History of World Cup 2002

Winners: Brazil
Teams: 32
Teams in qualifiers: 199
Notable absentees Netherlands
Surprises Senegal, South Korea, Turkey
Golden Boot: Ronaldo (Brazil) - 8
Stats A total of 161 goals were scored (2.52 per match); Brazil (18) scored the most
Format Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches 64

Innovations
• This was the first tournament to be hosted by two countries and the first held in Asia

Controversies
• FIFA banned Cameroon from wearing the sleeveless shirts they had used throughout the 2002 African Nations Cup as they were deemed to be 'vests'

Trivia
• Three countries pre-qualified - France as holders and South Korea and Japan as co-hosts
• On the same day as the final, the two lowest-ranked FIFA teams - Montserrat (203rd) and Bhutan (202nd) - met in Bhutan. The hosts won 2-0 in front of 15,000
• Ronaldo changed his hairstyle after the quarter-finals when his wife told him their young son kissed the TV screen shouting "daddy" when he saw Roberto Carlos
• South Korea's Cha Doo-Ri was booked 20 seconds after coming in as a substitute during injury time in a match against Poland
• Bora Milutinovic was a coach at his fifth successive finals with his fifth different country

In a tournament characterised by an overwhelming capacity to surprise, with virtually every underdog having their day, it seemed somehow inappropriate that the final of the 2002 World Cup was contested by two teams who between them had graced 12 of the competition's 16 finals.

Brazil, with four titles to their name going into the tournament, prevailed against a decidedly average German side, with three previous wins, by two goals to nil in a match that ended in a fashion the neutrals wanted and the tournament needed.

Ronaldo got both goals - his seventh and eighth of the tournament - and earned the striker the competition's Golden Boot at the same time as slaying the ghosts of France 98. There was, at least, one anomaly saved for the competition's dénouement - Player of the Tournament Oliver Kahn was culpable for Brazil's first, fumbling a speculative shot from Rivaldo to the feet of his gleeful strike partner. This after the indomitable German had conceded just one goal in his country's six previous matches.

Brazil's return to all-conquering form, welcome though their easy-on-the-eye brand of football always is, was largely overshadowed by the achievements of the hosts, both on the field of play and in the slick organisation and good spirit garnered off it. For the first time in World Cup history, the finals went to Asia and, also a first, to not one but two countries. Korea and Japan set aside historical differences to jointly host one of the most successful tournaments ever, even if the standard of football on offer, at times, was not quite up to scratch, and the standard of refereeing was described with alarming regularity in much less delicate fashion.

A sign of shocks to come arrived as early as the opening match when newcomers Senegal dramatically upset holders France, previously considered all but unbeatable, with a 1-0 victory. It went from bad to worse for the disappointing French as Les Bleus bid au revoir at the group stage having failed even to register a goal. A 0-0 draw with Uruguay, with Thierry Henry sent off, earned their solitary point before a 2-0 reversal at the hands of the impressive Danes ended their participation and cost coach Roger Lemerre his job.

There were other high-profile casualties at the group stage as many people's pre-tournament favourites, Argentina, felt the reaper's bony clutches in the group of death. A David Beckham penalty, dubiously won by Michael Owen, did for the Argentines as England, and Beckham in particular, finally banished the demons of St Etienne after some traditional backs-against-the-wall defending. Nigeria finished bottom of a group headed up by unbeaten Sweden, ahead of second-placed England on goal difference.

If Group F had been a touch morbid then life positively flourished in Group H as co-hosts Japan successfully navigated the least challenging of paths with Russia and Tunisia offering barely passive resistance as the sport's hold on the Japanese public began to tighten its grip.

Brazil made short shrift of the opening stages by first beating Turkey, then China - coached by Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, at his fifth successive finals with a different team after having managed Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), USA (1994) and Nigeria (1998) - and then dispatching of Costa Rica. The match against the Turks was blemished by some appalling 'simulation' (cheating) by Rivaldo, who feigned an injury to his face after having the ball kicked at his knees by Hakan Ünsal - sent off for his troubles - when preparing to take a corner. The Brazilian was later fined £5,180.

Spain had an effortless time sweeping to the top of a group containing South Africa, Slovenia - taking their World Cup bow - and Paraguay. The Paraguayans had to rely on a late goal against the Slovenians in a 3-1 win to sneak past the luckless Africans on the narrowest of margins, goals scored.

Things, however, did not run as smoothly for their second-round opponents, Republic of Ireland. Manager Mick McCarthy and inspirational captain Roy Keane clashed over the team's preparations and, amid accusations and counter-accusations following a bust-up at a meeting arranged by McCarthy, Keane was sent home in disgrace but indignant.

