France 1998
Rating: 8/10
Champion: France
France won their first World Cup at home, defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final with a multi-ethnic squad and some of the greatest players ever to play for Les Bleus.
Host: France
The country was chosen as host nation for the second time (the first was in 1938) in history, defeating Morocco in the bidding process. Switzerland withdrew their bid after they were unable to meet FIFA’s requirements.
Best player: Zinedine Zidane (France)
Two goals from Zidane in the final downed the pre-game favorites Brazilians. Zidane’s two headers gave France the title as the midfielder went on to be the most-iconic player to wear a France jersey since Michel Platini just a decade earlier.
Iconic moment:
The “golden goal” was introduced, a sudden-death overtime approach in which the first team to score in extra time would win the match. France’s Laurent Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history after his 113th-minute strike against Paraguay in the second round.
Quality of play:
France were by far the most entertaining side at the tournament. Aside from enjoying home-field advantage, Les Bleus featured a strong playmaker in Zidane in a 4-2-3-1. This was a team that favored offense. Even the back four were encouraged to push forward.
Kits:
France’s home blue jersey with a red and white lines across the chest was tasteful and worthy of a team that won a championship. Croatia’s red-checkered shirts were stylish as well as fun. Among the ugliest at France ’98 was Mexico’s green jersey with the image of an Aztec warrior on the front. England, departing from their all-white jersey, weren’t much better. Featuring a short that was mostly white, the addition of a series of unnecessary blue and red accents under the armpits and long the sides made for a bad look.
Miscellaneous:
The final was highlighted by the absence of Brazil’s Ronaldo from the team sheet handed to reporters, only for him to be included shortly before kickoff. Ronaldo said in a recent interview that he had suffered convulsions the previous night. His pre-match breakdown proved decisive in the end as France stormed to victory.