2002 FIFA World Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup
, held in South Korea
and Japan
from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia
, and the last in which the golden goal
rule was implemented. Brazil
won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0 in the final. Turkey
beat South Korea 3–2 in the third place match.
At the time the decision was made, Japan had never qualified for a World Cup finals (although the Japanese did subsequently qualify for the 1998 competition). The only other countries to have been awarded a World Cup without previously having competed in a Finals tournament are Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934 and Qatar in 2022.
France
and co-hosts Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Japan
automatically qualified and did not have to play any qualification matches. (This was the last time that the defending champions automatically qualified).
14 places were contested by UEFA
teams (Europe), five by CAF
teams (Africa), four by CONMEBOL
teams (South America), four by AFC
teams (Asia), and three by CONCACAF
teams (North and Central America and Caribbean). The remaining two places were decided by playoffs between AFC and UEFA and between CONMEBOL and OFC
(Oceania). Four nations qualified for the finals for the first time: China
, Ecuador
, Senegal
, and Slovenia
.
Turkey qualified for the first time since 1954, and Portugal for the first time since 1986. 1998 semi-finalists the Netherlands failed to qualify, while South Korea set a record by appearing in a fifth successive finals tournament, the first nation from outside Europe or the Americas to achieve this feat.
All seven previous World Cup-winning nations (Argentina
, Brazil
, England
, France
, Germany
, Italy
and Uruguay
) qualified, the first time so many previous champions had been present at a finals tournament (all these nations had also appeared at the 1986 tournament, but France had not yet won the competition).
, the Host nation has been in Group A.
Before the draw, it was arranged that the last three teams in Pot B would be drawn into four groups which did not already contain two European teams and one would be left without second European team. This was ultimately Group C.
On 1 December 2001, the draw was held and the group assignments and order of fixtures were determined. Group F was considered the group of death
, as it brought together Argentina, England, Nigeria and Sweden.
, playing without the injured Zinedine Zidane
, by tournament newcomers Senegal
in the tournament's opening match held in Seoul
, Korea. In their second Group A game, France were held to a goalless draw by Uruguay
after star striker Thierry Henry was sent off. A 2–0 defeat by Denmark in their last group game sealed France's fate. The world champions went out of the Cup without even managing to score a goal and earned the unwanted record of the worst World Cup performance by a defending champion since 1934
(when Uruguay refused to defend the title). An impressive Denmark
won the group, joined by Senegal to move on to the next round. Senegal drew with Denmark and Uruguay to clinch its place in the second round. Despite coming back from 3–0 down to draw with Senegal in their last group game, the South Americans couldn't find the fourth goal that would have kept them in the Cup and thus were out of the tournament.
Spain
in Group B became one of only two teams to pick up maximum points, seeing off both Paraguay
and Slovenia
3–1 before beating South Africa
3–2. Paraguay needed a late goal against another newcomer, Slovenia, to tie with South Africa on goal difference (they were already tied on points) and move to the second round on the next tiebreaker, goals scored.
The other team to win all their group games was Brazil
in Group C. Turkey advanced to the next round, too, beating Costa Rica
on goal difference. China
, coached by Bora Milutinović (the fifth national team he coached in five consecutive World Cups), failed to get a point or even score a goal.
Group D saw several surprises as the United States
beat Portugal
, whom many had tipped to win the tournament, 3–2. Then, goalkeeping by Brad Friedel
earned the Americans a 1–1 draw with South Korea. South Korea, which previously beat Poland
2–0, beat Portugal in the deciding third match to send the Europeans home and also give the United States a ticket into the second round, despite them losing to Poland in the 3rd match.
Germany
thrashed Saudi Arabia
8–0 in Group E thanks to three goals from Miroslav Klose
. Ireland
were playing without captain Roy Keane
, sent home days before the World Cup, but led by his unrelated namesake Robbie
claimed second place at the expense of African champions Cameroon
.
Other than France's failures, the biggest shock of the tournament came in the Group of Death, Group F as pre-tournament favourites Argentina
failed to move out of the group. A loss to England
1–0 on a David Beckham
penalty and a subsequent draw with Sweden
kept the South Americans from advancing. The Scandinavians won the group, with England also going through. Nigeria
finished last.
In Group G, Italy
, Croatia
, and Ecuador
all beat each other once. But the Italians' draw against group winners Mexico
, while the other two lost to the North Americans, gave the three-time World Cup champions second place in the group. Ecuador could still enjoy a victory on their first World Cup, beating Croatia 1–0.
Co-hosts Japan
breezed through Group H, joined by Belgium. Russia
and Tunisia
were two of the disappointments of the tournament, in what was considered the weakest group of the tournament.
in a tense, defence-dominated encounter while England thrashed previously-impressive Denmark 3–0. In the Spain-Ireland match, the two teams drew 1–1 and penalties gave Spain a place in the quarter-finals. Sweden and Senegal had a 1–1 match and it took a Golden goal
from Henri Camara
in extra time to settle the game for Senegal. The United States overcame Mexico 2–0 thanks to the goals of Brian McBride
and Landon Donovan
. Brazil defeated a surprising Belgium 2–0, while Turkey ended co-hosts Japan's run with a 1–0 win. The other co-hosts, South Korea, beat Italy 2–1 in sudden-death extra time. South Korea's win ensured that, for the very first time in the Cup's history, teams from each of Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia reached the quarter-finals of the same tournament.
In the quarter-finals, Ronaldinho
's free kick sailed over the stunned David Seaman
as Brazil beat England 2–1. The United States lost to Germany 1–0 by a Michael Ballack
goal in the 39th minute. The USA demanded the referee give a penalty for a goal-line hand ball by Torsten Frings
in the 49th minute, but to no avail. South Korea got another win, beating Spain on penalties after a 0–0 draw in which the Spaniards twice thought they had scored; however, the efforts were disallowed by the referee. The hosts became the first team in the Asian Football Confederation
to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, eclipsing the record of their North Korean counterparts
who reached the quarter-finals in 1966
. Turkey continued their remarkable run, stopping Senegal's own with a 1–0 golden goal victory.
scored his sixth of the competition for Brazil, who beat Turkey 1–0 in a replay of their Group C encounter. In the third-place match, Turkey beat the South Koreans 3–2 in a very spirited match for third place, their first goal coming from Hakan Şükür
straight from the opening kick-off (even though South Korea kicked off) in 10.8 seconds, the fastest ever goal in World Cup history.
In the final match held in Yokohama
, Japan, two goals from Ronaldo secured the World Cup for Brazil
as they claimed victory over Germany. Ronaldo scored twice in the second half and, after the game, won the Golden Shoe
award for the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals. This was the fifth time Brazil had won the World Cup, cementing their status as the most successful national team in the history of the competition. Brazil became the only team since Argentina in 1986
to win the trophy without needing to win a penalty shootout at some stage during the knockout phase, and the total number of penalty shootouts (2) was the lowest since the four-round knockout format was introduced in 1986. Brazil also became the first team to win every match at a World Cup Finals since 1970, and set a new record for highest aggregate goal difference (+14) for a World Cup winner. Brazil's captain Cafu
, who became the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepted the trophy on behalf of the team.
South Korea and Japan each provided ten stadia, the vast majority of them newly built for the tournament.
Coffi Codjia
Mourad Daami
Mohamed Guezzaz
Falla N'Doye
Asia Ali Bujsaim
Toru Kamikawa
Kim Young-Joo
Lu Jun Saad Mane
Europe Pierluigi Collina
Hugh Dallas
Anders Frisk
Terje Hauge
Antonio López Nieto
Urs Meier
Vítor Melo Pereira
Markus Merk
Ľuboš Micheľ
Kim Milton Nielsen
Graham Poll
Kyros Vassaras
Gilles Veissière
Jan Wegereef
North, Central America and Caribbean Carlos Batres
Brian Hall
William Mattus
Peter Prendergast
Felipe Ramos
Oceania Mark Shield
South America Ubaldo Aquino
Byron Moreno
René Ortubé
Óscar Ruiz
Ángel Sánchez Carlos Simon
. This was the first World Cup that featured squads of 23 players, an increase from 22 previously. Of the 23 players, 3 must be goalkeepers.
Groups A, B, C, D based in South Korea
. Groups E, F, G, H based in Japan
.