The Irish appeared doomed but, thanks to the heroics of namesake Robbie, they held the Germans - earlier 8-0 victors over hapless Saudi Arabia - to a 1-1 draw that ensured they would qualify behind Rudi Völler's team at the expense of traditional African heavyweights Cameroon.

Italy made hard work of qualifying from their own group after succumbing meekly to a fast-fading Croatian team, third at the previous finals but showing their age, and being held by group winners Mexico.

But if any of the qualifying pools of the opening stages epitomised the summer's jamboree, it was that containing co-hosts South Korea, hotly-tipped Portugal, outsiders USA and Poland. Many feared the Koreans, under Dutchman Guus Hiddink, would struggle to win a match, let alone escape the group, but they were to embark on a fairytale run that would turn the nation's streets into all-night carnivals. Victory over Poland and a tough draw with USA took them to within touching distance, and a Portuguese humbling at the hands of the Americans had turned the form book on its head. Despite defeat to a Poland side that was already out of contention, USA took second after Korea beat Portugal in a rancorous affair.

Korea's Park Ji-Sung became an instant hero after controlling a 30-yard pass on his chest, hooking the ball over Sérgio Conceiçao and striking a half-volley through Vítor Baía's legs to score against nine men after Joao Pinto and Beto had been sent off, sending those inside and outside the ground into raptures.

In the knockout stages, England eased past the in-form Danes in the rain of Niigata thanks to goals from Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and Emile Heskey, raising a nation's already inflated expectations, while Germany quietly stumbled past Paraguay, and Brazil were indebted to keeper Marcos in seeing off a spirited challenge from Belgium.

Senegal, inspired by El Hadji Diouf, continued their fine run with a dramatic golden goal win over the Swedes while the Mexicans descended into petty fouling when bitter rivals USA's 2-0 lead became insurmountable in the closing stages of their encounter. Goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan had done the damage as USA's burgeoning reputation as a maturing footballing side grew.

Even extra-time was not enough to separate Spain and Ireland as penalties reared their unwanted head for the first time. Ian Harte had missed a spot-kick in normal time and Robbie Keane converted another, so it was with mixed feelings that McCarthy's men approached the shoot out. Iker Casillas saved twice and Matt Holland hit the bar to end a brave Irish adventure.

Both hosts played their next match on the same day and, after Japan had fallen to a very decent Turkish performance, it was left to South Korea to fly the region's flag, but they faced a greater ask in beating Italy. In the end, they prevailed in the most dramatic - and controversial - of circumstances. Ahn Jung-Hwan went from villain to hero after missing an early penalty but he popped up to head a golden goal winner after it had looked for all the world like Christian Vieri's headed goal would be enough for the Europeans. Seol Ki-Hyeon had latched onto a Christian Panucci error to put the ball into the right-hand bottom corner for a last-gasp equaliser that set up the grandstand finish.

The Italians did not take defeat with good grace and Perugia, Ahn's Italian employers, through colourful chief Luciano Gaucci, sacked him immediately for his act of treason, saying: "That gentleman will never set foot in Perugia again. He was a phenomenon only against Italy. I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football."

Referee Byron Moreno, too, was not a popular figure after sending off golden boy Francesco Totti for a dive in extra-time, dominated by the lively and physically resilient South Koreans, when he tumbled in the box vainly searching for a penalty. Struggling to top each party, expecting it to be the last, over a million people poured out onto the streets of Seoul alone, but it was not long before more face-paint and fireworks were required - again, in some part, thanks to a benevolent official.

Spain, their quarter-final opponents, had two 'goals' chalked off, one for a debatable offside call, the second denying the Iberians a golden-goal winner after an assistant referee wrongly flagged that the ball had gone out of play before Joaquin crossed for Fernando Morientes to head home. Penalties were needed to settle the game and, after Lee Woon-Jae had saved Joaquin's spot-kick, it fell, appropriately, to South Korea's captain and most capped player, Hong Myung-Bo, to convert the winning penalty. South Korea thus became the first Asian side to make the semi-finals and added fuel to the fire of both Korean street parties and calls for reform of the method of picking match officials.

A policy of inclusion of officials from the breadth of FIFA's family meant Moreno (Ecuador), the referee from the Spanish game, Gamal Ghandour (Egypt) and Peter Prendergast (Jamaica), who had missed a legitimate Belgian goal in their match against Brazil, were selected ahead of mainly European whistle-blowers with more match experience. Such a policy was scrapped for Germany 2006.

Elsewhere, Turkey edged out Senegal in a match between two largely unfancied sides, the only goal a golden one from Ilhan Mansiz and Germany, despite being second-best for large passages of play, scraped past Bruce Arena's USA to book a record ninth semi-final appearance.

