Co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, the first tournament in Asia; Brazil won a record fifth title, while co-hosts South Korea's controversial run to the semifinals dominated headlines.
The first World Cup co-hosted by two nations and held in Asia opened with a major upset as debutants Senegal defeated defending champions France 1-0 in Seoul, with Papa Bouba Diop scoring. France would go on to crash out in the group stage without scoring a single goal. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_FIFA_World_Cup
Senegal followed their opening upset by drawing 1-1 with Denmark, while France suffered a second shock defeat, 0-0 against Uruguay after Thierry Henry was sent off. Denmark topped the group, Senegal finished second, and France were eliminated at the group stage as defending champions. Source — Wikipedia:
Spain won all three group matches to top Group B, including a 3-1 win over Slovenia and a 3-2 victory over South Africa. Paraguay secured second place with a 3-1 win over Slovenia on the final matchday, eliminating South Africa on goal difference. Source — Wikipedia:
Brazil won all three group matches, including a 2-1 win over Turkey with a controversial late penalty. Turkey recovered to finish second despite losing their opener, beating China 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Costa Rica. China lost all three matches and were eliminated without scoring. Source — Wikipedia:
Co-hosts South Korea topped Group D under Guus Hiddink, winning 2-0 over Poland and 1-0 against Portugal, who had two players sent off. The USA finished second after a 3-2 win over Portugal and a 1-1 draw with South Korea. Portugal were shockingly eliminated despite a pre-tournament reputation as contenders. Source — Wikipedia:
Germany topped Group E with 8 points, including an 8-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia where Miroslav Klose scored a hat-trick of headers. Ireland finished second after a dramatic late Robbie Keane equalizer against Germany and a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Cameroon were eliminated on goal difference. Source — Wikipedia:
In the tournament's toughest group, Sweden topped Group F with 7 points, while England finished second after a 1-0 win over Argentina courtesy of David Beckham's penalty. Argentina, pre-tournament favorites, were eliminated after a 1-1 draw with Sweden on the final day, failing to reach the knockout stage. Source — Wikipedia:
Co-host Japan topped Group H with 7 points under Philippe Troussier, beating Russia 1-0 and Tunisia 2-0 to reach the Round of 16 for the first time. Belgium finished second with 5 points. Russia and Tunisia were eliminated, with Japan's run showcasing the success of both co-host nations. Source — Wikipedia:
Mexico topped Group G with 7 points after impressive wins over Croatia and Ecuador. Italy advanced as runners-up despite a shock 2-1 loss to Croatia and a 1-1 draw with Mexico, needing a late Alessandro Del Piero equalizer against Mexico to avoid elimination. Croatia and Ecuador were knocked out. Source — Wikipedia:
Senegal continued their fairy-tale run by eliminating Sweden 2-1 after extra time in Oita. Henri Camara scored both Senegalese goals, including a golden goal winner in the 104th minute, after Sweden had led through Anders Svensson. Senegal became only the second African team to reach a World Cup quarterfinal. Source — Wikipedia: )
Germany advanced to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in Seogwipo, with Oliver Neuville scoring an 88th-minute winner. The match was largely uneventful until Neuville's late strike from a Bernd Schneider cross broke Paraguayan resistance. Source — Wikipedia: )
Spain survived a dramatic shootout against Ireland in Suwon after the match ended 1-1. Fernando Morientes put Spain ahead before Robbie Keane equalized with a 90th-minute penalty. Iker Casillas saved three penalties in the shootout to send Spain through, despite Spain missing two of their own spot kicks. Source — Wikipedia: )
England cruised past Denmark with a 3-0 win in Niigata, with all three goals coming in the first 45 minutes. Michael Owen opened the scoring, followed by goals from Gary Neville via a deflection and a David Beckham penalty. The comfortable victory set up a quarterfinal against Brazil. Source — Wikipedia: )
The United States reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1930 with a 2-0 win over Mexico in Jeonju. Brian McBride and Landon Donovan scored in the first half as the USA exploited Mexico's defensive vulnerabilities. The defeat was particularly painful for Mexico, losing to their fiercest regional rivals on the world stage. Source — Wikipedia: )
Brazil advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Belgium in Kobe. After a tightly contested first half, Rivaldo scored with a spectacular volley in the 67th minute before Ronaldo added a second in the 87th. Belgium had a Marc Wilmots goal controversially disallowed for a foul, a decision that drew significant criticism. Source — Wikipedia: )
