FIFA World Cup 1998 was the 16th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament, and was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The 1998 FIFA World Cup was a historic tournament for football fans around the world. Held in France, the 1998 World Cup saw a host of powerful teams from South America, Europe and Africa competing for the coveted title. In the end, the French team emerged victorious, winning the World Cup after beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.
32 teams participated in the tournament in this FIFA World Cup, with France being the first host nation to qualify automatically. The teams were divided into eight groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. In the knockout stage, teams competed in a single-elimination tournament, culminating with the final at the Stade de France in Paris.
France as host nation was granted automatic qualification, with the remaining 31 teams participated in the 1998 World Cup, including 14 European teams, 5 South American teams, 3 North American teams, 5 African teams and 4 Asian teams. Four nations qualified for the first time i.e., Croatia, Jamaica, Japan and South Africa.
Group stage began on 10th June 1998. The group stage saw some exciting matches, with France leading the way in Group C, Brazil in Group A, and Nigeria in Group D. Round of 16 began on 27 June 1998 with Brazil, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Argentina, France, Germany and Croatia.
The Quarter Final stages of the tournament saw the likes of Brazil, Croatia, France and the Netherlands battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. Eventually Brazil and France Qualified for the Final of the World Cup.
The final was played at the Stade de France in Paris on 12th July 1998, and saw France take on Brazil, the reigning champions. The match ended 3-0 to the hosts, with two goals from Zinedine Zidane and another from Emmanuel Petit.
The 1998 World Cup was the first edition to feature a golden goal, with France's Laurent Blanc scoring the all-important extra time goal against Paraguay in the Round of 16. The golden goal was replaced by the penalty shootout in 2002 and has since been abolished.