With a number of the big teams fallen by the wayside, the victors of England's clash with Brazil had a very real chance of ultimate glory and England expected once Michael Owen had seized on a mistake to put them one up. But a moment of brilliance from Rivaldo just before the break was followed by Ronaldinho deceiving David Seaman from distance by lobbing the ageing keeper from a free-kick. The Brazilian was later sent off but Sven-Göran Eriksson had no response to the opportunity presented and the English meekly bowed out, another chance gone.

Korea's fairytale came to an end at the hands of the Germans, who paid heavily for their 1-0 semi-final victory by losing Michael Ballack to an accumulation of yellow cards. A professional foul when South Korea looked to be building towards goal was a selfless act but one that put his side at a huge disadvantage in the final against Brazil, victors over Turkey by the same scoreline in the other semi-final.

Brazil took the honours but the people of Japan and South Korea won the plaudits for the warmth of their welcome and the flawless way they conducted their responsibilities with the eyes of the world trained upon them - and for providing some breathtaking excitement and colour both on and off the field.

History of World Cup 1998

Winners: France
Teams: 32
Teams in qualifiers: 174
Notable absentees Russia
Surprises Jamaica, Japan, South Africa
Golden Boot: Davor Suker (Croatia) - 6
Stats A total of 171 goals were scored (2.67 per match); France (15) scored the most
Format Eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16
Number of matches 64

Innovations
• An increase in the number of teams from 24 to 32
• For the first time, the South American qualifiers were held in a single group
• Electronic boards showing the amount of added time at the end of each half were introduced
• The golden goal was brought in - the first team to score in extra time would win the match

Controversies
• The final was blighted by the absence of Brazil's Ronaldo from the team-sheets handed to the media, only for him to be included shortly before the kick-off. The rumours continue to circulate to this day

Trivia
• The first player to score a golden goal in World Cup history was France's Laurent Blanc in the 113th minute of the second round match against Paraguay
• Australia failed to qualify despite a record of six wins, two draws and no defeats, losing to Iran in the play-off on away goals
• For the first time in FIFA's history, the draw for the finals took place in a football stadium - Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles
• It is estimated the cumulative TV audience for the tournament was 37 billion

After a 60-year gap, the World Cup returned to its country of birth. Though the competition had been expanded to a rather bloated 32 teams, the return to France was to prove a great success.

Brazil were favourites, with striker Ronaldo, a non-playing sub in 1994, at the peak of his powers. Improbable pace, skill and goalscoring made him football's hottest property and richest player, endorsed by a whole host of companies. Denied the services of an injured Romário, Ronaldo would have to bear the striking burden. In the opening game, the holders overcame Scotland with some difficulty before soundly beating Morocco 3-0.

In the third group game, they took the lead late on against the dour Norwegians but were shocked by a late surge. Tore André Flo and a Kjetil Rekdal penalty landed Brazil with their first opening-round defeat since 1966. The hosts made short work of their group, beating South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Denmark, but the real story was Zinedine Zidane's dismissal against the Saudis, where the Mexican referee red-carded him for kicking out at Fuad Amin. The French would therefore be without their playmaker for their second-round match.

The Italians, for whom Roberto Baggio was making a welcome return, had little trouble in their group despite an opening draw with Chile in which Lazio import Marcelo Salas scored two great goals. Striker Christian Vieri was outstanding for Italy in all three games.

The highest profile casualties were Spain, who lost in 3-2 thriller to Nigeria and could only draw 0-0 with Paraguay. Despite beating a Bulgarian side well past its sell-by-date 6-1 in the final game, it was yet another tale of underachievement for the Spaniards.

Perhaps the most enticing fixture in the first round was the group match between USA and Iran. Diplomatic differences were put aside before the game when the players exchanged flowers and posed for a joint team picture. Once the game had started, Iran outplayed the Americans and were worthy 2-1 winners. Both teams were also-rans in a group dominated by Germany and Yugoslavia.

Argentina made as good a start to the tournament as they had in 1994. With Gabriel Batistuta and Ariel Ortega impressive they looked like a side that England would have preferred to avoid in the second round. As penance for a late Graeme Le Saux mistake against Romania, England had finished second in their group. But in that famous second-round game in St Etienne they matched the Argentinians, even after having David Beckham dismissed for his petulant kick at Diego Simeone. Despite Michael Owen's great goal, England exited stage left after another penalty shoot-out loss.

Nigeria, who had dazzled in the first round with enterprising football from the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Sunday Oliseh and Jay-Jay Okocha, capitulated inexplicably to Denmark, who for once in a major tournament had both Laudrup brothers in tandem.