In the following tables:
France
were eliminated from Group A without scoring a goal after defeats to Denmark
and debutants Senegal
, who both progressed at the expense of two-time champions Uruguay
.
won all three games to progress to the Round of 16, while Slovenia
were eliminated with no points. Nelson Cuevas' second goal against Slovenia was enough to send Paraguay
through by virtue of having scored more goals than South Africa
.
won all three games to progress, whilst China PR
were eliminated without a goal or a point. Costa Rica
's leaky defense led to them being eliminated on goal difference, allowing Turkey
to claim the runner-up spot.
's shock 3-2 win over Portugal
, together with a draw against South Korea was enough to send them through, even though they lost 1-3 against Poland. Portugal were eliminated with one win and two losses, including one against South Korea. Poland
were also eliminated, despite beating the USA in their final game.
were eliminated as the worst team in tournament, after three defeats and no goals scored, including an 8-0 loss to Germany
. Germany qualified, knocking out Cameroon
in the process. Robbie Keane was one of only two players to score against Germany in the whole World Cup (the other being Ronaldo of Brazil in the final), scoring in additional time to help claim second place in the group.
, second favourites Argentina
were eliminated following a 1-1 draw to Sweden
in their third game. They needed a victory following their second game loss to England
to secure a second round berth. Sweden
topped the group, having scored more goals than England, while Nigeria
had already been eliminated before drawing with England in their final match.
qualified after two wins in their first two games. Italy
also progressed thanks to Ecuador
's win over Croatia in Yokohama, and would have qualifed even had Alessandro Del Piero
not scored the equaliser against the Mexicans in the group's final match. This left Croatia
and World Cup debutants Ecuador who picked up their maiden World Cup win against the Croats, as the two teams that did not advance.
topped the group with two wins and a draw. Belgium also qualified after a see-saw match with the Russians, while Tunisia
was also eliminated after picking up just one point.
, South Korea, hosted the third-place match while Yokohama
, Japan, hosted the final.
eliminated Paraguay
through an 88th-minute winner from Oliver Neuville
. England
breezed past the Danes
with a 3–0 win, while Henri Camara
scored the golden goal
that put Senegal
through to the quarter-finals at Sweden
's expense. Spain
eliminated Ireland
on penalties after a tense match, in which Robbie Keane levelled the scores with a penalty, just as Spain looked like they would be going through in normal time. In the North American
derby, the USA
defeated Mexico
2–0 to set up a quarter-final tie with Germany. Brazil
defeated Belgium 2–0 and Turkey
ended the journey of hosts Japan
. In an echo of North Korea
's victory over Italy
in 1966
, South Korea defeated the Azzurri
, with a golden goal from Perugia
's Ahn Jung-Hwan
. After the game, Ahn was told by Perugia's president, Luciano Gaucci
, that he would never play for the club again, only for Gaucci to have a change of heart the following day.
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
's Ronaldinho
caught out England
goalkeeper David Seaman
with a lobbed free kick from 42 yards to send Brazil into the semis. Oliver Kahn
kept Germany
in front of the USA
with a string of saves in a first half dominated by the Americans, save for the winning goal, scored by Michael Ballack
in the 39th minute. Meanwhile, Spain
were unable to win a second consecutive penalty shoot-out, after having disallowed two goals during normal playing time and therefore lost to South Korea, and Turkey
ended the dream of Africa
's sole quarter-final representative, Senegal
, with an İlhan Mansız
golden goal.
----
----
----
defeated Turkey
, thanks to a single goal from the tournament's top scorer, Ronaldo
. Despite picking up a booking that would rule him out of the final, Michael Ballack
scored the goal that sent Germany
to the final and consigned South Korea to the third place play-off.
----
won third place after an entertaining 3–2 victory over hosts South Korea, in a match that included the fastest ever World Cup goal, scored by Parma
striker and Turkey veteran Hakan Şükür
after just 11 seconds.
Two goals from Ronaldo
were enough to see Brazil
crowned world champions for the fifth time and Germany
made runners-up for a record fourth time. The first goal occurred when Germany goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn
, failed to deal with a long-range shot from Rivaldo
, spilling the ball directly into Ronaldo's path. The two Brazilians worked together again on the second goal when Rivaldo stepped over a square ball from Kléberson
, allowing Ronaldo to side-foot it home from the edge of the box.
5 goals Rivaldo
Miroslav Klose
4 goals Jon Dahl Tomasson
Christian Vieri
Marc Wilmots
3 goals
Michael Ballack
Robbie Keane
Pauleta
Papa Bouba Diop
Fernando Morientes
Raúl
Henrik Larsson
İlhan Mansız
2 goals
Ronaldinho
Rónald Gómez Michael Owen
Junichi Inamoto
Jared Borgetti
Nelson Cuevas Henri Camara
Ahn Jung-Hwan
Fernando Hierro
Ümit Davala
Hasan Şaş
Brian McBride
Landon Donovan
1 goal
Gabriel Batistuta
Hernán Crespo
Wesley Sonck
Peter Van Der Heyden
Johan Walem
Edmílson
Júnior
Roberto Carlos
Samuel Eto'o
Patrick Mboma Winston Parks
Paulo Wanchope
Mauricio Wright
Ivica Olić
Milan Rapaić
Dennis Rommedahl
Agustín Delgado
Edison Méndez
David Beckham
Sol Campbell
Rio Ferdinand
Emile Heskey
Oliver Bierhoff
Marco Bode
Carsten Jancker
Thomas Linke
Oliver Neuville
Bernd Schneider Gary Breen
Damien Duff
Matt Holland
Alessandro Del Piero
Hiroaki Morishima Hidetoshi Nakata
Takayuki Suzuki
Hwang Sun-Hong
Lee Eul-Yong
Park Ji-Sung
Seol Ki-Hyeon
Song Chong-Gug
Yoo Sang-Chul
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Gerardo Torrado
Julius Aghahowa Francisco Arce
Jorge Campos
Roque Santa Cruz
Paweł Kryszałowicz Emmanuel Olisadebe
Marcin Żewłakow Beto Rui Costa
Vladimir Beschastnykh
Valery Karpin
Dmitri Sychev
Egor Titov
Salif Diao
Khalilou Fadiga
Milenko Ačimovič
Sebastjan Cimirotič
Quinton Fortune Benni McCarthy
Teboho Mokoena
Siyabonga Nomvethe
Lucas Radebe
Gaizka Mendieta
Juan Carlos Valerón
Niclas Alexandersson Anders Svensson Raouf Bouzaiene Emre Belözoğlu
Bülent Korkmaz
Hakan Şükür
Clint Mathis
John O'Brien Diego Forlán
Richard Morales
Álvaro Recoba
Darío Rodríguez
Own goals Jorge Costa
(for USA) Carles Puyol
(for Paraguay) Jeff Agoos
(for Portugal)
1Oliver Kahn
is the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball in FIFA World Cup
history.
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, held in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the last in which the golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
rule was implemented. Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0 in the final. Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
beat South Korea 3–2 in the third place match.
Host selection
Korea and Japan were selected as hosts by FIFA on May 31, 1996. Initially, Korea, Japan, and Mexico presented three rival bids. However, the two Asian countries agreed to unite their bids shortly before the decision was made, and they were chosen unanimously in preference to Mexico. This was the first (and so far the only) World cup to be hosted by two countries.At the time the decision was made, Japan had never qualified for a World Cup finals (although the Japanese did subsequently qualify for the 1998 competition). The only other countries to have been awarded a World Cup without previously having competed in a Finals tournament are Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934 and Qatar in 2022.
Qualification
A total of 199 teams attempted to qualify for the 2002 World Cup which qualification process began with the preliminary draw in 1999. Defending World Champions1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and co-hosts Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
automatically qualified and did not have to play any qualification matches. (This was the last time that the defending champions automatically qualified).
14 places were contested by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
teams (Europe), five by CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
teams (Africa), four by CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
teams (South America), four by AFC
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
teams (Asia), and three by CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
teams (North and Central America and Caribbean). The remaining two places were decided by playoffs between AFC and UEFA and between CONMEBOL and OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
(Oceania). Four nations qualified for the finals for the first time: China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
, Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
, Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
, and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
.
Turkey qualified for the first time since 1954, and Portugal for the first time since 1986. 1998 semi-finalists the Netherlands failed to qualify, while South Korea set a record by appearing in a fifth successive finals tournament, the first nation from outside Europe or the Americas to achieve this feat.
All seven previous World Cup-winning nations (Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
) qualified, the first time so many previous champions had been present at a finals tournament (all these nations had also appeared at the 1986 tournament, but France had not yet won the competition).
