2002 FIFA World Cup

Host selection

South Korea and Japan were selected as hosts by FIFA on 31 May 1996. Initially, South 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 final tournament are Italy in 1934 and Qatar in 2022. (Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930 so there was no prior tournament. They were defending Olympic champions from 1928).

The unusual choice of host proved an issue for football fans in Europe, used to watching international matches on or close to their time zone. With games taking place in the European morning, some schools and businesses chose to open late on match days or set up communal watching events before the start of work.

Qualification

A total of 199 teams attempted to qualify for the 2002 World Cup which qualification process began with the preliminary draw held in Tokyo on 7 December 1999. Defending champions France and co-hosts South Korea and Japan qualified automatically and did not have to play any qualification matches. This was the final World Cup in which the defending champions qualified automatically.

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. As of 2014, this was the last time Turkey, China, Republic of Ireland and Senegal qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals.

Turkey qualified for the first time since 1954, and both Poland 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).

List of qualified teams

The following 32 teams, shown with final pre-tournament rankings, qualified for the final tournament:

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 2006, 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 a 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.

Ranking criteria

If teams were level on points, they were ranked on the following criteria in order:

1. Greatest total goal difference in the three group matches
2. Greatest number of goals scored in the three group matches
3. If teams remained level after those criteria, a mini-group would be formed from those teams, who would be ranked on:
   1. Most points earned in matches against other teams in the tie
   2. Greatest goal difference in matches against other teams in the tie
   3. Greatest number of goals scored in matches against other teams in the tie
4. If teams remained level after all these criteria, FIFA would hold a drawing of lots

In the original version of the rules for the final tournament, the ranking criteria were in a different order, with head-to-head results taking precedence over total goal difference. The rules were changed to the above in advance of the tournament, but older versions were still available on the FIFA and UEFA websites, causing some confusion among those trying to identify the correct criteria.

First round

Group A involved the defending champions France take on Senegal, Uruguay, and Denmark. The World Cup started with a 1–0 defeat of France, playing without the injured Zinedine Zidane, by tournament newcomers Senegal in the tournament's opening match held in Seoul, South Korea. On the next day, two goals by Jon Dahl Tomasson gave the Danes a 2–1 victory over Uruguay in Ulsan. In the second Group A matches, France were held to a 0–0 draw in Busan by Uruguay after star striker Thierry Henry was sent off, while in Daegu, Denmark and Senegal drew 1–1. A 2–0 defeat by Denmark in their last group game in Incheon sealed France's elimination in the World Cup. 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 (in 1934 Uruguay refused to defend the title). Senegal drew with Uruguay to clinch their place in the second round, despite Uruguay coming back from 3–0 down to draw with Senegal 3–3 in their last group game in Suwon, the South Americans couldn't find the fourth goal that would have kept them in the Cup and thus were out of the tournament. At the end, Denmark won Group A with 7 points, followed by Senegal with 5 points. Uruguay were eliminated with 2 points and reigning Champions France with 1 point.

Spain in Group B became one of only two teams to pick up maximum points, seeing off both Slovenia and Paraguay (In Gwangju and Jeonju respectively) 3–1 before defeating South Africa 3–2 in Daejeon. Paraguay advanced over a late goal, winning 3–1 over newcomer Slovenia in Seogwipo to tie with South Africa on goal difference (they were already tied with four points, having drawn 2–2 in their opening game against each other in Busan). As a result, Paraguay advanced to the second round on the goals scored tiebreaker, scoring six goals compared to South Africa's five.

Group C saw Brazil become the other team to win all three of their Group matches, defeating Turkey 2–1 in Ulsan, China 4–0 in Seogwipo, and Costa Rica 2–5 in Suwon. Turkey also advanced to the next round, defeating Costa Rica on goal difference after both teams drew with 4 points each (both tied 1-1 in Incheon against each other). 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 Co-Host South Korea, Poland, United States and Portugal square off against each other. South Korea and Poland started group play in Busan, where South Korea earned their first ever World Cup victory, defeating Poland 2–0. United States shocked group favorites Portugal the next day, defeating them 3–2 in Suwon. South Korea and United States then faced off in Daegu, where excellent goalkeeping by Brad Friedel and Lee Woon-jae resulted in a 1–1 draw, while a hat-trick by Pauleta gave the Portuguese a comfortable 4–0 win against Poland in Jeonju. In the final group games held in Incheon (Portugal-South Korea) and Daejeon (Poland-United States), South Korea eliminated Portugal thanks to a 70th-minute goal by Park Ji-sung, finishing the game 1–0, while Poland defeated United States 3–1. As a result, South Korea won their first ever group stage and advanced for the first time with seven points, while United States followed with four points. Portugal and Poland were eliminated with three points each in third and fourth places respectively.