Italy knocked out Norway in a dull game lit up by a great run and goal by Christian Vieri. Brazil overpowered Chile with Ronaldo at his best while Holland beat Yugoslavia by virtue of a 91st-minute winner from Edgar Davids.

France, struggling without the cutting edge of Zidane, were forced to make history when Laurent Blanc scored the first ever World Cup extra-time 'golden goal' against Paraguay. Their reward was a date with the Italians. Perhaps due to many of the Frenchmen playing for clubs in Italy, the two sides cancelled each other out and the game fizzled out, with the end result being the Italians' exit from their third successive World Cup on penalties. While Baggio was able to partially bury the ghost of the Pasadena Rose Bowl, this time it was Luigi Di Biagio who was the unfortunate penalty misser.

Germany, who had shown signs of fallibility all tournament, collapsed in amazing style against Croatia, playing in their first World Cup. After having defender Christian Wörns sent off, the Germans fell behind to a great strike from Robert Jarni and just could not get back into the game. Late goals from Davor Suker and Goran Vlaovic were no more than the Croats deserved.

The remaining quarter-finals were enduring classics. Brazil held off the Danes in Nantes with two goals from Rivaldo helping them to a narrow 3-2 win. In Marseille's Stade Vélodrome, Argentina and Holland served up a feast. An early exchange of goals from Patrick Kluivert and Claudio López led to an even match of flowing football. But, in keeping with an unhappy tradition, Argentina then pressed the self-destruct button as Ariel Ortega was dismissed for headbutting the chin of Holland keeper Edwin van der Sar.

Just when the game seemed destined for extra time, Dennis Bergkamp produced a goal that would grace any stage. Controlling a long pass instantly in the air, he wrong-footed a defender and prodded it with the outside of his boot into the roof of the net. Keeper Carlos Roa could do nothing but look on in admiration.

Marseille hosted the Dutch once more as they faced Brazil in the semi-final. After Ronaldo had scored a typical goal just after half-time, Brazil seemed to have a place in the final in their grasp, but Patrick Kluivert fired in three minutes from time. Again, the golden goal rule restricted both sides' ambitions and it was a penalty shoot-out once more. Brazil converted all four and Phillip Cocu and Ronald de Boer's misses put the favourites in the final.

There they would meet the hosts, who could thank defender Lilian Thuram's sudden discovery of a scoring touch when the game seemed to be turning towards Croatia. The Croats, for whom Davor Suker finished as the tournament's top scorer, satisfied themselves with a win in the third-place play-off over Holland.

The furore that blew up before the final is one of the greatest scandals in World Cup history and the true facts are still to be revealed, perhaps now lost in the mists of time and memory. When the teams for the match at Stade de France were initially announced, Ronaldo was missing from the team-sheet with Edmundo in his place.

There was speculation his ailing knee had finally given out but then a different story emerged. Ronaldo had suffered had some form of fit while sleeping in his hotel room. Room-mate Roberto Carlos had alerted doctors and worries over damage to his brain had led to his omission from the team-sheet. But when the teams lined up, a rather nervous Ronaldo was there - at least in body. Rumours persist that he had been given a sedative by doctors and that team sponsor Nike, for whom Ronaldo was their leading endorsed player, had forced his inclusion. Whatever the truth, his zombified performance reflected a young man in turmoil who did not want to be playing.

Without him, Brazil looked lost and fell to a France side empowered by a rush of football fervour from the home support. Despite the errant efforts of hapless striker Stéphane Guivarc'h in front of goal, the French still overpowered Brazil.

Even without Laurent Blanc, suspended following a red card after a terrible piece of play-acting from Slaven Bilic in the semi-final, the defence easily smothered what few Brazilian attacks there were. Zidane, who had improved steadily as the tournament went on, reached a crescendo when, unmarked on both occasions, he headed in two identical goals from Emmanuel Petit corners.

And though pivotal defender Marcel Desailly was sent off for a horrible foul on Cafu in the 75th minute, France finished the stronger, eventually sealing their win with a breakaway goal from Petit. Brazil had been thrashed, their dreams of a fifth World Cup perhaps dying in Ronaldo's hotel room, but few could argue with the validity of France as winners.

Skipper Didier Deschamps lifted the trophy, fans partied on the Champs-Élysées and cycling perhaps became France's second favourite sport.