Seeds
The eight seeded teams for the 2002 tournament were announced on 28 November 2001. The seeds comprised Pot A in the draw. Pot B contained the remaining 11 European sides; Pot C contained five unseeded qualifiers from CONMEBOL and AFC. Pot D contained unseeded sides from the CONCACAF region and Africa. This was the last FIFA World Cup with the defending champion in Group A. Since 20062006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, the Host nation has been in Group A.
| Pot A | Pot B | Pot C | Pot D |
|---|---|---|---|
(1998 World Cup winner) (co-hosts) (co-hosts) |
Before the draw, it was arranged that the last three teams in Pot B would be drawn into four groups which did not already contain two European teams and one would be left without second European team. This was ultimately Group C.
On 1 December 2001, the draw was held and the group assignments and order of fixtures were determined. Group F was considered the group of death
Group of death
A group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament...
, as it brought together Argentina, England, Nigeria and Sweden.
First round
The World Cup started with a shock 1–0 defeat of defending champions FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, playing without the injured Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, by tournament newcomers Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
in the tournament's opening match held in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Korea. In their second Group A game, France were held to a goalless draw by Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
after star striker Thierry Henry was sent off. A 2–0 defeat by Denmark in their last group game sealed France's fate. The world champions went out of the Cup without even managing to score a goal and earned the unwanted record of the worst World Cup performance by a defending champion since 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
(when Uruguay refused to defend the title). An impressive Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
won the group, joined by Senegal to move on to the next round. Senegal drew with Denmark and Uruguay to clinch its place in the second round. Despite coming back from 3–0 down to draw with Senegal in their last group game, the South Americans couldn't find the fourth goal that would have kept them in the Cup and thus were out of the tournament.
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in Group B became one of only two teams to pick up maximum points, seeing off both Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
3–1 before beating South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
3–2. Paraguay needed a late goal against another newcomer, Slovenia, to tie with South Africa on goal difference (they were already tied on points) and move to the second round on the next tiebreaker, goals scored.
The other team to win all their group games was Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in Group C. Turkey advanced to the next round, too, beating Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
on goal difference. China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
, coached by Bora Milutinović (the fifth national team he coached in five consecutive World Cups), failed to get a point or even score a goal.
Group D saw several surprises as the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
beat Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, whom many had tipped to win the tournament, 3–2. Then, goalkeeping by Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
earned the Americans a 1–1 draw with South Korea. South Korea, which previously beat Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
2–0, beat Portugal in the deciding third match to send the Europeans home and also give the United States a ticket into the second round, despite them losing to Poland in the 3rd match.
Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
thrashed Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
8–0 in Group E thanks to three goals from Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
. Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
were playing without captain Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, sent home days before the World Cup, but led by his unrelated namesake Robbie
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
claimed second place at the expense of African champions Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
.
Other than France's failures, the biggest shock of the tournament came in the Group of Death, Group F as pre-tournament favourites Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
failed to move out of the group. A loss to England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
1–0 on a David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
penalty and a subsequent draw with Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
kept the South Americans from advancing. The Scandinavians won the group, with England also going through. Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
finished last.
In Group G, Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, and Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
all beat each other once. But the Italians' draw against group winners Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, while the other two lost to the North Americans, gave the three-time World Cup champions second place in the group. Ecuador could still enjoy a victory on their first World Cup, beating Croatia 1–0.
Co-hosts Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
breezed through Group H, joined by Belgium. Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
were two of the disappointments of the tournament, in what was considered the weakest group of the tournament.
Second round and quarter-finals
In the second round, Germany beat Paraguay 1–0 on a late goal by Oliver NeuvilleOliver Neuville
Oliver Patric Neuville is a retired German footballer who played as a striker.During an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach , amassing Bundesliga totals of 334 games and 91 goals.Neuville gained almost 70 caps for the German national...
in a tense, defence-dominated encounter while England thrashed previously-impressive Denmark 3–0. In the Spain-Ireland match, the two teams drew 1–1 and penalties gave Spain a place in the quarter-finals. Sweden and Senegal had a 1–1 match and it took a Golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
from Henri Camara
Henri Camara
Henri Camara is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Superleague side Panetolikos.-Early career:Camara was born in Dakar to a Guinean father and a Senegalese mother...
in extra time to settle the game for Senegal. The United States overcame Mexico 2–0 thanks to the goals of Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
. Brazil defeated a surprising Belgium 2–0, while Turkey ended co-hosts Japan's run with a 1–0 win. The other co-hosts, South Korea, beat Italy 2–1 in sudden-death extra time. South Korea's win ensured that, for the very first time in the Cup's history, teams from each of Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia reached the quarter-finals of the same tournament.
In the quarter-finals, Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
's free kick sailed over the stunned David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
as Brazil beat England 2–1. The United States lost to Germany 1–0 by a Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
goal in the 39th minute. The USA demanded the referee give a penalty for a goal-line hand ball by Torsten Frings
Torsten Frings
Torsten Frings is a German football midfielder who plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer and is known for his vision and an explosive, powerful shot.-Early career:...
in the 49th minute, but to no avail. South Korea got another win, beating Spain on penalties after a 0–0 draw in which the Spaniards twice thought they had scored; however, the efforts were disallowed by the referee. The hosts became the first team in the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, eclipsing the record of their North Korean counterparts
Korea DPR national football team
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea national football team represents the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in international association football and is controlled by the DPR Korea Football Association, the governing body for football in North Korea.North Korea surprised with a...
who reached the quarter-finals in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. Turkey continued their remarkable run, stopping Senegal's own with a 1–0 golden goal victory.
Semi-finals, third-place match, and final
The semi-finals saw two 1–0 games; first, Ballack's goal was enough for Germany to defeat South Korea. However, Ballack received a yellow card during the match, which forced him to miss the final based on accumulated yellow cards. RonaldoRonaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
scored his sixth of the competition for Brazil, who beat Turkey 1–0 in a replay of their Group C encounter. In the third-place match, Turkey beat the South Koreans 3–2 in a very spirited match for third place, their first goal coming from Hakan Şükür
Hakan Sükür
Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a...
straight from the opening kick-off (even though South Korea kicked off) in 10.8 seconds, the fastest ever goal in World Cup history.
In the final match held in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan, two goals from Ronaldo secured the World Cup for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
as they claimed victory over Germany. Ronaldo scored twice in the second half and, after the game, won the Golden Shoe
FIFA World Cup awards
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
award for the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals. This was the fifth time Brazil had won the World Cup, cementing their status as the most successful national team in the history of the competition. Brazil became the only team since Argentina in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
to win the trophy without needing to win a penalty shootout at some stage during the knockout phase, and the total number of penalty shootouts (2) was the lowest since the four-round knockout format was introduced in 1986. Brazil also became the first team to win every match at a World Cup Finals since 1970, and set a new record for highest aggregate goal difference (+14) for a World Cup winner. Brazil's captain Cafu
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
, who became the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepted the trophy on behalf of the team.
