The 2002 World Cup: Asia's First Tournament and Ronaldo's Redemption

The 2002 World Cup: a brief history

The 2002 World Cup was the seventeenth edition of the FIFA tournament, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan between 31 May and 30 June 2002. Brazil beat Germany 2-0 at the International Stadium Yokohama on 30 June 2002 to win the country''s fifth World Cup, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the second half. The tournament was the first to be held in Asia, the first to be co-hosted by two nations, and the first to feature both Senegal and South Korea, countries whose runs upended every realistic pre-tournament prediction.

The host context: Asia''s first tournament

FIFA awarded the 2002 World Cup jointly to South Korea and Japan in 1996. The decision had been politically complex: both nations had submitted independent bids, and FIFA''s 1996 vote was deadlocked between them. The compromise solution, joint hosting, with each nation getting half the matches and one of the two semi-finals, was the first time the World Cup had been split across two countries. The format has not been repeated since at FIFA''s discretion.

Twenty venues were used (10 in each country). Both opening and closing ceremonies took place in South Korea (Seoul opening) and Japan (Yokohama final). The political symbolism of two countries with a complex 20th-century relationship co-hosting was prominent in pre-tournament coverage. The actual tournament administration ran smoothly across both nations.

Senegal''s opener and the group stage

The opening match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on 31 May 2002 produced an extraordinary upset. Senegal, the African nation in their first World Cup, beat reigning champions France 1-0 through a Papa Bouba Diop goal in the 30th minute. France went on to exit the tournament at the group stage without scoring a single goal, Zidane was injured for the opening matches, and the squad''s defence of the 1998 trophy collapsed. Senegal advanced from the group as runners-up to Denmark.

The group stage produced another major shock. Argentina, drawn in Group F with England, Sweden and Nigeria, widely described as the "Group of Death", exited at the group stage. England''s 1-0 win over Argentina at the Sapporo Dome on 7 June 2002 (David Beckham converting a 44th-minute penalty in revenge for the 1998 round of 16) and Sweden''s 1-1 draw with Argentina in the closing match sent the South Americans home.

The United States produced their best World Cup performance, beating Portugal 3-2 in the opening group game and reaching the quarter-finals. Turkey, in their first World Cup since 1954, advanced from a difficult group containing Brazil, China and Costa Rica.

South Korea''s run

South Korea, coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, produced one of the most-discussed single tournament runs in World Cup history. The host nation, who had never won a World Cup match in five previous appearances, beat Poland 2-0, drew with the United States 1-1, and beat Portugal 1-0 to top Group D. The round of 16 against Italy at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium on 18 June 2002 ended in a 2-1 Korean win after extra time, with Ahn Jung-hwan''s golden goal in the 117th minute settling the match.

The match against Italy has been the subject of decades of subsequent controversy. Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno produced contested decisions throughout the contest, including the disallowing of an apparent Italian goal, the dismissal of Francesco Totti for a second yellow card on a contested dive call, and a series of fouls left unpunished. Ahn Jung-hwan, who scored the winner, had his contract at Italian club Perugia immediately terminated by club president Luciano Gaucci as a direct consequence of the result.

The quarter-final against Spain at the Gwangju World Cup Stadium produced another contested 0-0 (5-3 on penalties) Korean win. Several Spanish goals were disallowed for contested offsides and apparent goal-line clearances.

The semi-final against Germany at the Seoul World Cup Stadium ended in a 1-0 German win, with Michael Ballack scoring the only goal in the 75th minute. South Korea reached the third-place playoff and lost 3-2 to Turkey, but the run made the country the first non-European, non-South American nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Ronaldo''s redemption

The 2002 tournament was widely regarded as the redemption of Ronaldo, the Brazilian forward whose 1998 final had been overshadowed by his pre-match seizure. The 25-year-old had spent four years recovering from two serious knee injuries and had been written off by parts of the Brazilian press in the run-up to the tournament. Coach Felipe "Big Phil" Scolari started him through every Brazilian match, and Ronaldo responded with eight goals across the tournament.

Brazil''s knockout run included a 2-0 win over Belgium, a 2-1 win over England (Rivaldo and Ronaldinho''s 50-yard free-kick over goalkeeper David Seaman, who has been the subject of decades of subsequent commentary about whether the shot was deliberate or a misdirected cross), and a 1-0 win over Turkey in the semi-final.

The final

The final, played at the International Stadium Yokohama on 30 June 2002 in front of 69,029 spectators, ended in a 2-0 Brazilian win. Both teams produced cautious first halves with Oliver Kahn, German goalkeeper, who had been named tournament-best later that night, saving multiple Brazilian chances. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 67th minute after Kahn could only parry Rivaldo''s low strike. Ronaldo added the second in the 79th minute with a long-range strike past Kahn at the near post, a goal Kahn would later describe as the lowest moment of his career.

Brazil won 2-0 and Ronaldo took the Golden Boot. He was named the FIFA Player of the Year for the second time (the first being 1996); the award''s recognition completed the redemption arc.

Lasting figures

Ronaldo''s 1998-2002 arc, the seizure, the knee injuries, the recovery and the redemption, is the most-celebrated single individual story in modern Brazilian football. He won the Ballon d''Or in 2002 and remains one of the great forwards in football history. He retired in 2011.

Oliver Kahn was named the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, the first and so far only goalkeeper to win the award. The German captain had carried his side through the group stage and produced game-winning saves in the round of 16 (against Paraguay), quarter-final (against the United States) and semi-final (against South Korea). He went on to a long career at Bayern Munich and is regarded as one of the great goalkeepers of his era.

Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach who took South Korea to the semi-finals, became one of the most internationally respected figures in football management. He went on to manage Australia (2006 World Cup round of 16), Russia (Euro 2008 semi-final) and several major club sides. He is regarded as the finest non-domestic coach to have led an Asian national team.

Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian coach, won the trophy in his first major international role. He went on to manage Portugal (Euro 2004 final, 2006 World Cup semi-final) and returned to Brazil for the 2014 finals, the campaign that ended in the 7-1 home defeat to Germany.

Ronaldo's redemption and fastest goal record

Ronaldo finished as the 2002 tournament's top scorer with eight goals, establishing himself as one of the most prolific forwards in World Cup history. The Brazilian striker had suffered a serious knee injury in the lead-up to the tournament, raising questions about his fitness; his performances demonstrated his exceptional recovery and physical resilience. His hat-trick in the final, combined with Rivaldo's contribution, overwhelmed Germany's defence.

Hakan Şükür of Turkey scored the fastest goal in World Cup history in the third-place playoff, finding the net after just 11 seconds against South Korea. This record has stood for over two decades, making Şükür's moment one of the most celebrated and discussed individual achievements in tournament history.

Asian football's arrival and South Korea's run

South Korea's fourth-place finish represented an unprecedented achievement for an Asian nation at the World Cup. The co-hosts' run to the semi-finals (where they lost to Germany on a controversial penalty in extra time) demonstrated that Asian football was capable of competing with European and South American nations. The Dutch club Ajax's Park Ji-sung, though young at the time, represented the emerging wave of Asian players who would dominate European club football in the 2010s and beyond.

Reading on

For more on Brazil''s broader World Cup record, see our long-read on Brazil at the World Cup. The World Cup history hub covers every tournament from 1930 to 2026.