History of World Cup 1994

Winners: Brazil
Teams: 24
Teams in qualifiers: 147
Notable absentees England, France
Surprises Greece, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia
Golden Boot Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Oleg Salenko (Russia) - 6
Stats A total of 141 goals were scored (2.71 per match); Sweden (15) scored the most
Format Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best 3rd place finishers
Number of matches 52

Innovations
• Three points for a win in group matches as opposed to two in a bid to encourage more attacking play
• Yellow cards accumulated in the group stage were wiped clean after its completion
• Referees were allowed to wear colours other than black to avoid a clash with the two competing teams
• Players had names above their numbers on shirts
• The USA v Switzerland match in the Pontiac Silverdome was the first to be played indoors in World Cup history - although it was still on grass

Controversies
• Chile were banned from the 1994 tournament after their goalkeeper Roberto Rojas pretended to have been hit and seriously hurt by firecrackers thrown by Brazilian fans in a successful bid to get a 1989 qualifier abandoned. FIFA subsequently used TV evidence to prove Rojas' deceit and Brazil were awarded a 2-0 win
• Diego Maradona tested positive for the banned stimulant ephedrine but the Argentinean FA withdrew him from the tournament before FIFA could ban him and, amazingly, he remained in the USA as a commentator

Trivia
• Colombian defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal against USA that helped knock his team out of the competition. A few days after he and his team-mates returned to Colombia, Escobar was shot dead by gangsters amid speculation his error had cost drug barons millions in gambling losses
• Germany's Stefan Effenberg was sent home by coach Berti Vogts after showing the finger to fans when substituted against South Korea
• Russia's Oleg Salenko shared the Golden Boot with six goals, but five of them came in one match against Cameroon. In the same game, 42-year-old Roger Milla broke his own record, set four years previously, as the oldest man to score in a World Cup finals. He also established a record as the oldest player
• The overall attendance of 3,587,538 - an average of 68,991 per match - was a World Cup record

In an attempt to convert the 'New World' to a different form of football, FIFA chose the USA to host the tournament, a decision greeted with massive scepticism. But despite 'soccer' being way down the American sporting popularity list, it was full houses all-round throughout the tournament.

After a Hollywood-style opening ceremony in which Diana Ross, rather prophetically, missed a penalty, Germany beat Bolivia in rather unconvincing fashion. This, too, was to prove prophetic.

Brazil, after two poor World Cups, looked stronger than they had since 1982, with Barcelona striker Romário at the very peak of his predatory powers. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had added a defensive ballast to midfield in the tandem of Mauro Silva and Dunga and it paid dividends in the opening wins over Russia and Cameroon. The final group game came against a strong and free-scoring Sweden side and honours were shared as both progressed.

Russia and Cameroon both exited prematurely but not without sharing a record-breaking match. Russia's Oleg Salenko scored a record five goals in a 6-1 win over Cameroon for whom Roger Milla became, at an official age of 42 (some say he was older), the oldest ever scorer in the World Cup.

Argentina started in a similar fashion to Brazil, thrashing the Greeks 4-0 in Boston and then beating the impressive Nigerians 2-1. While Gabriel Batistuta and Claudio Caniggia fired the bullets, the strings were pulled by Fernando Redondo and Diego Maradona, back playing after a ban for cocaine use and a series of false starts at Napoli, Seville and Newell's Old Boys. Looking suspiciously trim and energetic, Maradona lashed in an amazing goal against Greece and celebrated maniacally.

Argentina became most people's favourites for the tournament. Until, at least, the news came out that Maradona had tested positive for banned stimulant ephedrine. Broken by the loss of their leader, Argentina faded against Bulgaria in their last group game and now faced the challenge of Romania in the second round.

The Romanians had won a group that included the hosts and Colombia, Pelé's pick to win the tournament. But Colombia, for all their pretty passing moves, fell to the wiles of Gheorghe Hagi in their opener and then catastrophically lost to the USA in their next, putting them out. Harrowingly, defender Andrés Escobar paid for an own goal with his life, shot by gangsters on his return to Medellin. It was an incident that cast a shadow over Colombian football for years to come.

Jack Charlton's Republic of Ireland continued to delight the neutrals by beating Italy in New York after a tremendous goal from Ray Houghton. However, they met a rather damp end to their campaign in the second round when a mistake by Italia 90 hero Packie Bonner handed progress to the Dutch.

The hosts put up a brave showing against Brazil but lost to a late strike from Bebeto, Brazil's other striker. Germany struggled to get past the Belgians while Italy needed a late equaliser from Roberto Baggio against Nigeria. Baggio, rumoured to be at odds with coach Arrigo Sacchi, was the hero on the field as he converted an extra-time penalty winner.

The best game of the round saw the Argentinians face the Romanians. Hagi, often termed the 'Maradona of the Carpathians', showed the Argentinians what they were missing, supplying two goals for Ilie Dumitrescu and then scoring himself. Well though Argentina played, Maradona's cutting edge was lacking and they were overrun by Romania's incisive attacking.