Ticket sales problem
The original domestic ticket allocation had fully sold out and the organising committee completed sales of tickets returned from the international allocation by the end of April. However, it was obvious at the opening two matches in Japan that there was a significant number of empty seats, and it was gradually revealed that the WCTB, World Cup Ticketing Bureau, still had unsold tickets in its possession. After FIFA agreed to sell this inventory, JAWOC undertook sales over telephone and WCTB handled the internet sales. For the second round Japan vs. Turkey match in Miyagi in particular, although it was reported by both parties that all tickets had been sold, some 700 seats remained empty.Venues
Korea
| Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... |
Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
Incheon Incheon The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City... |
Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... |
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| Seoul World Cup Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite... Capacity: 66,806 |
Daegu World Cup Stadium Capacity: 66,422 |
Busan Asiad Stadium Busan Asiad Stadium The Busan Asiad Stadium or Asiad Main Stadium is a stadium in Busan, Republic of Korea, that was built for the 2002 Asian Games and was also used for matches in the 2002 Football World Cup. It has a capacity of 53,864... Capacity: 55,983 |
Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Incheon. The stadium's capacity is 50,256. It is the home stadium of the football club Incheon United F.C..Incheon Munhak Stadium, initially named Incheon World Cup Stadium, hosted some matches in the 2002 World Cup... Capacity: 52,179 |
Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Capacity: 43,550 |
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| Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... |
Gwangju Gwangju Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister... |
Jeonju Jeonju Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :... |
Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... |
Seogwipo Seogwipo Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*... |
| Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... Capacity: 43,959 |
Gwangju World Cup Stadium Guus Hiddink Stadium Gwangju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Gwangju. It is managed by the Sports Support Division of the Culture & Sports Policy Office of the Gwangju Metropolitan city. Initially the stadium was named Gwangju World Cup Stadium to host some matches of the 2002 FIFA... Capacity: 44,118 |
Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Fort Jeonju", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Jeonju. It is the home of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The stadium's capacity is 43,348. The final of 2011 AFC Champions League was held at this stadium.... Capacity: 42,477 |
Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Purple Arena", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Daejeon. It was used to host some matches of the 2002 World Cup .... Capacity: 40,535 |
Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium with a 42,256-person capacity that is located in the city of Seogwipo on the small South Korean island province of Jeju-do... Capacity: 42,256 |
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Japan
| Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... |
Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... |
Shizuoka Fukuroi, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2009, the city had an estimated population of 85,985 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 108.56 km².-Geography:... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
Miyagi Rifu, Miyagi is a town located in Miyagi District, Miyagi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 31,832 and a population density of 711.33 persons per km². The total area is 44.75 km².... |
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| International Stadium Yokohama Capacity: 72,327 |
Saitama Stadium 2002 Capacity: 63,700 |
Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium Shizuoka Stadium is a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa... Capacity: 50,889 |
Nagai Stadium Nagai Stadium is an athletic stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.-History:... Capacity: 50,000 |
Miyagi Stadium Miyagi Stadium is an athletic stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to evoke images of Date Masamune, a Daimyo of Mutsu Province, which included the present-day Miyagi Prefecture.Miyagi... Capacity: 49,133 |
| Ōita Oita, Oita is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture... |
Niigata Niigata, Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.... |
Ibaraki Kashima, Ibaraki is a port city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 66,249 and a population density of 708.02 persons per km². The total area is 93.57 km². Kashima was formerly a town in Kashima District and became a city after merging with the... |
Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... |
Sapporo Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.... |
| Ōita Stadium Oita Stadium Ōita Bank Dome is a multi-purpose stadium in the city of Ōita in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu Island in Japan.The stadium is currently called , or as an abbreviated form, by naming rights. It was formerly called as sponsored by the Kyushu Oil until early 2010. It is primarily used for soccer, and is... Capacity: 43,000 |
Niigata Stadium Capacity: 42,300 |
Kashima Soccer Stadium Capacity: 42,000 |
Kobe Wing Stadium Capacity: 42,000 |
Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... Capacity: 53,845 |
Referees
Africa Gamal Al-GhandourGamal Al-Ghandour
- Details :El-Ghandour has refereed the 2002 African Cup of Nations final , the second leg of the 2002 African Cup Winners' Cup final , and five successive African Cup of Nations, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. He is the first African referee to run a match in the UEFA European Football...
Coffi Codjia
Coffi Codjia
Coffi Codjia is a Beninese football referee.An international referee since 1994, Codjia was a referee at the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006, the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999 and 2003 and the African Cup of Nations in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, in which he was the referee for the final, and...
Mourad Daami
Mourad Daami
Mourad Daami in Monastir is a retired Tunisian football referee. He is known for supervising one match during the 2002 FIFA World Cup co hosted by South Korea and Japan.-References:...
Mohamed Guezzaz
Mohamed Guezzaz
Mohamed Guezzaz is a retired football referee from Morocco, best known for supervising match Spain–Slovenia during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-References:*...
Falla N'Doye
Falla N'Doye
Falla N'Doye is a football referee from Senegal. He is known for supervising one match during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
Asia Ali Bujsaim
Ali Bujsaim
Ali Mohamed Bujsaim is a retired football referee from the United Arab Emirates, best known for supervising at three FIFA World Cups: 1994 , 1998 and 2002 .-References:*...
Toru Kamikawa
Toru Kamikawa
is a former Japanese football referee, debuting in Japan's professional J. League in 1996.Kamikawa was born in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture...
Kim Young-Joo
Kim Young-Joo
Kim Young-Joo is a former South Korean football referee, who officiated at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
Lu Jun Saad Mane
Europe Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
Hugh Dallas
Hugh Dallas
Hugh Dallas MBE is a Scottish former football referee. He officiated at two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 1998 and 2002; he was appointed fourth official for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final...
Anders Frisk
Anders Frisk
Anders Frisk is an insurance agent by trade and a former football referee. Frisk chose to go into early retirement from refereeing due to pressure from death threats made against him and his family. These death threats were made by Chelsea fans because Frisk sent off Didier Drogba in the first...
Terje Hauge
Terje Hauge
Terje Hauge is a Norwegian football referee from the club Olsvik IL.-Refereeing career:Since he made his debut in 1990, Hauge has refereed 232 matches in the Tippeligaen. He has been an authorised FIFA referee since 1993...
Antonio López Nieto
Antonio López Nieto
Antonio Jesús López Nieto is a Spanish football referee, who has officiated at one FIFA World Cup and during the UEFA Champions League....
Urs Meier
Urs Meier
Urs Meier is a retired, Swiss football referee, a grocer by trade who owns a brand of household appliances in Würenlos, Switzerland. From 1994 until 2004 he was an international FIFA referee...
Vítor Melo Pereira
Vítor Melo Pereira
Vítor Manuel Melo Pereira is a retired football referee from Portugal, best known for supervising four matches at the FIFA World Cup: two in 1998 and 2002.-References:*...
Markus Merk
Markus Merk
Dr. Markus Merk is a former top-level German football referee. He is a six-time winner of the German Referee of the Year Award and the record holder in games refereed in the Bundesliga. In 2005, Merk was awarded the German Bundesverdienstkreuz in recognition of his service to football and his...
Ľuboš Micheľ
Luboš Michel
Ľuboš Micheľ is a former top-level Slovak football referee.Micheľ became a FIFA referee at the age of 25. One big milestone in his career was refereeing the 2003 UEFA Cup Final between Porto and Celtic...
Kim Milton Nielsen
Kim Milton Nielsen
Kim Milton Nielsen is a former international football referee. An IT manager by trade, Nielsen is noted for his impressive height of 1.96m, making him taller than most players. Nielsen began refereeing at 15 years of age, as he wanted to know the Laws of Football...
Graham Poll
Graham Poll
Graham Poll is an English former football referee in the Premier League and is considered the best English referee of the last 25 years in a list maintained by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics...
Kyros Vassaras
Kyros Vassaras
Kyros Vassaras is a Greek former professional football referee. Outside of refereeing, he works as a travel agent in Thessaloniki, Greece. Vassaras is also a linguist; he is able to speak Greek, German, English and Spanish....
Gilles Veissière
Gilles Veissière
Gilles Veissière is a football referee from France, best known for supervising two matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan...
Jan Wegereef
Jan Wegereef
Jan Willem Wegereef is a top-level Dutch football referee, living in Hellevoetsluis. He refereed one match at the 2002 World Cup and has officiated a total of 12 UEFA Champions League matches ....
North, Central America and Caribbean Carlos Batres
Carlos Batres
Carlos Alberto Batres González is a Guatemalan football referee. He has refereed FIFA World Cup qualification and final tournament matches, and at Olympic tournaments....
Brian Hall
Brian Hall (referee)
Brian Hall is a former American soccer referee from northern California. He was a FIFA referee from 1992 until he retired in 2007 at the mandatory retirement age of 45. He refereed two games in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He has also been named MLS Referee of the Year in 2003, 2005 2006, and 2007...
William Mattus
William Mattus
William Mattus Vega is a football referee from Costa Rica, best known for supervising two matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Japan and South Korea.-References:*...
Peter Prendergast
Peter Prendergast (referee)
Peter Prendergast is a football referee from Jamaica. A FIFA referee since January 1, 1994, his first international match was USA against Ireland, on June 9, 1996...
Felipe Ramos
Felipe Ramos
Felipe de Jesús Ramos Rizo is a FIFA football referee from Mexico, who officiated three matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He made his debut as a referee on May 2, 1983....
Oceania Mark Shield
Mark Shield
Mark Shield is a former Australian Football referee. He most recently refereed in Australia's A-League. He first played soccer for the Innisfail Tigers at the age of six. Not showing much promise as a player, he began refereeing at age 12, and by 16 was officiating adult matches in Townsville...
South America Ubaldo Aquino
Ubaldo Aquino
Ubaldo Aquino Valenzano is a football referee from Paraguay, best known for supervising two matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan.-Notes:...
Byron Moreno
Byron Moreno
Byron Aldemar Moreno Ruales is a former Ecuadorian football referee, best known for officiating the Italy vs South Korea match in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-Italy vs South Korea:...
René Ortubé
René Ortubé
René Marcelo Ortubé Betancourt is a Bolivian former football referee, best known for supervising one match during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He is regarded as the best football referee in Bolivian history. He is now director of sports institutes and services in Bolivian capital La Paz.-References:*...
