The FIFA World Cup 2002 was held in South Korea and Japan between 31st May to 30th June 2002. It was the 17th FIFA World Cup, which was being hosted by Asian countries for the first time.
It was also the first time that the tournament was being hosted by two countries and was the last international footballing event to have the golden goal rule.
Brazil was the 2002 World Cup Winner, winning the tournament for the fifth time in history and setting a new record of being the first country to win five World Cups. The tournament came with its own upsets as France was forced out in the group stages and Argentina also couldn't manage to advance into the knockouts.
Underdogs like Turkey advanced into the knockouts and South Korea managed to reach into the semi finals.
Qualification Details
The number of teams participating totaled to 199 out of which defending champions France and hosts South Korea and Japan qualified automatically.
Out of 32 teams, fifteen were from UEFA, three were from CONCACAF and five teams were from CONMEBOL. Four countries each qualified from the African and the Asian regions.
Venues
| Name | City | Capacity |
| Daegu World Cup Stadium | Daegu | 68,014 |
| Seoul World Cup Stadium | Seoul | 63,961 |
| Busan Asiad Stadium | Busan | 55,982 |
| Incheon Munhak Stadium | Incheon | 52,179 |
| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium | Ulsan | 43,550 |
| Suwon World Cup Stadium | Suwon | 43,188 |
| Gwangju World Cup Stadium | Gwangju | 42,880 |
| Jeonju World Cup Stadium | Jeonju | 42,391 |
| Jeju World Cup Stadium | Seogwipo | 42,256 |
| Daejeon World Cup Stadium | Daejeon | 40,470 |
| International Stadium | Yokohama | 72,327 |
| Saitama Stadium 2002 | Saitama | 63,000 |
| Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium | Shizuoka | 50,600 |
| Nagai Stadium | Osaka | 50,000 |
| Miyagi Stadium | Miyagi | 49,000 |
| Ōita Stadium | Ōita | 43,000 |
| Niigata Stadium | Niigata | 42,300 |
| Kashima Soccer Stadium | Kashima | 42,000 |
| Kobe Wing Stadium | Kobe | 42,000 |
| Sapporo Dome | Sapporo | 42000 |
2002 World Cup Groups
Group A
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Denmark | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Senegal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| France | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Group B
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 9 |
| Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Slovenia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
Group C
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 9 |
| Turkey | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| China PR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Group D
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| South Korea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| United States | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Portugal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Poland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
Group E
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Italy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| Ghana | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| United States | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Group F
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 7 |
| Republic Of Ireland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Group G
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Group H
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | Points |
| Mexico | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Croatia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Semi Finals
Just like in the quarter-finals, Michael Ballack scored yet again to help Germany win against South Korea in the semis. On the other hand, Ronaldo scored his fifth goal of the tournament to help Brazil advance to the finals.
Third Place
South Korea and Turkey went head to head for the third place. However, Turkey defeated hosts Korea 3-2.
Final
The final match was played at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. The stage was set for Brazil and Germany to clash for the World Champion spot. Brazilian player Ronaldo was in phenomenal form and scored two goals in the second half to comfortably win 2-0, taking Brazil world cup wins to five, the most by any nation.
Awards
Brazilian striker Ronaldo was by far the top scoring player in the tournament and was awarded the Golden Boot for his eight goals. The Yashin Award and Golden ball award was taken by German keeper Oliver Kahn. It should also be noted that he was the only goalkeeper in football history who was honored by Golden Ball, which is a award given to the best player in the tournament.
Landon Donovan of United States was honored by the Best Young Player Award, while the Belgium football team were awarded the FIFA Fair Play Trophy. Award for the Most Entertaining Team went to South Korea for their outstanding performance as an underdog team in the tournament.