Sweden, though, matched the Romanians in the quarter-final and held their nerve in a penalty shoot-out. The other quarters were all thrilling games. Brazil fought off a late Dutch surge to win 3-2 through a Branco goal. Italy narrowly beat the Spanish with goals from Baggios Dino and Roberto. 'The Divine Ponytail' struck his winner in the 88th minute but there was still time for an improbable miss from Julio Salinas. Spain, once again, had flattered to deceive.

The story of the round came when Bulgaria, with only one recognised star in Hristo Stoichkov, staged a late comeback to knock out the Germans. Stoichkov rattled in a free-kick after Lothar Matthäus had put the Germans ahead from the spot before the bald head of Yordan Letchkov dived in to head the ball for an improbable winner.

Perhaps that Herculean effort was too much for the Bulgars as, in the semi-final, Roberto Baggio tore them apart - Stoichkov's penalty to make it 2-1 made the game look closer than it was. Similarly, the Swedes were outclassed in a dull semi-final with Brazil. A lone Romário strike was enough to take his team through.

After what had been a vastly entertaining tournament, it was sad that the final was such a drab affair, even surpassing the horror show of 1990. Both Romário and Baggio played with injuries and their talents were consequently dulled, with both missing good opportunities. Though Brazil played the more attacking football, Italy defended well, with Franco Baresi outstanding. Despite a thrilling cameo from mysterious Brazil substitute Viola, extra-time petered out and penalties would, sadly, decide which side won the World Cup for a record fourth time.

Baresi and Márcio Santos both missed and, after an exchange of two successful kicks, Daniele Massaro's poor effort was saved by Cláudio Taffarel. After Dunga had given Brazil the advantage, up stepped Baggio, so deadly all tournament. He blazed over, choosing power over the precision that had served him so well, and Brazil were crowned champions for the fourth time.

History of World Cup 1990

Winners: West Germany
Teams: 24
Teams in qualifiers: 116
Notable absentees Denmark, France, Portugal
Surprises Costa Rica, Republic of Ireland, UAE
Golden Boot: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) - 6
Stats A total of 115 goals were scored (2.21 per match), which was the lowest goals-per-match ratio in World Cup history; West Germany (15) scored the most
Format Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third place finishers
Number of matches 52

Innovations
• Lots were used to separate teams with identical records in the group stage
• World Cup Italia 90 was the first officially licensed tournament PC game

Controversies
• The referee added an unwarranted eight minutes of first-half injury time to the semi-final between Italy and Argentina because he forgot to check his watch
• Argentina's Pedro Monzón became the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final - followed 22 minutes later by team-mate Gustavo Dezotti

Trivia
• Nigeria's 23-year-old Samuel Okwaraji died of heart failure during the qualifier between Angola and Nigeria
• Mexico were banned from participating in the tournament after being found guilty of deliberately fielding over-age players in an Under-20 event
• Cameroon became the first African team to reach the last eight
• Republic of Ireland reached the last eight without winning a match (other than on penalties), scoring just two goals in the process
• Argentina were the first team in a World Cup final not to score
• West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer became the first man to win the World Cup as a captain (1974) and coach
• Roger Milla's goals for Cameroon against Colombia in the second round made him the oldest player ever to score in the World Cup finals, at 38 years and 20 days. He beat his own record four years later

This was, in truth, a poor World Cup. It's a saying among Dutch football fans that poor quality tournaments are always won by the Germans and, while Dutch-German enmity ought to be borne in mind, this tournament most definitely added weight to the notion.

West Germany, soon to become plain old Germany after reunification, hit the ground running in the group stages with a 4-1 thrashing of Yugoslavia and a 5-1 thumping of the United Arab Emirates. Lothar Matthäus had been released from his marking role of 1986 and was leading the attacking charge. He grabbed three goals in those first two games, setting out his stall for a finals of immense personal achievement.

Holders Argentina were not the side of 1986, with Diego Maradona carrying a knee injury and his colleagues, with the exception of Claudio Caniggia, not up to the standards of the previous tournament.

In an amazing opening game, African football arrived on the world stage when Cameroon defeated the holders with a goal from François Omam-Biyik. Despite having two men sent off for some disgraceful tackling, Cameroon held on.

Argentina eventually qualified in third place from their group behind Cameroon and Romania, a skin-of-the-teeth approach that would continue through the tournament.

The other surprise packages were Costa Rica, who had come second in their group behind Brazil after wins over Scotland and Sweden.

Of the other favourites, hosts Italy looked strong. However, converting the vast number of chances they created was a problem. Enter Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci, a late addition to the squad who burst on to the scene with a winner against Austria and another against the Czechs. The other goal against Czechoslovakia was a tremendous solo run by Roberto Baggio, the new prince of Italian football.