Óscar Ruiz
Oscar Ruiz
Óscar Julián Ruiz Acosta is a Colombian football referee. He is also a lawyer.He has been a referee since 1 January 1995, and his international debut was on 12 July 1995 . He officiated in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.His decision was criticized in the Netherlands vs...
Ángel Sánchez Carlos Simon
Carlos Eugênio Simon
Carlos Eugênio Simon is a ex-FIFA football referee from Brazil. He is also a journalist and a former trade unionist. Simon has been an international referee since 1998 and his first international game was between Ecuador and Peru. He was a referee in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2006 FIFA World Cup,...
Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 2002 FIFA World Cup squads2002 FIFA World Cup squads
Below are the squads for the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Korea and Japan. There were 23 players in each squad, expanded from 22 in previous tournaments.-Denmark:Head coach: Morten Olsen-France:...
. This was the first World Cup that featured squads of 23 players, an increase from 22 previously. Of the 23 players, 3 must be goalkeepers.
Group stage
Groups A, B, C, D based in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Groups E, F, G, H based in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
In the following tables:
- Pld = total games played
- W = total games won
- D = total games drawn (tied)
- L = total games lost
- GF = total goals scored (goals for)
- GA = total goals conceded (goals against)
- GD = goal difference (GF−GA)
- Pts = total points accumulated
| Key to colours in group tables | |
|---|---|
| Group winners and runners-up advance to the Round of 16 | |
Group A
Defending champions1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
were eliminated from Group A without scoring a goal after defeats to Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and debutants Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
, who both progressed at the expense of two-time champions Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 |
| 31 May 2002 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Seoul World Cup Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite... , Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... |
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| 1 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 2 | Munsu Cup Stadium Munsu Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, nicknamed Big Crown Stadium, is a stadium in Ulsan in South Korea. It is home to the Ulsan Hyundai FC.The stadium was built from 18 December 1998 to 28 April 2001 and its total cost was 151.4 billion won .Located in a major industrial city, the Ulsan Munsu football... , Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... |
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| 6 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu Stadium, aka Blue Arc is a sports stadium located in Daegu, South Korea. It was formerly named Daegu World Cup Stadium but was changed to Daegu Stadium on 5 March 2008. It has a seating capacity for 65,754 people, and parking for 3,550 cars. It's located approximately 11 km or 20 minutes... , Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... |
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| 0 – 0 | Asiad Main Stadium, Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
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| 11 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 0 | Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Incheon. The stadium's capacity is 50,256. It is the home stadium of the football club Incheon United F.C..Incheon Munhak Stadium, initially named Incheon World Cup Stadium, hosted some matches in the 2002 World Cup... , Incheon Incheon The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City... |
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| 3 – 3 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... |
Group B
SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
won all three games to progress to the Round of 16, while Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
were eliminated with no points. Nelson Cuevas' second goal against Slovenia was enough to send Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
through by virtue of having scored more goals than South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
| 2 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 2 | Asiad Main Stadium, Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
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| 3 – 1 | Gwangju World Cup Stadium Guus Hiddink Stadium Gwangju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Gwangju. It is managed by the Sports Support Division of the Culture & Sports Policy Office of the Gwangju Metropolitan city. Initially the stadium was named Gwangju World Cup Stadium to host some matches of the 2002 FIFA... , Gwangju Gwangju Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister... |
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| 7 June 2002 | |||
| 3 – 1 | Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Fort Jeonju", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Jeonju. It is the home of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The stadium's capacity is 43,348. The final of 2011 AFC Champions League was held at this stadium.... , Jeonju Jeonju Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :... |
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| 8 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 0 | Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu Stadium, aka Blue Arc is a sports stadium located in Daegu, South Korea. It was formerly named Daegu World Cup Stadium but was changed to Daegu Stadium on 5 March 2008. It has a seating capacity for 65,754 people, and parking for 3,550 cars. It's located approximately 11 km or 20 minutes... , Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... |
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| 12 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 3 | Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Purple Arena", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Daejeon. It was used to host some matches of the 2002 World Cup .... , Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... |
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| 1 – 3 | Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium with a 42,256-person capacity that is located in the city of Seogwipo on the small South Korean island province of Jeju-do... , Seogwipo Seogwipo Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*... |
Group C
BrazilBrazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
won all three games to progress, whilst China PR
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
were eliminated without a goal or a point. Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
's leaky defense led to them being eliminated on goal difference, allowing Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
to claim the runner-up spot.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 9 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 0 |
| 3 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 1 | Munsu Cup Stadium Munsu Cup Stadium Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, nicknamed Big Crown Stadium, is a stadium in Ulsan in South Korea. It is home to the Ulsan Hyundai FC.The stadium was built from 18 December 1998 to 28 April 2001 and its total cost was 151.4 billion won .Located in a major industrial city, the Ulsan Munsu football... , Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... |
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| 4 June 2002 | |||
| 0 – 2 | Gwangju World Cup Stadium Guus Hiddink Stadium Gwangju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Gwangju. It is managed by the Sports Support Division of the Culture & Sports Policy Office of the Gwangju Metropolitan city. Initially the stadium was named Gwangju World Cup Stadium to host some matches of the 2002 FIFA... , Gwangju Gwangju Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister... |
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| 8 June 2002 | |||
| 4 – 0 | Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium Jeju World Cup Stadium is a football stadium with a 42,256-person capacity that is located in the city of Seogwipo on the small South Korean island province of Jeju-do... , Seogwipo Seogwipo Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*... |
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| 9 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Incheon. The stadium's capacity is 50,256. It is the home stadium of the football club Incheon United F.C..Incheon Munhak Stadium, initially named Incheon World Cup Stadium, hosted some matches in the 2002 World Cup... , Incheon Incheon The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City... |
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| 13 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 5 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... |
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| 3 – 0 | Seoul World Cup Stadium Seoul World Cup Stadium The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite... , Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... |
Group D
The USAUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
's shock 3-2 win over Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, together with a draw against South Korea was enough to send them through, even though they lost 1-3 against Poland. Portugal were eliminated with one win and two losses, including one against South Korea. Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
were also eliminated, despite beating the USA in their final game.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
| 4 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 0 | Asiad Main Stadium, Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
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| 5 June 2002 | |||
| 3 – 2 | Suwon World Cup Stadium Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium, which seats 43,288, in the Korean city of Suwon, has been home to K-League football side Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001.- International Matches :The stadium is famous for hosting several international matches... , Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety".... |
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| 10 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu World Cup Stadium Daegu Stadium, aka Blue Arc is a sports stadium located in Daegu, South Korea. It was formerly named Daegu World Cup Stadium but was changed to Daegu Stadium on 5 March 2008. It has a seating capacity for 65,754 people, and parking for 3,550 cars. It's located approximately 11 km or 20 minutes... , Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... |
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| 4 – 0 | Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium Jeonju World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Fort Jeonju", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Jeonju. It is the home of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The stadium's capacity is 43,348. The final of 2011 AFC Champions League was held at this stadium.... , Jeonju Jeonju Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :... |
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| 14 June 2002 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium Incheon Munhak Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Incheon. The stadium's capacity is 50,256. It is the home stadium of the football club Incheon United F.C..Incheon Munhak Stadium, initially named Incheon World Cup Stadium, hosted some matches in the 2002 World Cup... , Incheon Incheon The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City... |
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| 3 – 1 | Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium Daejeon World Cup Stadium, nicknamed "Purple Arena", is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Daejeon. It was used to host some matches of the 2002 World Cup .... , Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... |
Group E
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
were eliminated as the worst team in tournament, after three defeats and no goals scored, including an 8-0 loss to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Germany qualified, knocking out Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in the process. Robbie Keane was one of only two players to score against Germany in the whole World Cup (the other being Ronaldo of Brazil in the final), scoring in additional time to help claim second place in the group.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
| 1 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Niigata Stadium, Niigata Niigata, Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.... |
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| 8 – 0 | Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... , Sapporo Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.... |
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| 5 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima, Ibaraki is a port city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 66,249 and a population density of 708.02 persons per km². The total area is 93.57 km². Kashima was formerly a town in Kashima District and became a city after merging with the... |
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| 6 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 0 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... |
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| 11 June 2002 | |||
| 0 – 2 | Shizuoka Stadium Shizuoka Stadium is a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa... , Shizuoka Fukuroi, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2009, the city had an estimated population of 85,985 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 108.56 km².-Geography:... |
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| 0 – 3 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... |
Group F
Like favourites FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, second favourites Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
