• Captains of the World goes behind the scenes of the FIFA World Cup 2022

• Star names from leading nations give fascinating insights into their campaigns

• Entire series available to watch free on FIFA+ from April 15

“They say you can’t touch, or look at it, or anything. I could see it shining and… the trophy was beckoning me. It’s very hard to explain how you feel in that moment. All that energy, all the craving by everybody.”

The world knows how Lionel Messi - speaking above - finally reached his FIFA World Cup™ destination on 18 December 2022 in Qatar’s Lusail Stadium, holding aloft the one trophy he and the nation of Argentina craved, having secured it in dramatic fashion with a penalty shootout success against France following an epic 3-3 draw in one of the most spell-binding contests of all time.

The many stages to that epic journey for Messi and Argentina - and the paths taken by France and the 30 other teams who travelled to Qatar in 2022 - are unveiled in unprecedented detail in Captains of the World, which will be available to watch and stream for free on FIFA+ from 15 April.

The six-part series showcases the untold stories of the greatest sporting tournament on the planet with astonishing insights and behind-the-scenes access, featuring numerous star names, including Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Thiago Silva, Luka Modric, Maya Yoshida, Kalidou Koulibaly and many more.

In the first episode, Messi pays tribute to Albiceleste legend Diego Maradona, while Brazil skipper Thiago Silva recalls his battle with tuberculosis and USA captain Tyler Adams reflects on how football is viewed in America. The following instalment sees Denmark international Simon Kjaer discussing Mbappe’s star power, as Senegal defender Koulibaly reflects on African solidarity at the tournament.

As the group stage concludes and the Round of 16 looms large, the third chapter focuses on Morocco making history, Australia attempting to take out an icon and Yoshida trying to rewrite Japan's legacy. Episode four reveals friction in the Portugal camp as Ronaldo is benched in the knockout stages before Thiago Silva braces himself for a backlash after Brazil are eliminated by Croatia.

The drama continues with the quarter-finals under the spotlight in part five, where friends turn to foes as France face England and Argentina reopen old wounds for the Netherlands, before Modric's storied World Cup career comes to a close.

Episode six sees the series – and the tournament – reach a dramatic denouement as, with half the world's population watching and his legacy on the line, Messi takes on France in a final, epic clash of football titans.