European champions Holland, meanwhile, had succumbed to their old folly of in-fighting and only just squeezed into the second round behind England and Republic of Ireland. In the knock-out stages, the Germans took their revenge on the Dutch for defeat in the Euro 88 semi-finals with a 2-1 win. The game became infamous for a disgraceful spitting incident between Frank Rijkaard and Rudi Völler.

Brazil, too, perished in the second round. Against Argentina, they dominated possession, hitting the woodwork on a number of occasions before Maradona awoke from his torpor. A weaving run was followed by a perfect through-ball to Caniggia, who did the rest to kill off the Brazilians.

Cameroon continued their amazing run with a 2-1 defeat of Colombia, thanks in no small part to the comedic keeping of René Higuita, whose suicidal attempt to dribble round Roger Milla resulted in the veteran striker's second goal.

Similar romance was provided by the Republic of Ireland, playing in their first finals, and knocking out Romania in a thrilling penalty shoot-out in Genoa. Never pretty to watch, Jack Charlton's side won friends with their unstinting work ethic. After a trip to meet the Pope in Rome, their tournament was ended by the hosts and a goal by Toto Schillaci. West Germany progressed after beating Czechoslovakia through a Matthäus penalty.

England spoilt the Cameroon party with an extra-time win despite twice being behind. Argentina's ugly roadshow continued with a penalty shoot-out win over Yugoslavia, for whom Dragan Stojkovic and Robert Prosinecki had dazzled all tournament. Despite missing a penalty himself, Maradona would face the hosts in his adopted hometown of Naples.

It went down to the dreaded spot-kicks again. Schillaci had put the Italians ahead but Caniggia equalised. A rough-house approach from Argentina prevented the Italians' passing moves and, though Ricardo Giusti was dismissed early in extra-time, it was back to the lottery of penalties - a lottery the Argentinians were now used to. Maradona converted after Milan's Roberto Donadoni had missed and then Aldo Serena missed, too. Tears were shed as the Azzurri went out.

The other semi-final in Turin is a game of English legend where, in keeping with much of football history, it went to penalties and the Germans won. Brave England, who had improved steadily all through the tournament, finished fourth after losing to Italy in the third-place play-off.

The final, perhaps uniquely, saw West Germany as the peoples' favourites to win. Argentina had alienated most neutrals with their foul play, theatrical diving and constant hounding of the referee. Maradona was a leading culprit and the footballing demi-god of 1986 had been replaced by a moaning, complaining prima donna dwarf.

In the worst final yet, the Germans triumphed when, in an apt fashion, Andreas Brehme converted an 85th-minute penalty after a foul on Rudi Völler. Argentina had been looking to play for penalties once again having had Pedro Monzón sent-off for a foul on Klinsmann, earning infamy as the first ever player to be dismissed in a final.

The game collapsed into farce as the Argentinian players surrounded the referee. Gustavo Dezotti followed Monzón down the tunnel in the dying seconds and the Germans had their revenge for Mexico. Maradona's tears of joy from four years earlier were replaced by tears of self-pity.

The crowning achievements, though, had been those of Matthäus, who lifted the trophy, and coach Franz Beckenbauer, who became the first player to both captain and coach a World Cup-winning side.

History of World Cup 1986

Winners: Argentina

Teams: 24
Teams in qualifiers: 121
Notable absentees Netherlands
Surprises Canada, Iraq

Golden Boot Gary Lineker (England) - 6
Stats A total of 132 goals were scored (2.54 per match); Argentina (14) scored the most
Format Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third-place finishers

Number of matches 52

Innovations
• The group-style second round was scrapped and replaced with a straight knockout tournament

Controversies
• Colombia were the original choice as hosts but economic chaos meant they in effect had to withdraw. Hopes of an open system for finding a replacement were all but ended when FIFA president João Havelange headed straight from the 1982 final to Mexico
• The sometimes brilliant, sometimes disgraceful Diego Maradona's handball to score against England stirred passions on both sides of the Atlantic. Afterwards, he smiled and said it was "a bit with the head of Maradona and another bit with the hand of God"

Trivia
• Iraq qualified without playing a home match because of the Iran-Iraq war
• A total of 308 qualifying matches were played and 801 goals scored
• Bulgaria and Uruguay qualified for the second round without winning a group match
• Portugal's players went on strike, refusing to train between their first and the second games, and were knocked out after a loss to Morocco in the final group match
• Iraq defender Samir Shaker Mahmoud was banned for a year by FIFA after spitting at the referee during his team's 2-1 loss to Belgium
• Paraguay's Cayetano Ré became the first coach to be sent off after repeatedly encroaching onto the pitch during the first-round game against Belgium
• Uruguay's José Batista was sent off after 56 seconds of the group match against Scotland

A return to Mexico after just 16 years looks a romantic choice at first glance. In fact, the return to Central America came as a result of original hosts Colombia's inability to meet the economic demands of staging "the greatest show on earth". Mexico was itself a country in crisis after a earthquake had wreaked havoc and killed 25,000 people in 1985, but the country rallied to stage the tournament once again.