were eliminated following a 1-1 draw to Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in their third game. They needed a victory following their second game loss to England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
to secure a second round berth. Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
topped the group, having scored more goals than England, while Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
had already been eliminated before drawing with England in their final match.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 |
| 2 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 0 | Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima, Ibaraki is a port city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 66,249 and a population density of 708.02 persons per km². The total area is 93.57 km². Kashima was formerly a town in Kashima District and became a city after merging with the... |
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| 1 – 1 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... |
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| 7 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 1 | Kobe Wing Stadium Kobe Wing Stadium , nicknamed , called Home's Stadium Kobe for the J. League association football events and the rugby football Top League events, is a football stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 30,132. This stadium, which features a retractable roof, is the home ground of J... , Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... |
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| 0 – 1 | Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... , Sapporo Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.... |
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| 12 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Miyagi Stadium Miyagi Stadium is an athletic stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to evoke images of Date Masamune, a Daimyo of Mutsu Province, which included the present-day Miyagi Prefecture.Miyagi... , Miyagi Rifu, Miyagi is a town located in Miyagi District, Miyagi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 31,832 and a population density of 711.33 persons per km². The total area is 44.75 km².... |
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| 0 – 0 | Nagai Stadium Nagai Stadium is an athletic stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.-History:... , Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
Group G
MexicoMexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
qualified after two wins in their first two games. Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
also progressed thanks to Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
's win over Croatia in Yokohama, and would have qualifed even had Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
not scored the equaliser against the Mexicans in the group's final match. This left Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
and World Cup debutants Ecuador who picked up their maiden World Cup win against the Croats, as the two teams that did not advance.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 |
| 3 June 2002 | |||
| 0 – 1 | Niigata Stadium, Niigata Niigata, Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.... |
||
| 2 – 0 | Sapporo Dome Sapporo Dome The is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo.-History:... , Sapporo Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan.... |
||
| 8 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 2 | Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki Kashima, Ibaraki is a port city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 66,249 and a population density of 708.02 persons per km². The total area is 93.57 km². Kashima was formerly a town in Kashima District and became a city after merging with the... |
||
| 9 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 1 | Miyagi Stadium Miyagi Stadium is an athletic stadium in the town of Rifu in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 49,133. The crescent-shaped roof extending past the edge of the stadium is meant to evoke images of Date Masamune, a Daimyo of Mutsu Province, which included the present-day Miyagi Prefecture.Miyagi... , Miyagi Rifu, Miyagi is a town located in Miyagi District, Miyagi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 31,832 and a population density of 711.33 persons per km². The total area is 44.75 km².... |
||
| 13 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Oita Stadium Oita Stadium Ōita Bank Dome is a multi-purpose stadium in the city of Ōita in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu Island in Japan.The stadium is currently called , or as an abbreviated form, by naming rights. It was formerly called as sponsored by the Kyushu Oil until early 2010. It is primarily used for soccer, and is... , Oita Oita, Oita is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture... |
||
| 1 – 0 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... |
Group H
Hosts JapanJapan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
topped the group with two wins and a draw. Belgium also qualified after a see-saw match with the Russians, while Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
was also eliminated after picking up just one point.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
| 4 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 2 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... |
||
| 5 June 2002 | |||
| 2 – 0 | Kobe Wing Stadium Kobe Wing Stadium , nicknamed , called Home's Stadium Kobe for the J. League association football events and the rugby football Top League events, is a football stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Japan. The stadium's capacity is 30,132. This stadium, which features a retractable roof, is the home ground of J... , Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... |
||
| 9 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 0 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu... |
||
| 10 June 2002 | |||
| 1 – 1 | Oita Stadium Oita Stadium Ōita Bank Dome is a multi-purpose stadium in the city of Ōita in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu Island in Japan.The stadium is currently called , or as an abbreviated form, by naming rights. It was formerly called as sponsored by the Kyushu Oil until early 2010. It is primarily used for soccer, and is... , Oita Oita, Oita is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture... |
||
| 14 June 2002 | |||
| 0 – 2 | Nagai Stadium Nagai Stadium is an athletic stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.-History:... , Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
||
| 3 – 2 | Shizuoka Stadium Shizuoka Stadium is a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa... , Shizuoka Fukuroi, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2009, the city had an estimated population of 85,985 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 108.56 km².-Geography:... |
Knockout stage
For the second round, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, the qualifiers from Groups A, C, F, and H played their games in Japan while the qualifiers from Groups B, D, E, and G played their games in South Korea. DaeguDaegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
, South Korea, hosted the third-place match while Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan, hosted the final.
Round of 16
GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
eliminated Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
through an 88th-minute winner from Oliver Neuville
Oliver Neuville
Oliver Patric Neuville is a retired German footballer who played as a striker.During an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach , amassing Bundesliga totals of 334 games and 91 goals.Neuville gained almost 70 caps for the German national...
. England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
breezed past the Danes
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
with a 3–0 win, while Henri Camara
Henri Camara
Henri Camara is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Superleague side Panetolikos.-Early career:Camara was born in Dakar to a Guinean father and a Senegalese mother...
scored the golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
that put Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
through to the quarter-finals at Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
's expense. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
eliminated Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
on penalties after a tense match, in which Robbie Keane levelled the scores with a penalty, just as Spain looked like they would be going through in normal time. In the North American
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
derby, the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
defeated Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
2–0 to set up a quarter-final tie with Germany. Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
defeated Belgium 2–0 and Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
ended the journey of hosts Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
. In an echo of North Korea
Korea DPR national football team
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea national football team represents the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in international association football and is controlled by the DPR Korea Football Association, the governing body for football in North Korea.North Korea surprised with a...
's victory over Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
, South Korea defeated the Azzurri
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, with a golden goal from Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
's Ahn Jung-Hwan
Ahn Jung-Hwan
Ahn Jung-Hwan is a South Korean football player. He made world headlines by scoring the winning golden goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup second round, sending South Korea into the quarterfinals.-Football career:After starting his professional career with K-League's Busan...
. After the game, Ahn was told by Perugia's president, Luciano Gaucci
Luciano Gaucci
Luciano Gaucci is an Italian entrepreneur and sportsman. He was the owner of various clubs:* Perugia Calcio, a football club based in Perugia, Umbria.* Viterbese Calcio, a football club based in Viterbo, Lazio.* S.S...
, that he would never play for the club again, only for Gaucci to have a change of heart the following day.
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Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals, BrazilBrazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
's Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
caught out England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
goalkeeper David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
with a lobbed free kick from 42 yards to send Brazil into the semis. Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
kept Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in front of the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
with a string of saves in a first half dominated by the Americans, save for the winning goal, scored by Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
in the 39th minute. Meanwhile, Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
were unable to win a second consecutive penalty shoot-out, after having disallowed two goals during normal playing time and therefore lost to South Korea, and Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
ended the dream of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's sole quarter-final representative, Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
, with an İlhan Mansız
Ilhan Mansiz
İlhan Mansız is a former Turkish football player.-Career:He attracted much attention from female fans due to his fashionable dressing style and hairdo, being listed among other football players such as David Beckham who are often categorized as metrosexuals...
golden goal.
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Semi-finals
BrazilBrazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
defeated Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, thanks to a single goal from the tournament's top scorer, Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
. Despite picking up a booking that would rule him out of the final, Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
scored the goal that sent Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
to the final and consigned South Korea to the third place play-off.
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Third place match
TurkeyTurkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
won third place after an entertaining 3–2 victory over hosts South Korea, in a match that included the fastest ever World Cup goal, scored by Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
striker and Turkey veteran Hakan Şükür
Hakan Sükür
Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a...
after just 11 seconds.
Final
The 2002 final was the first World Cup meeting between the tournament's two most consistently successful teams: Brazil and Germany.Two goals from Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
were enough to see Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
crowned world champions for the fifth time and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
made runners-up for a record fourth time. The first goal occurred when Germany goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
, failed to deal with a long-range shot from Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
, spilling the ball directly into Ronaldo's path. The two Brazilians worked together again on the second goal when Rivaldo stepped over a square ball from Kléberson
José Kleberson
José Kléberson Pereira , commonly known as José Kléberson or simply Kléberson, is a Brazilian football centre midfielder who plays for Brazilian club Atlético Paranaense on loan from Flamengo.-Club career:...
, allowing Ronaldo to side-foot it home from the edge of the box.
Goalscorers
8 goals RonaldoRonaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
5 goals Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
4 goals Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...
