FIFA World Cup 1998 Knock Out Stages
The Golden Goal rule was introduced for the knock out games under which the first team to score in extra time would win the match should the score be level after 90 minutes. A penalty competition would decide the game if there was no score in extra time. France needed to bit of luck to scrape through against Paraguay and Italy but triumphed in the final against an out of sorts Brazil to win their first World Cup on home soil.
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1998 Overview | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H | Knock Out Stages
Round of 16
Italy
Norway
Italy 1 Norway 0
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (55,000)
27 June 1998
Christian Vieri's goal in the 18th minute was enough for Italy to get through to the next round.
Brazil
Chile
Brazil 4 Chile 1
Parc des Princes, Paris (45,500)
27 June 1998
Two goals each from César Sampaio and Ronaldo contributed to an impressive performance by Brazil.
France
Paraguay
France 1 Paraguay 0 (golden goal in extra time)
Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens (38,100)
28 June 1998
After 90 minutes a pulsating match had failed to produce a goal although France had several chances in the first half. Paraguay threatened very little in the second half when defences dominated. With France besieging the South American goal, it fell to Laurent Blanc to score the golden goal in the 113rd minute.
Denmark
Nigeria
Denmark 4 Nigeria 1
Stade de France, Saint-Denis (77,000)
28 June 1998
As in 1994, Nigeria failed to get beyond the Round of 16 and were swept aside by a very good Danish team.
Germany
Mexico
Germany 2 Mexico 1
Stade de Mosson, Montpellier (29,800)
29 June 1998
Two minutes into the second half Hernández put Mexico ahead much against the run of play and they could have gone further ahead when a shot was pushed onto the post by the German 'keeper only for the ball to be knocked back to Hernández unmarked on the edge of the six yard box but he shot straight into the arms of Köpke. As ever, Germany refused to lie down. Klinsmann equalised in the 75th minute and Bierhoff scored the winner with four minutes left.
Netherlands
Yugoslavia
Netherlands 2 Yugoslavia 1
Stade de Toulouse, Toulouse (33,500)
29 June 1998
Three minutes into the second half Komljenović wiped out Netherlands' first half lead. With 90 minutes played, extra time seemed inevitable but two minutes into added time, Edgar Davids blasted the ball from long range into the Yugoslavian goal.
Croatia
Romania
Croatia 1 Romania 0
Parc Lescure, Bordeaux (31,800)
30 June 1998
A penalty in added time at the end of the first half converted by Šuker put Croatia into the quarter finals in their first World Cup.
Argentina
England
Argentina 2 England 2 (after extra time)
(Argentina won 4-3 on penalties)
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne (30,600)
30 June 1998
In a dramatic opening spell, Batistuta put Argentina ahead in the 6th minute but four minutes later, Shearer equalised from the penalty spot. With 16 minutes played, Michael Owen put England into the lead but in added time at the end of the first half Argentina were awarded a penalty which Zanetti converted. The decisive incident came two minutes into the second period when David Beckham was sent off after being clattered from behind by Simeone and foolishly raising his foot in retaliation while lying on the floor. From then on England were hanging on and the match went to penalties with the inevitable result.
Quarter-Finals
France
Italy
France 0 Italy 0 (after extra time)
(France won 4-3 on penalties)
Stade de France, Paris (77,000)
3 July 1998
A tense match finished without a goal after 120 minutes so a penalty competition was needed to settle the issue. With nine kicks taken the score was 4-3 and di Biagio needed to score to keep Italy in the game. His short cannoned off the bar and France were in the semi-finals.
Brazil
Denmark
Brazil 3 Denmark 2
Stade de Beaujoire, Nantes (35,500)
3 July 1998
In the second minute Jørgensen but Denmark ahead but Brazil came back strongly and were 2-1 up at half time. Five minutes after the break, Brian Laudrup made the score 2-2 but nine minutes later Rivaldo scored his second to give Brazil a dramatic win.
Netherlands
Argentina
Netherlands 2 Argentina 1
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (55,000)
4 July 1998
At half time the score was 1-1 and remained so until the very last minute when Dennis Bergkamp took down a looping, long cross into the penalty area with his right foot, flicked it past the defender, turned inside and then slammed it past Carlo Roa.
Croatia
Germany
Croatia 3 Germany 0
Stade de Gerland, Lyon (39,100)
4 July 1998
Croatia proved their quality with a fine win against the European champions. Jami scored their first deep into added time at the end of the first half. As expected germany fought back and the match remained in the balance until Vlaović made it 2-0 with ten minutes left and then, five minutes later, Šuker scored Croatia's third.
Semi-Finals
Brazil
Netherlands
Brazil 1 Netherlands 1 (after extra time)
(Brazil won 4-2 on penalties)
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (54,000)
7 July 1998
A late goal by Kluivert cancelled out Brazil's lead, which Ronaldo had provided one minute into the second half. There was no golden goal so the match went to penalties.
France
Croatia
France 2 Croatia 1
Stade de France, Saint-Denis (76,000)
8 July 1998
Croatia's hero, Šuker scored yet again in the 46th minute but their lead was immediately wiped out by Lilian Thuram. In the 69th minute Thuram struck again to put France into the final for their first time.
Third Place Match
Croatia
Netherlands
Croatia 2 Netherlands 1
Parc des Princes, Saint-Denis (45,500)
11 July 1998
Croatia crowned their achievements in their first World Cup by finishing in third place.
Final
France
Brazil
France 3 Brazil 0
Parc des Princes, Saint-Denis (80,000)
12 July 1998
The decision to leave Ronaldo out of the side and then reinstate him just over an hour before kick-off created enormous speculation. It later emerged that he had suffered a convulsive fit the previous evening but had insisted on playing against medical advice. Ronaldo and his colleagues seemed very subdued and France had a comparatively easy time of it, Zinedine Zidane scoring twice before half time and being named man of the match.
