Hosts: France
Winners: France
Competing teams: 32
Where were England? Suffering more penalty shootout heartache
The World Cup’s return to the home of its founder Jules Rimet provided yet another glorious example of football’s power to unite as a multi-cultural French side lifted the trophy on home soil.
FIFA’s decision to expand the finals to 32 teams and introduce eight opening groups meant the competition now had a more symmetrical feel with only the top two teams from each group going into the knockout stages.
Champions Brazil opened proceedings with a 2-1 win over Scotland and, despite defeat by Norway in their final match, joined the Scandinavians in the second round.
It was much the same elsewhere as teams from Europe and South America comfortably progressed at the expense of many of the sides who were at the finals thanks to the expansion.
The one exception came in Group D when perennial underachievers Spain once again failed to live up to their billing and were knocked out after finishing behind Nigeria and Paraguay.
England opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Tunisia but, after an injury-time defeat to Romania, needed victory over Colombia in their final game to progress.
After a media campaign at home, boss Glenn Hoddle finally gave David Beckham a start and the Manchester United midfielder fired home a trademark free-kick in the 2-0 win to seal progress.
However, Beckham very quickly went from hero to zero when England faced Argentina on a dramatic night in St Etienne.
The two sides swapped penalties in the opening nine minutes and Hoddle’s men were soon 2-1 up when 18-year-old Michael Owen ghosted past four Argentine defenders to score a career-defining goal.
However, Javier Zanetti scored in first-half injury time to level the scores before Beckham was shown a red card for kicking out at Diego Simeone after being brought down. Ten-man England fought on bravely, but once again a penalty shootout proved their undoing with Argentina winning 4-3.
Brazil scored the biggest win of the round with a 4-1 hammering of South American neighbours Chile, while Laurent Blanc scored the World Cup’s first ever Golden Goal to see France past Paraguay.
And it got better for the home fans in the last eight when, after a goalless draw, the French edged past Italy on penalties. The French were really now starting to believe.
Denis Bergkamp produced one of the World Cup’s most sublime moments when he scored a glorious winner to see Holland past Argentina, while Croatia’s dream debut continued with a 3-0 win over Germany.
Two goals from Rivaldo and another from Bebeto was enough as Brazil squeezed past Denmark 3-2, and the South Americans made it to a second consecutive final with a shootout win over Holland in the semi-final.
France found themselves a goal down to Croatia a minute into the second half in the other semi, but two strikes from the unlikely source of Lilian Thuram put Les Bleus into the final.
The game was marred, however, by a terrible piece of play-acting by Croatia defender Slaven Bilic which saw French skipper Blanc sent off and banished from the final.
There is still huge confusion over what happened in the hour leading up to kick off in the Stade de France for the final, with the Brazilians first leaving out star striker Ronaldo before reinstating a player who clearly wasn't match fit.
Whatever the reasons for the turnaround, and there are plenty of conspiracy theories out there, Brazil looked a beaten team even before the first whistle and France ran riot as two goals from Zinedene Zidane and another from Emmanuel Petit gave the country it’s first World Cup triumph.
Did you know? Said Belqola scored a notable record in France by becoming the first African referee to officiate in a World Cup final.