Marc Wilmots
Marc Wilmots
Marc Robert Wilmots is a former Belgian football player.-Career:In his club career, that started in 1987, Wilmots played for Sint-Truiden, KV Mechelen, Standard Liège, Schalke 04, and Bordeaux. At Schalke he helped them to the 1997 UEFA Cup Final...
3 goals
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
Pauleta
Pauleta
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes, OIH , commonly known as Pauleta , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a striker....
Papa Bouba Diop
Papa Bouba Diop
Pape "Papa" Bouba Diop is a Senegalese footballer who plays for West Ham United in the Football League Championship and the Senegal national team. His preferred position is defensive midfield but can also play as a centre back, where he previously played at Lens...
Fernando Morientes
Fernando Morientes
Fernando Morientes Sánchez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.His main asset was his aerial and strong goalscoring abilities. He played for a number of clubs throughout his career, including Real Madrid, Monaco, Liverpool, and Valencia...
Raúl
Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco , known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for German club Schalke 04....
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
İlhan Mansız
Ilhan Mansiz
İlhan Mansız is a former Turkish football player.-Career:He attracted much attention from female fans due to his fashionable dressing style and hairdo, being listed among other football players such as David Beckham who are often categorized as metrosexuals...
2 goals
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
Rónald Gómez Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
Junichi Inamoto
Junichi Inamoto
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal...
Jared Borgetti
Jared Borgetti
Jared Francisco Borgetti Echavarría is a retired Mexican footballer. Borgetti is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Mexican national team, with 46 goals. A prolific goal scorer at both club and national level, Borgetti was renowned for his heading ability...
Nelson Cuevas Henri Camara
Henri Camara
Henri Camara is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Superleague side Panetolikos.-Early career:Camara was born in Dakar to a Guinean father and a Senegalese mother...
Ahn Jung-Hwan
Ahn Jung-Hwan
Ahn Jung-Hwan is a South Korean football player. He made world headlines by scoring the winning golden goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup second round, sending South Korea into the quarterfinals.-Football career:After starting his professional career with K-League's Busan...
Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro
Fernando Ruiz Hierro is a retired Spanish footballer. He is mostly known for his spells with Real Madrid and Spain, appearing in more than 500 official games with the former and representing the latter on nearly 100 occasions, whilst appearing in four World Cups and two European...
Ümit Davala
Ümit Davala
Ümit Davala is a Turkish former international footballer who is currently an assistant manager of Galatasaray.-Club career:...
Hasan Şaş
Hasan Sas
Hasan Gökhan Şaş is a former Turkish international football player, most commonly known for his time at Galatasaray.-Galatasaray:...
Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
1 goal
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...
Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck
Wesley Sonck is a Belgian football player, who currently plays as a striker for K. Lierse S.K. who signed him in August 2010 and the Belgium national football team. He played for KRC Genk in the Belgian First Division from where he joined AFC Ajax in 2003 for about £5 million...
Peter Van Der Heyden
Peter Van Der Heyden
Peter Van Der Heyden is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Beerschot AC.-Career:His former clubs include Eendracht Aalst, VfL Wolfsburg and FSV Mainz 05. His natural position is at left fullback...
Johan Walem
Johan Walem
Johan Walem is a former football midfielder and is now a TV consultant for Belgacom TV. He was one of the best Belgian midfielders of his generation, but he gained surprisingly few caps for the national team, scoring two goals.His former clubs are Molenbeek , Anderlecht, Udinese, Parma ,...
Edmílson
Edmílson Gomes
José Edmílson Gomes de Moraes , simply Edmílson, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Ceará Sporting Club.Either a defensive midfielder or a central defender, he played in three different countries in his professional career, representing with team and individual success São Paulo, Lyon and...
Júnior
Jenílson Ângelo de Souza
Jenílson Ângelo de Souza, usually known as Júnior is a former association footballer who has twenty-two international caps to his name, scoring one goal against Costa Rica in 2002 FIFA World Cup....
Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos da Silva
Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha , more commonly known simply as Roberto Carlos, is a player/manager who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala, where he is also club captain. Carlos has spent most of his career as a left wingback but started his...
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
Patrick Mboma Winston Parks
Winston Parks
Winston Antonio Parks Tifet is a Costa Rican football striker who currently plays for FK Baku. He played in Europe before at Udinese, Ascoli, Slovan Liberec, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Saturn Ramenskoe and Politehnica Timişoara....
Paulo Wanchope
Paulo Wanchope
Pablo César Wanchope Watson , more commonly known as Paulo Wanchope, is a Costa Rican former professional footballer. As of February 2009, Wanchope is the second most prolific goalscorer in the history of the national football team, behind Rolando Fonseca, with 45 goals in 73 international...
Mauricio Wright
Mauricio Wright
Wílber Mauricio Wright Reynolds is a former Costa Rican soccer defender, a key member of the Costa Rican national team for over ten years. He was named manager of Brujas F.C. of Escazu, where his younger brother Bernie is signed to.Wright was capped 67 times for the Costa Rica national football team...
Ivica Olić
Ivica Olic
Ivica Olić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany and internationally for the Croatian national team.- Early career :Olić was born and raised in the village of Davor near Nova Gradiška, Croatia, Yugoslavia...
Milan Rapaić
Milan Rapaic
Milan "Miki" Rapaić was a Croatian football midfielder who last played for HNK Trogir after his contract with Standard Liège ended in July 2007....
Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup...
Agustín Delgado
Agustín Delgado
Agustín Javier Delgado Chalá is a retired Ecuadorian footballer. Nicknamed Tín, Delgado is the all-time top scorer for the Ecuadorian national team with 31 goals in 71 games. He played professional club football in Ecuador, Mexico and England.-Southampton:Delgado moved to Southampton in 2001...
Edison Méndez
Edison Méndez
Édison Vicente Méndez Méndez is an Ecuadorian football midfielder who plays for Emelec and the Ecuadorian national team.-Playing style:...
David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
Emile Heskey
Emile Heskey
Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Born in Leicester, Heskey started his career with hometown club Leicester City after progressing through their youth system, making his first team debut in 1995...
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
Marco Bode
Marco Bode
Marco Bode is a former German footballer.-Career:He played his first football with home club VfR Osterode, before moving to the amateur team of Werder Bremen...
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker is a former German professional footballer and current manager.- Career :A striker, Jancker is physically very large for a footballer, standing at . His height and strength have proved to be an advantage when playing as a target man, as displayed during his most successful days at...
Thomas Linke
Thomas Linke
Thomas Linke is a retired German professional footballer who played as a central defender.Linke was remembered as a hard-nosed tackler with tremendous heading ability, and played in 13 Bundesliga seasons in representation of Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich, totalling 340 games.Having gained his first...
Oliver Neuville
Oliver Neuville
Oliver Patric Neuville is a retired German footballer who played as a striker.During an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach , amassing Bundesliga totals of 334 games and 91 goals.Neuville gained almost 70 caps for the German national...
Bernd Schneider Gary Breen
Gary Breen
Gary Patrick Breen is an Irish footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He played for numerous clubs over a 20-year career, including more than 100 appearances each for Coventry City and Sunderland...
Damien Duff
Damien Duff
Damien Anthony Duff is an Irish footballer who plays for Premier League team Fulham and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he has participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012...
Matt Holland
Matt Holland
Matthew Rhys "Matt" Holland is a former English-born Irish footballer, who represented Republic of Ireland at international level...
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
Hiroaki Morishima Hidetoshi Nakata
Hidetoshi Nakata
, is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...
Takayuki Suzuki
Takayuki Suzuki
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Mito HollyHock in the J. League Division 2.-Club:Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87...
Hwang Sun-Hong
Hwang Sun-Hong
Hwang Sun-Hong or Hwang Seon-Hong is a South Korean football manager and former player, currently managing Pohang Steelers- Biography :During most of the last 2 decades Hwang was regarded as a Korean scoring sensation...
Lee Eul-Yong
Lee Eul-Yong
Lee Eul-Yong is a South Korean former football player. He previously played for Anyang LG Cheetahs, Bucheon SK, FC Seoul and Gangwon FC in the Korean K-League, and was part of the South Korean national team at the 2002 World Cup and was one of Guus Hiddink's favorite players. He was capable of...
Park Ji-Sung
Park Ji-Sung
Park Ji-Sung is a South Korean footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Manchester United. He was also the captain of the South Korean national team until his retirement from international football...
Seol Ki-Hyeon
Seol Ki-Hyeon
Seol Ki-Hyeon or Seol Ki-Hyun |Gangwon]]) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for Ulsan Hyundai as a winger or striker. He is also the first South Korean footballer to score in the history of the UEFA Champions League, during his time at RSC Anderlecht.-Early career:At the end of...