Group E had Germany play against Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Cameroon. Ireland and Cameroon started group play in Niigata in a 1–1 draw, while Germany thrashed Saudi Arabia 8–0 in Sapporo. In Ibaraki, Germany held a 1–0 lead thanks to a 19th-minute goal by Miroslav Klose, only to draw 1–1 in a 90+2 minute stoppage time goal by Robbie Keane. Saudi Arabia bowed out of the tournament with a 1–0 defeat against Cameroon in Saitama, thanks to a second-half goal by Samuel Eto'o. In the final matches of Group E, Germany sent Cameroon out of the tournament, winning 0–2 in Shizuoka with goals by Marco Bode and Miroslav Klose, while Ireland defeated Saudi Arabia 3–0 in Yokohama with goals by Robbie Keane, Gary Breen, and Damien Duff. Germany advanced with seven points, and Ireland followed along with five points, while Cameroon was eliminated with four points. Saudi Arabia was eliminated without a single point or goal, having conceded 12 goals, finishing dead last in the tournament.

Group F was nicknamed the "Group of Death", having Argentina, Nigeria, England, and Sweden. Argentina won their opening game in Ibaraki 1–0 against Nigeria thanks to a second-half goal by Gabriel Batistuta, while in Saitama England and Sweden drew 1–1 thanks to goals by Sol Campbell and Niclas Alexandersson. Sweden and Nigeria faced off in Kobe, where two goals by Henrik Larsson eliminated Nigeria 2–1. Meanwhile, in Sapporo, England won 1-0 over Argentina, thanks to a David Beckham penalty kick. In the final matches of Group F, England and Nigeria drew 0–0 in Osaka, while Sweden and Argentina drew 1–1 in Miyagi. Sweden and England advanced from Group F, first and second respectively with five points each, at the expense of Argentina's four points, while Nigeria finished last with one point.

Group G saw Italy, Ecuador, Croatia, and Mexico play against each other. Niigata saw the start of the group games, with Mexico winning 1-0 over Croatia, thanks to a penalty converted by Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Later that night in Sapporo, Italy defeated newcomers Ecuador 2–0 with ease, having both goals scored by Christian Vieri. Italy and Croatia faced off a few days later in Ibaraki, where Croatia pulled a 2-1 upset victory over Italy. The next day in Miyagi saw Mexico earn a vital victory over Ecuador 2–1. In the final matches of Group G, Mexico and Italy drew 1–1 in Ōita, while Ecuador achieved their first ever World Cup victory 1–0 over Croatia in Yokohama. Mexico won Group G with seven points, while Italy survived with four points. Croatia and Ecuador were eliminated with three points in third and fourth places respectively.

Group H involved Co-Hosts Japan square off against Belgium, Russia, and Tunisia. Japan earned their first World Cup points in a spectacular 2–2 draw against Belgium in Saitama, while Russia defeated Tunisia in Kobe, 2–0. Japan would get their first ever World Cup victory a few days later in Yokohama, defeating Russia 1–0, thanks to a second-half goal by Junichi Inamoto, while Belgium and Tunisia drew 1–1 in Ōita. In the final matches of Group H, Japan defeated Tunisia with ease, winning 0–2 in Osaka, while Belgium survived against Russia in Shizuoka, winning 3–2. Japan won Group H with seven points, while Belgium advanced with five points. Russia was eliminated with three points, and Tunisia was eliminated with one point.

