Lionel Messi's solo run a reminder of his essence
Lionel Messi may no longer be 'a dog chasing a sponge', but for a brief moment there was a glimpse of the past.
November 29: Koulibaly's brilliant volley sends Senegal into knockouts
Kalidou Koulibaly's goal was his first-ever goal for Senegal, sending them through to the World Cup knockouts for only the second time in their history.
November 28: Vincent Aboubakar's physics-defying goal in Cameroon's thrilling comeback
Vincent Aboubakar's chip over Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had a deeper significance than just the start of Cameroon's comeback against Serbia.
November 27: Morocco seal their authority over Belgium
Moment of the day - when Zakaria Aboukhlal's goal that gave Morocco a 2-0 win over Belgium - just their third win in FIFA World Cup history.