Turkey ended co-host Japan's World Cup run with a 1-0 win in Miyagi. Ümit Davala scored the only goal with a 12th-minute header from a corner kick. Japan pushed for an equalizer but could not break through the Turkish defense, ending the co-hosts' debut knockout appearance at the Round of 16 stage. Source — Wikipedia: )
Co-hosts South Korea eliminated Italy 2-1 after extra time in Daejeon in one of the most controversial matches in World Cup history. Ahn Jung-hwan scored a golden goal header in the 117th minute after Seol Ki-hyeon had equalized in the 88th. Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno disallowed a legitimate Italian goal, sent off Francesco Totti for a second yellow card for diving, and ignored multiple Korean fouls, drawing fierce international criticism and accusations of match-fixing. Source — Wikipedia: )
Brazil came from behind to beat England 2-1 in Shizuoka and advance to the semifinals. Michael Owen put England ahead after a defensive error by Lucio, but Rivaldo equalized just before halftime. Ronaldinho scored a spectacular 50-yard free kick that caught David Seaman off his line in the 50th minute, though he was later sent off for a foul on Danny Mills. Brazil held on with ten men to eliminate England. Source — Wikipedia: )
Germany edged the United States 1-0 in Ulsan to reach the semifinals, with Michael Ballack scoring a 39th-minute header from a Christian Ziege free kick. The USA pressed hard for an equalizer, with Oliver Kahn making several crucial saves, most notably a point-blank stop from Gregg Berhalter. Germany's defensive resilience and Kahn's goalkeeping proved decisive against a spirited American side. Source — Wikipedia: )
Turkey ended Senegal's remarkable debut World Cup run with a 1-0 golden goal victory in Osaka. İlhan Mansız scored the winner in the 94th minute of extra time, volleying home from close range after a Turkish counterattack. Senegal's fairy-tale tournament ended at the quarterfinal stage, matching Cameroon's 1990 achievement as the best African World Cup performance to date. Source — Wikipedia: )
South Korea reached the semifinals by beating Spain on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Gwangju, in a match marred by highly controversial refereeing decisions by Egyptian official Gamal Al-Ghandour. Two legitimate Spanish goals were disallowed, one for a non-existent foul and another when the ball was wrongly judged to have gone out of play before Joaquín's cross. Spain missed penalties in the shootout as South Korea became the first Asian team to reach a World Cup semifinal, but the officiating drew lasting international condemnation. Source — Wikipedia: )
Germany ended co-host South Korea's historic run with a 1-0 win in Seoul, with Michael Ballack scoring the decisive goal in the 75th minute. Ballack, who had been booked earlier in the match, received a second yellow card that ruled him out of the Final. Oliver Kahn preserved the lead with key saves as Germany reached their first World Cup Final since 1990. Source — Wikipedia: )
Brazil reached their third consecutive World Cup Final with a 1-0 win over Turkey in Saitama. Ronaldo scored the only goal in the 49th minute, toe-poking the ball past Rüştü Reçber after a clever through-ball from Ronaldinho, who returned from suspension. Turkey pushed forward but could not find an equalizer against a resolute Brazilian defense. Source — Wikipedia: )
Turkey secured third place in their first World Cup since 1954 with a 3-2 win over co-host South Korea in Daegu. Hakan Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history, netting after just 11 seconds. South Korea equalized through Lee Eul-yong and then Seol Ki-hyeon, but İlhan Mansız scored twice, including an extra-time winner, to secure Turkey's best-ever World Cup finish. Source — Wikipedia: )
In the Final at Yokohama's International Stadium, Ronaldo scored both goals as Brazil beat Germany 2-0 to win a record fifth World Cup title. His first came in the 67th minute after Oliver Kahn spilled Rivaldo's shot, and his second followed 12 minutes later from a Rivaldo lay-off. The goals completed Ronaldo's redemption from the 1998 Final, where he had been mysteribly below par after a pre-match seizure, and capped his return from career-threatening knee injuries that had sidelined him for nearly two years. Source — Wikipedia:
Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 in the World Cup Final in Yokohama, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the second half to secure Brazil's fifth world title. The match was the first World Cup meeting between the two most successful nations in football history. Oliver Kahn, who had been the tournament's outstanding goalkeeper, made a rare error for the first goal, but Ronaldo's brace earned him the Golden Boot with 8 goals and cemented his status as one of football's greatest comeback stories. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_FIFA_World_Cup_Final