Final Standings
Individual Awards
Tournament Overview
France hosted and won the World Cup for the first time, with Zinedine Zidane heading in twice in the first half of the final to set up a 3-0 demolition of Brazil. The tournament was the first with 32 teams β the format that remained in place until WC26 expanded it further. Croatia, playing in their first ever World Cup since gaining independence, finished third. But the tournament is best remembered for the mysterious pre-final collapse of Ronaldo, who suffered some kind of seizure or convulsion hours before kickoff, was initially left out of the lineup, reinstated, and then played like a ghost as France romped to victory.
Defining Moments
The Ronaldo Mystery
Hours before the 1998 final, the world's greatest player was found convulsing in his hotel room. He was left off the initial team sheet. Then, inexplicably, he was added back. He played the entire final, missed a penalty in the shootout that never came, and was nearly invisible throughout. Brazil lost 3-0. The full truth of what happened to Ronaldo that day has never been completely explained β one of the great unsolved mysteries of the sport.
Zidane's Two Headers
Before he was an icon, before the 2006 headbutt, there were these two headers. Zinedine Zidane rose to meet Emmanuel Petit's corner in the 27th minute and headed home. He did it again three minutes before half time. The Stade de France erupted. France led 2-0 at half time of the World Cup final. Zidane had never scored a header for France before that night.
Croatia's First World Cup
Croatia had only declared independence in 1991. By 1998, they were in the semi-finals of the World Cup, with Davor Ε uker winning the Golden Boot. The red-and-white checkered kit became one of the most recognizable in the sport. Croatia would go on to reach the 2018 final and the 2022 semi-finals β but their first World Cup, with those checks and Ε uker's goals, remains special.
France arrive at WC26 as the 2018 champions and 2022 runners-up β one of the form teams of the era. Brazil seek a sixth title. Croatia, who have now reached four consecutive semi-finals or better (1998, 2018, 2022), continue one of the great modern underdog stories.
