World Cup 2002
Brazil's fifth World Cup triumph in the first Asian-hosted tournament.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th edition of the quadrennial football world championship. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 in South Korea and Japan, with the final at International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. Brazil won the tournament, defeating Germany 2–0 in the final, becoming the only country to have won the World Cup five times.
Quick Facts
- Tournament
- 2002 FIFA World Cup
- Host nations
- South Korea & Japan
- Manager
- Luiz Felipe Scolari
- Key players
- Ronaldo
- Rivaldo
- Ronaldinho
- Cafu
- Roberto Carlos
- Final result
- Defeated Germany 2-0
- Top scorer
- Ronaldo (8 goals)
Lore & Background
This was the first World Cup held in Asia, the first outside the Americas or Europe, and the first jointly hosted by more than one nation. Defending champions France were eliminated in the group stage without scoring a goal, and Argentina also exited early. South Korea reached the semi-finals, beating Poland, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, becoming the first team from outside UEFA, CONMEBOL, and CONCACAF to do so. Turkey also reached the semi-finals and won third place against South Korea 3–2, scoring the fastest goal in World Cup history (10.8 seconds). The tournament was the last to use the golden goal rule and the last where defending champions automatically qualified.
Reader's Guide
The tournament featured 32 teams, with four debutants: China, Ecuador, Senegal, and Slovenia. Senegal was the only debutant to advance from the group stage, reaching the quarter-finals. Groups A–D played in South Korea, Groups E–H in Japan. 20 stadiums were used, 10 in each country. The draw seeded hosts South Korea and Japan, holders France, and five other top teams based on recent World Cup results and FIFA rankings.
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