How diverse were the squads at the 1998 FIFA World Cup?
In short: The 1998 tournament in France featured 704 players across 32 teams. While most squads relied on domestic talent, others were composed entirely of foreign-based stars. From the youngest prodigies to the oldest veterans, the roster composition revealed fascinating patterns in how global football was structured at the end of the millennium.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, held in France from 10 June to 12 July, was the 16th edition of the tournament. Each of the 32 participating teams was required to submit a 22-player squad by 1 June 1998. While the standard squad included three goalkeepers, Bulgaria, FR Yugoslavia, and South Korea deviated from this norm by selecting only two.
Player demographics showed significant breadth, with participants born across four different decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. This generational spread was a rarity, having only occurred previously in the 1958, 1970, and 1990 editions. The age range was vast, spanning from 17-year-old Samuel Eto'o to 39-year-old Jim Leighton.
The composition of these squads highlighted the growing globalization of the sport. The English, Spanish, Japanese, and Saudi Arabian squads consisted solely of players from their respective domestic leagues. Conversely, Nigeria's squad was composed entirely of players employed by foreign clubs. Interestingly, Japan, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia were the only three teams that featured no players from European clubs.
The tournament also saw significant coaching turnover. For instance, Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira was dismissed after just two matches and replaced by Mohammed Al-Kharashy for the final game. Similarly, South Korea's Cha Bum-kun and Belgium's Henryk Kasperczak were both fired after two matches, with Kim Pyung-seok and Ali Selmi taking over for their respective final matches.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1998 FIFA World Cup squads
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/places-1998-fifa-world-cup-squads.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Countries and other regions · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics
