The Story of the 2002 World Cup — Ronaldo's Redemption

The 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, was the most unpredictable tournament in the competition's history. The defending champions France were eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal. Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites, also went out in the group stage. Senegal beat France on the opening day. South Korea reached the semi-finals. Italy, Spain and England were eliminated in the knockout rounds in matches that produced furious controversy. And at the centre of it all, Ronaldo — the greatest striker in the world who had spent four years fighting back from two devastating knee injuries — scored twice in the final to win Brazil their fifth World Cup.

Senegal — The Tournament's First Shock

The opening match of the tournament could not have been more dramatic. Senegal, appearing in their first World Cup, faced France — the reigning world and European champions. Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal. Senegal won 1-0. France, with Zidane injured, were stunned. They went on to draw their remaining group matches and were eliminated without scoring. The defending champions were out before the knockout stage had even begun.

Senegal, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals — beating Sweden and drawing with Uruguay before losing to Turkey in extra time. They were the story of the first round and an inspiration for African football.

South Korea — The Host Nation's Impossible Run

No host nation had ever made the semi-finals of a World Cup they were not expected to challenge for. South Korea did it in 2002, beating Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain on their way to the last four. The matches against Italy and Spain were among the most controversial in World Cup history — multiple refereeing decisions went against both European teams in ways that caused lasting bitterness.

But South Korea's performances were also genuinely excellent in parts. Their organisation, their fitness, and the extraordinary atmosphere generated by their supporters — seas of red in every stadium — made them the tournament's most compelling story. They lost to Germany in the semi-final and to Turkey in the third-place playoff. They finished fourth. No Asian team has matched it since.

Ronaldo — The Redemption

Four years after his mysterious collapse before the 1998 World Cup Final, Ronaldo arrived in Japan and South Korea as the most dangerous striker in the tournament. His first serious knee injury had come in November 1999. His second, a rupture of the same tendon, had come in April 2000. There were serious doubts about whether he would ever play at the elite level again. He had spent nearly two years in rehabilitation.

He returned. He scored eight goals at the 2002 World Cup — more than any other player. He scored twice in the final against Germany, the second a precise, right-foot finish that settled the match and delivered Brazil their fifth world title. He celebrated with the tournament's most talked-about haircut — a shaved head with a single triangular tuft at the front. Half the children in Brazil copied it.

He won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament. It was, in the context of what he had been through, one of the most remarkable individual performances in World Cup history.

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