Brazil won their fifth and most recent World Cup title 23 years ago. In the final, the "Verdeamarelos" defeated Germany 2-0 with a brace from Ronaldo. This victory marked a series of records: the fourth time a champion won all its matches, the second for Brazil, the second country to play in three consecutive finals, and the nation with the most titles, a feat still unmatched. Ronaldo had a tournament to remember, scoring eight goals to temporarily become the all-time World Cup top scorer with 14 goals. His record was later surpassed by Germany's Miroslav Klose in 2014, leaving Argentine star Lionel Messi with a chance to equal and break the record. On their way to the title, Brazil navigated the group stage with ease, defeating Turkey 2-1, China 4-0, Costa Rica 5-2, and Belgium 2-0 in the Round of 16. They then faced England in the quarterfinals, winning 2-1 with goals from Rivaldo and a spectacular long-range free-kick from Ronaldinho. In the semifinal, they faced Turkey again, eliminating them 1-0 with a goal from Ronaldo Nazario.
"The upcoming 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will be the first to be held in three different countries, with only the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup as a similar precedent, held in two nations. That memorable tournament was unique even in its timing: it was the fifth and last to begin in May, alongside the 1934, 1962, 1970, and 1986 World Cups, and ran from May 31 to June 30. With a total attendance of 2.7 million, considered low due to its distance from European and American countries, the World Cup came under scrutiny after it concluded, over alleged bias by match officials in favor of the South Korean team, especially against Italy and Spain, which allowed the Asian nation to reach the semifinals. These situations were denounced in the FIFA-Gate, a major corruption case that emerged in 2015. Among other memorable moments, it featured the fastest goal in World Cup history, scored by Turkey against South Korea in the third-place match at just 10.8 seconds, and it was the last tournament to use the golden goal rule in extra time. In addition to the elimination of powerhouse teams like France and Uruguay in the first round, the Argentine national team suffered the same fate, marking their only group-stage elimination since 1962. The Argentine team, led by coach Marcelo Bielsa, began with a 1-0 win over Nigeria, with a goal from striker Gabriel Batistuta, but a narrow defeat to England complicated their qualification. In their final group match, Argentina needed to beat Sweden to secure advancement, but they went down 1-0 to a goal by Anders Svensson and were eliminated."