Song Chong-Gug
Song Chong-Gug
Song Chong-Gug is a Korean football player who currently plays for Tianjin Teda F.C. in the Chinese Super League.- Career :...
Yoo Sang-Chul
Yoo Sang-Chul
Yoo Sang-Chul is a South Korean football manager and former football player. He is currently the manager of K-League team Daejeon Citizen.- Profile :*Weight: 78 kg*First Int'l Cap: USA...
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
Gerardo Torrado
Gerardo Torrado
Gerardo Torrado Diez de Bonilla is an international Mexican football player, currently playing as a midfielder for Cruz Azul and is captain of the team. He is known as "El Borrego" for his bushy-like hair...
Julius Aghahowa Francisco Arce
Francisco Arce
Francisco Javier "Chiqui" Arce Rolón is a retired Paraguayan footballer and coach. He played at the right defender position, competing a total of 61 times for the Paraguay national team between 1995 and 2002.-As player:...
Jorge Campos
Jorge Luis Campos
Jorge Luis Campos Velázquez is a former Paraguayan footballer, who played as a midfielder or upfront.- International :...
Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero is a Paraguayan footballer currently playing as a striker for La Liga club Real Betis on loan from Manchester City and the Paraguay national football team....
Paweł Kryszałowicz Emmanuel Olisadebe
Emmanuel Olisadebe
Emmanuel Olisadebe is a Nigerian-born Polish football striker who plays for Greek football club Vyzas Megaron in Gamma Ethniki....
Marcin Żewłakow Beto Rui Costa
Rui Costa
Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder, he most recently played for Portuguese club Benfica...
Vladimir Beschastnykh
Vladimir Beschastnykh
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Beschastnykh is a retired association footballer who played forward...
Valery Karpin
Valery Karpin
Valeri Georgievich Karpin is a former Russian professional association footballer who played midfielder and former manager of FC Spartak Moscow...
Dmitri Sychev
Dmitri Sychev
Dmitri Yevgenyevich Sychev is an association footballer. His last name is also transcribed as Sytchev, and his first name as Dmitry or Dmitriy. He has been hailed by the international press as "The Russian Michael Owen" because of his pace and as "The most sensational young Russian forward since...
Egor Titov
Egor Titov
Yegor Ilyich Titov is a retired association footballer who played midfielder, who last played for Lokomotiv Astana. He was a goal scoring midfielder playing in "the hole" between the midfield and attack. He was well known for his vision, close control and accurate passing...
Salif Diao
Salif Diao
Salif Alassane Diao is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Stoke City....
Khalilou Fadiga
Khalilou Fadiga
Khalilou Fadiga is a Senegalese footballer midfielder who plays for KSV Temse in Belgium. He also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:Fadiga moved to France when he was six years old...
Milenko Ačimovič
Milenko Acimovic
Milenko Ačimović is a former Slovenian footballer who last played for Austria giants Austria Wien. He was a playmaker who has a great passing range and an abundance of skill...
Sebastjan Cimirotič
Sebastjan Cimirotic
Sebastjan Cimirotič aka Cime is a Slovenian football player, who currently plays for FC Ljubljana. He played for Slovenia national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...
Quinton Fortune Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy
Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy is a South African footballer who is currently contracted to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African...
Teboho Mokoena
Teboho Mokoena
Teboho Patrick Mokoena is a South African football player. He currently plays as a midfielder for Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C..-Career:...
Siyabonga Nomvethe
Siyabonga Nomvethe
Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe is a South African soccer player who has played in several European leagues, and now represents Moroka Swallows in the Premier Soccer League...
Lucas Radebe
Lucas Radebe
Lucas Valeriu Radebe is a former Leeds United and South African football player. During his career, Radebe was renowned for being a world-class centre back and a great ambassador for the sport....
Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta Zabala is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.Versatile, with good offensive and tackling skills, also being capable of creating goals for teammates and himself, he played mainly for Valencia CF, and finished his career at Middlesbrough of England.He played 40...
Juan Carlos Valerón
Juan Carlos Valerón
Juan Carlos Valerón Santana is a Spanish footballer who plays for Deportivo de La Coruña as an attacking midfielder.Valerón is known for his technical abilities, especially passing skills and ball control...
Niclas Alexandersson Anders Svensson Raouf Bouzaiene Emre Belözoğlu
Emre Belözoglu
Emre Belözoğlu is a Turkish football midfielder who plays for Fenerbahçe.Having also played for clubs Galatasaray, Internazionale, and Newcastle United, Emre has been a part of the Turkey national team at the 2002 World Cup and at Euro 2008 among other tournaments...
Bülent Korkmaz
Bülent Korkmaz
Bülent Korkmaz is a retired Turkish football centre back and manager of Karabükspor. He played for Galatasaray for his whole career , where fans nicknamed him Büyük Kaptan ....
Hakan Şükür
Hakan Sükür
Hakan Şükür is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı , representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.Şükür represented Turkey a...
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis is a retired American soccer player.-Youth and college:Mathis played club soccer at a young age for Rockdale Youth Soccer Association, and then for AFC Lightning, a Georgia powerhouse producing players such as current U.S. international Ricardo Clark, in Fayetteville...
John O'Brien Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
Richard Morales
Richard Morales
Ríchard Javier Morales Aguirre is a retired Uruguayan footballer who played as a centre forward....
Álvaro Recoba
Álvaro Recoba
Álvaro Alexander Recoba Rivero , nicknamed "El Chino", is a Uruguayan footballer currently playing for Primera División Uruguaya side Club Nacional de Football...
Darío Rodríguez
Darío Rodríguez
Octavio Darío Rodríguez Peña is an Uruguayan footballer who currently plays as a Left back for Peñarol. He was capped 51 times for the Uruguay national team.-Club career:...
Own goals Jorge Costa
Jorge Costa
Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida , known as Costa, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager....
(for USA) Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
(for Paraguay) Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team....
(for Portugal)
Awards
| Golden Boot Winner | Golden Ball Winner | Yashin Award | Best Young Player | FIFA Fair Play Trophy | Most Entertaining Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 RonaldoRonaldo Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the... |
 Oliver KahnOliver Kahn Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987... 1 |
Oliver Kahn Oliver Kahn Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987... |
 Landon DonovanLandon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... |
1Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
is the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball in FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
history.
All-star team
| Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Kahn Oliver Kahn Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...  Rüştü ReçberRüstü Reçber Rüştü Reçber is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig.He has played a key role in the success of the Turkish national squad, and it was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Turkey finished third, that he earned a selection to... |
 Sol CampbellSol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...  Fernando HierroFernando Hierro Fernando Ruiz Hierro is a retired Spanish footballer. He is mostly known for his spells with Real Madrid and Spain, appearing in more than 500 official games with the former and representing the latter on nearly 100 occasions, whilst appearing in four World Cups and two European...  Hong Myung-BoHong Myung-Bo Hong Myung-Bo is a former South Korean footballer who, along with Cha Bum Kun, is often considered among the greatest Asian footballers ever. Hong was a member of the Korean national team in four World Cups, and was the first Asian player to play in four consecutive World Cup finals tournaments.... Alpay ÖzalanAlpay Özalan Alpay Fehmi Özalan is a former Turkish footballer.Alpay is currently a member of the management committee of Siirtspor.-Playing style:... Roberto CarlosRoberto Carlos da Silva Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha , more commonly known simply as Roberto Carlos, is a player/manager who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala, where he is also club captain. Carlos has spent most of his career as a left wingback but started his... |
Michael Ballack Michael Ballack Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern... Claudio ReynaClaudio Reyna Claudio Reyna is a retired American soccer player and the current USSF US Youth Soccer Technical Director. He was the captain of the United States national team before retiring from international football following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the... RivaldoRivaldo Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he... RonaldinhoRonaldinho Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year... Yoo Sang-ChulYoo Sang-Chul Yoo Sang-Chul is a South Korean football manager and former football player. He is currently the manager of K-League team Daejeon Citizen.- Profile :*Weight: 78 kg*First Int'l Cap: USA... |
 El Hadji DioufEl Hadji Diouf El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.-Early career:Diouf started his career in France with... Miroslav KloseMiroslav Klose Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German... RonaldoRonaldo Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the... Hasan ŞaşHasan Sas Hasan Gökhan Şaş is a former Turkish international football player, most commonly known for his time at Galatasaray.-Galatasaray:... |
| Source: USA Today, 29 June 2002 | |||