The tournament was to centre on one squat little man, Diego Armando Maradona, who was on a mission to bury the ghost of 1982 and a troubled spell at Barcelona.

From the first game, Maradona was the mainstay of an Argentina side that was otherwise functional and efficient but lacking in flair. Maradona provided magic in spades and matched it with a will to win. Scoring an excellent equaliser against off-colour holders Italy, he played a part in every Argentine goal in the first round.

The first round's darlings were the Danes, featuring the talents of Michael Laudup and Preben Elkjær-Larsen. A 6-1 defeat of Uruguay saw odds on the Scandinavians winning the trophy tumble. The bookies soon breathed easier, though, as the Danes bizarrely capitulated 5-1 to Spain in the second round, with Emilio 'The Vulture' Butrageno scoring four.

Other first-round form teams to fail at the second-round stage were Soviet Union, in a dramatic 4-3 loss to Belgium, and Morocco, who topped England's group before taking West Germany to the wire - it was not until three minutes from the end that the Germans got their winner in Monterrey.

Italy, a pale shadow of the 1982 side, were dispatched with ease by the French. France, who had won the 1984 European Championships in some style, were again many romantics' choice for the championship, though an over-reliance on Michel Platini's goal power from midfield would later prove problematic.

Brazil, themselves a shadow of their 1982 team but 4-0 conquerors of Poland, met the French in a titanic encounter in Guadalajara.

The game ended 1-1 and was absolutely jam-packed with incident. A challenge by Brazil goalkeeper Carlos on Bruno Bellone brought back painful memories of the Battiston-Schumacher incident four years earlier. At the other end, with his first kick of the game, substitute Zico missed a penalty to win the game in normal time, so it was penalties again for the French. This time, their nerve held despite Platini inexplicably blazing his spot-kick over the bar. Keeper Joel Bats was the hero as he saved first Socrates' casual effort and then Júlio César's strike.

Luis Fernández stroked home the decider and the French rejoiced. The time seemed right for revenge over the Germans, who had ousted the hosts in their own shoot-out.

Argentina's challenge was meanwhile gathering pace. A functional win over Uruguay took them on to face England in the quarter-finals. Bobby Robson's side, for whom Gary Lineker had hit a rich vein of scoring form, had beaten South American opposition in the second round in Paraguay, but Argentina looked a far tougher proposition.

And so they would prove. Maradona's first goal, for which there is no dispute that he had handled, was followed by an amazing 75-yard dribble past the entire England defence and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. It is surely the best goal ever seen on the World Cup stage. England, though, rallied after the introduction of John Barnes, who provided a goal for Lineker. The pair almost repeated the trick but Lineker failed to direct his header goalwards.

Yet, despite the illegitimacy of Maradona's first goal, there was little doubt about the best team winning.

Just to show that his second goal hadn't been a fluke, Maradona twice repeated a similar trick in the semi-final against Belgium, surprise members of the last four after a shoot-out win over Spain. The Belgians just couldn't hold the irrepressible Argentina skipper as he led his team into their second final in three World Cups.

There they faced West Germany, ever the party-poopers. France, broken by their toils in the quarter-final, failed to get their revenge. Goalkeeper Bats soiled his heroic status by fumbling an Andreas Brehme free-kick early on and, in the last minute, when France were pushing hard for an equalizer, Rudi Völler scored a breakaway goal.

The final saw Maradona being marked hard by Lothar Matthäus and reduced to a peripheral role for much of the game, which was a poor spectacle until its later stages. Centre-back José Luis Brown had headed in Jorge Burruchaga's free-kick and, when Real Madrid's Jorge Valdano stroked the ball past Schumacher, all looked lost for the Germans.

But on came substitute strikers Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Dieter Hoeness, brother of 1974 hero Uli. Rummenigge, who had suffered another injury-hit finals, bundled home a Völler flick before Völler himself headed in Thomas Berthold's flick with eight minutes to play. Argentina looked shaken but surely this had to be Maradona's tournament?

The little man certainly believed so. Two minutes later, he ended a weaving run with a delicate through-ball to Jorge Burruchaga. The youngster did the rest and Argentina soon claimed their second World Cup. Maradona had realised his dream and, though Argentina were far from a one-man team, no single player has ever had such an influence on the destiny of a World Cup.