1998 World Cup Final vs France
France's first World Cup title, sealed by Zidane's double and Petit's late strike.
The final match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup was played at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on 12 July 1998, and was contested by defending champions Brazil and hosts France. France won 3–0, with goals from Zinedine Zidane (two headers from corners taken by Youri Djorkaeff) and Emmanuel Petit (from a pass by Patrick Vieira).
Quick Facts
- Competition
- 1998 FIFA World Cup Final
- Date
- July 12, 1998
- Venue
- Stade de France, Saint-Denis
- Result
- France 3–0 Brazil
- Brazil captain
- Cafu
- Key figure
- Ronaldo Nazário (Seized by convulsions prior to kickoff)
- Tournament status
- Runners-up
Lore & Background
Brazil finished first in Group A with two wins and one defeat, then beat Chile, Denmark, and the Netherlands (on penalties) to reach the final. France topped Group C with three wins, then defeated Paraguay, Italy, and Croatia. Before the match, speculation surrounded the fitness of striker Ronaldo, who was initially left out of Brazil's starting line-up but restored before kick-off. France's win was their first World Cup title.
Reader's Guide
The match was refereed by Said Belqola from Morocco. France took the lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Zidane outjumped Leonardo to head in a corner from the right taken by Youri Djorkaeff. Zidane scored again with another header from a corner shortly before half-time. Petit added a third goal in second-half injury time, striking the ball low into the net following a pass by Patrick Vieira.
Did You Know?
- Ronaldo was awarded the Golden Ball as FIFA's outstanding player of the tournament.
- The match was played in front of 80,000 supporters, with an estimated 1.3 billion watching on television.
- France followed up their victory by winning UEFA Euro 2000.
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