2002 FIFA World Cup: Squads, Statistics, and Tournament Structure
The 2002 FIFA World Cup marked the 17th edition of the premier international association football competition for men's national teams. This historic tournament was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea from May 31 to June 30, bringing together 32 competing nations in a celebration of global sport.
For this edition, FIFA expanded the provisional squad requirement, allowing each national association to name 23 players, an increase from the 22-player limit used in previous tournaments. All squads had to be finalized by May 21, 2002.
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Key Facts
- Host Nations: Japan and South Korea.
- Dates: May 31 to June 30, 2002.
- Participants: 32 national teams.
- Squad Size: 23 players per team.
- Oldest Player: Jan Heintze (Denmark), aged 38 years and 293 days.
- Youngest Player: Femi Opabunmi (Nigeria), aged 17 years.
- League Diversity: Players from 43 different national leagues participated.
Tournament Groupings and Leadership
The 32 teams were divided into eight groups (A through H). Each team was led by a head coach responsible for tactical preparation and squad management.
Groups A to D
- Group A: Denmark (Morten Olsen), France (Roger Lemerre), Senegal (Bruno Metsu), and Uruguay (Víctor Púa).
- Group B: Paraguay (Cesare Maldini), Slovenia (Srečko Katanec), South Africa (Jomo Sono), and Spain (José Antonio Camacho).
- Group C: Brazil (Luiz Felipe Scolari), China PR (Bora Milutinović), Costa Rica (Alexandre Guimarães), and Turkey (Şenol Güneş).
- Group D: Poland (Jerzy Engel), Portugal (António Oliveira), South Korea (Guus Hiddink), and United States (Bruce Arena).
Groups E to H
- Group E: Cameroon (Winfried Schäfer), Germany (Rudi Völler), Republic of Ireland (Mick McCarthy), and Saudi Arabia (Nasser Al-Johar).
- Group F: Argentina (Marcelo Bielsa), England (Sven-Göran Eriksson), Nigeria (Festus Onigbinde), and Sweden (Lars Lagerbäck and Tommy Söderberg).
- Group G: Croatia (Mirko Jozić), Ecuador (Hernán Darío Gómez), Italy (Giovanni Trapattoni), and Mexico (Javier Aguirre).
- Group H: Belgium (Robert Waseige), Japan (Philippe Troussier), Russia (Oleg Romantsev), and Tunisia (Ammar Souayah).
Player and League Representation
The tournament showcased a diverse array of talent from various professional leagues. A total of 736 players were involved, with the English and Italian leagues providing the highest number of representatives.
| Country | Players | Percentage | Outside National Squad |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 103 | 13.99% | 81 |
| Italy | 75 | 10.19% | 53 |
| Germany | 59 | 8.02% | 39 |
| Spain | 58 | 7.88% | 36 |
| France | 56 | 7.61% | 51 |
| Mexico | 25 | 3.40% | 6 |
| Japan | 25 | 3.40% | 6 |
| Belgium | 25 | 3.40% | 10 |
| Saudi Arabia | 24 | 3.13% | 1 |
| China | 21 | 2.85% | 1 |
Interesting trends emerged regarding squad compositions. The Saudi Arabian squad was unique as the only team composed entirely of players from their own domestic league, with no players based in European clubs. Conversely, the Cameroonian squad consisted entirely of players employed by overseas clubs, and the Republic of Ireland squad was composed entirely of players from the English league.
Coaching Nationalities
The technical leadership of the tournament was heavily influenced by European coaching schools. France and Sweden provided the most coaches, with three each. Germany and Italy followed with two coaches each, while various other nations provided a single head coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the oldest and youngest players in the 2002 World Cup?
The oldest player was Denmark's defender Jan Heintze, who was 38 years and 293 days old. The youngest was Nigeria's midfielder Femi Opabunmi, who was 17 years old.
How did the squad size change for the 2002 tournament?
FIFA expanded the provisional squad size to 23 players, whereas previous tournaments had limited squads to 22 players.
Which team had the most unique squad composition regarding their league?
Saudi Arabia was the only team whose entire squad played in their own domestic league, meaning they had no players from European clubs.
Were there any notable squad disputes or changes?
Roy Keane left the Republic of Ireland squad before the tournament began and was not replaced, though he remained on FIFA's official list. Additionally, Argentina initially tried to retire the number 10 shirt in honor of Diego Maradona, but FIFA required them to use numbers 1–23, forcing a change to their list.
Which leagues had the most players represented?
The English league had the highest representation with 103 players (13.99%), followed by the Italian league with 75 players (10.19%).