Second round and quarter-finals

In the second round, Germany beat Paraguay 1–0 with a late goal by Oliver Neuville in Seogwipo. England defeated Denmark in Niigata 3-0, with all goals occurring in the first half of the game. Sweden and Senegal faced off in Ōita and finished 1–1 in regular time and it took a golden goal from Henri Camara in extra time to settle the game for Senegal 1–2. Spain and Ireland played in Suwon, where Spain led most of the match 1–0 until a late penalty kick scored by Robbie Keane made the match go 1–1 sending it to extra time, where Spain outlasted Ireland 3–2 in a Penalty shootout. The United States beat CONCACAF rivals Mexico 2–0 in Jeonju, thanks to the goals of Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. Brazil defeated Belgium 2–0 in Kobe, with an amazing volley by Rivaldo and a splendid counter-attack goal by Ronaldo. Turkey ended co-hosts Japan's run with a 1–0 win in Miyagi, thanks to a Ümit Davala goal in the 12th minute. The other co-hosts, South Korea, defeated Italy 2–1 in extra time in Daejeon with a goal by Ahn Jung-hwan in the 117th minute. 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, England and Brazil squared off in Shizuoka, where Ronaldinho scored a free-kick goal over England's David Seaman early in the second half as Brazil won 2–1. The United States lost to Germany 1–0 in Ulsan by a Michael Ballack goal in the 39th minute, but controversy surrounded the game when United States demanded the referee give a penalty for a goal-line handball by Torsten Frings in the 49th minute, but the referee did not award the penalty. South Korea got another win in Gwangju in a controversial manner, beating Spain 5–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in which the Spaniards twice thought they had scored while onside; however, the efforts were disallowed by the referee with controversial decisions. 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 defeated Senegal 1–0 in Osaka, with a golden goal scored by İlhan Mansız in the 93rd minute.

Semi-finals, third-place match, and final

The semi-finals saw two 1–0 games; The first semi-final, held in Seoul saw a Michael Ballack goal good 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. The next day in Saitama saw Ronaldo score a goal early in the second half, scoring his sixth of the competition for Brazil, who beat Turkey in a replay of their Group C encounter.

In the third-place match in Daegu, Turkey beat the South Koreans 3–2, 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.

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 matches that there were a significant number of empty seats. It was gradually revealed that the World Cup Ticketing Bureau (WCTB) 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

South Korea and Japan each provided 10 venues, the vast majority of them newly built for the tournament. Groups A-D played all their matches in South Korea, and Groups E-H played all their matches in Japan.

Match officials

There was much controversy over the refereeing in the tournament. Questionable decisions in the Italy-South Korea match resulted in 400,000 complaints, and featured in ESPN's 10 most fabled World Cup controversies. The Spain-South Korea match featured two controversially disallowed Spanish goals, which Iván Helguera referred to as "a robbery" and led to Spanish press brandishing the officials "thieves of dreams," though FIFA dismissed the incident as human error.

Referees from both the South Korea-Italy and South Korea-Spain match later went on to face criminal charges for corruption and drug trafficking .

Squads

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

All times are Korea Standard Time and Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Groups A, B, C, D based in South Korea. Groups E, F, G, H based in Japan.

In the following tables:

Group A

Defending champions 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.

Group B

Spain 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.

Group C

Brazil 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.

Group D

United States'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 United States in their final game.

Group E

Saudi Arabia 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 Republic of Ireland claim second place in the group.

Group F

Like favourites France, second favourites Argentina were eliminated following a 1–1 draw with 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.

Group G

Mexico effectively qualified for the round of 16 after two wins in their first two games. Italy also progressed thanks to Ecuador's win over Croatia in Yokohama, and would have qualified 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, eliminated from the World Cup with 3 points in 3rd and 4th respectively.

Group H

Hosts Japan 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.

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. Daegu, South Korea, hosted the third-place match while Yokohama, Japan, hosted the final.

Goalscorers

Ronaldo won the Golden Shoe after scoring eight goals. In total, 161 goals were scored by 112 different players, with three of them credited as own goals. Two of those own goals were in the same match, marking the first time in FIFA World Cup history that own goals had been scored by both teams in the same match.

Source: FIFA

Assists

Michael Ballack won the assists table with four assists.

Source: FIFA

Awards

¹Oliver Kahn is the only goalkeeper to have won the Golden Ball in FIFA World Cup history.

Final standings

After the tournament, FIFA published a ranking of all teams that competed in the 2002 World Cup finals based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition.

Sponsorship

The sponsors of the 2002 FIFA World Cup are divided into two categories: FIFA World Cup Sponsors and Japan and Korea Supporters.

Cultural event

The official FIFA cultural event of the 2002 World Cup was a flag festival called Poetry of the Winds. Held in Nanjicheon Park, an area of the World Cup Park close to the stadium, Poetry of the Winds was exhibited from 29 May to 25 June in order to wish success upon the World Cup and promote a festive atmosphere. During the flag art festival, hand-painted flags from global artists were displayed as a greeting to international guests in a manner that was designed to promote harmony (2002 Flag Art Festival Executive Committee).