Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each the numbered blanks.

Dramatically, the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar has concluded with Argentina beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout (34) _______ they had drawn 3-3. Record numbers of fans were expected to watch the nail-biting final match at the Lusail Stadium just outside of the Qatari capital Doha.

The tournament featured a highly competitive group stage, (35) _______ global representation in the knockout rounds, dramatic upsets and outstanding individual performances — highlighted by Argentina’s great Lionel Messi and emerging superstar Kylian Mbappé of France. From the moment FIFA announced Qatar as the 2022 World Cup host in 2010, non-sporting controversy has (36) _______ the event. In addition to bribery charges against FIFA officials, (37) _______ questions were raised about the suitability of a small nation with limited football history or infrastructure hosting the World Cup.

Complicating the choice of Qatar further was the desert nation’s hot summers which made scheduling the event in its normal June-July timeframe impractical - necessitating the move to November-December, (38) _______ European football associations viewed as disrupting their regular schedules.

(Adapted from https://www.cnbc.com/)