1998 FIFA World Cup Group A

Group A of the 1998 FIFA World Cup was one of eight groups of four teams competing at the 1998 World Cup in France. The first matches were played on 10 June 1998 and the final games took place simultaneously on 23 June 1998 at 21:00 CET (UTC+1). The group consisted of defending champions Brazil, Norway, Scotland and Morocco. Matches took place at six different venues around France. After Brazil beat Scotland and Morocco while Norway drew with Morocco and Scotland, Brazil had qualified as group winners with a game to spare. With ten minutes to go in the final two games, Morocco looked like they would take second place, because they were beating Scotland while Brazil were beating Norway. However, Norway scored two late goals to win and steal the runners up spot from Morocco.

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Brazil	3	2	0	1	6	3	+3	6	Advance to knockout stage
2	Norway	3	1	2	0	5	4	+1	5
3	Morocco	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	4
4	Scotland	3	0	1	2	2	6	−4	1

Source: FIFA

• Brazil advanced to play Chile (runner-up of Group B) in the round of 16.
• Norway advanced to play Italy (winner of Group B) in the round of 16.

Matches

Brazil vs Scotland

10 June 1998

17:30 CET (UTC+1)

Brazil	2–1	Scotland
Sampaio 4' Boyd 73' (o.g.)	Report	Collins 38' (pen.)

Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Attendance: 80,000

Referee: José María García-Aranda (Spain)

Brazil

Scotland

GK 1 Cláudio Taffarel RB 2 Cafu CB 4 Júnior Baiano CB 3 Aldair  45+2' LB 6 Roberto Carlos CM 5 César Sampaio  37' CM 8 Dunga (c) AM 7 Giovanni  46' AM 10 Rivaldo CF 9 Ronaldo CF 20 Bebeto  72' Substitutions: MF 18 Leonardo  46' FW 19 Denílson  72' Manager: Mário Zagallo

GK 1 Jim Leighton CB 4 Colin Calderwood CB 5 Colin Hendry (c) CB 3 Tom Boyd RM 10 Darren Jackson  25'  78' CM 8 Craig Burley CM 14 Paul Lambert CM 11 John Collins LM 22 Christian Dailly  84' CF 9 Gordon Durie CF 7 Kevin Gallacher Substitutions: MF 17 Billy McKinlay  78' DF 6 Tosh McKinlay  84' Manager: Craig Brown

Assistant referees: Fernando Tresaco Gracia (Spain) Jorge Luis Arango (Colombia) Fourth official: Gamal Al-Ghandour (Egypt)

Morocco vs Norway

10 June 1998

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Morocco	2–2	Norway
Hadji 38' Hadda 59'	Report	Chippo 45+1' (o.g.) Eggen 61'

Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier

Attendance: 29,800

Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)

Morocco

Norway

GK 12 Driss Benzekri RB 2 Abdelilah Saber CB 4 Youssef Rossi CB 6 Noureddine Naybet (c) LB 3 Abdelkrim El Hadrioui RM 7 Mustapha Hadji CM 8 Saïd Chiba  79' CM 20 Tahar El Khalej  90' LM 18 Youssef Chippo  78' CF 14 Salaheddine Bassir CF 9 Abdeljalil Hadda  86' Substitutions: MF 17 Gharib Amzine  78' FW 11 Ali El Khattabi  86' MF 16 Rachid Azzouzi  90' Manager: Henri Michel

GK 1 Frode Grodås (c) RB 4 Henning Berg CB 15 Dan Eggen CB 3 Ronny Johnsen LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 17 Håvard Flo  72' CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen CM 10 Kjetil Rekdal CM 7 Erik Mykland LM 20 Ole Gunnar Solskjær  46' CF 9 Tore André Flo Substitutions: MF 21 Vidar Riseth  46' MF 6 Ståle Solbakken  72' Manager: Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Halim Abdul Hamid (Malaysia) Nimal Wickramatunge (Sri Lanka) Fourth official: Eddie Lennie (Australia)

Scotland vs Norway

16 June 1998

17:30 CET (UTC+1)

Scotland	1–1	Norway
Burley 66'	Report	H. Flo 46'

Parc Lescure, Bordeaux

Attendance: 31,800

Referee: László Vágner (Hungary)

Scotland

Norway

GK 1 Jim Leighton CB 4 Colin Calderwood  59' CB 5 Colin Hendry (c) CB 3 Tom Boyd RM 10 Darren Jackson  56'  61' CM 8 Craig Burley CM 14 Paul Lambert CM 11 John Collins LM 22 Christian Dailly CF 9 Gordon Durie  24' CF 7 Kevin Gallacher Substitutions: DF 16 David Weir  59' DF 2 Jackie McNamara  61' Manager: Craig Brown

GK 1 Frode Grodås (c) RB 4 Henning Berg  58'  81' CB 15 Dan Eggen CB 3 Ronny Johnsen LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 17 Håvard Flo  60' CM 22 Roar Strand CM 10 Kjetil Rekdal  53' CM 6 Ståle Solbakken LM 21 Vidar Riseth  71' CF 9 Tore André Flo Substitutions: MF 11 Mini Jakobsen  60' FW 18 Egil Østenstad  71' DF 2 Gunnar Halle  81' Manager: Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Evžen Amler (Czech Republic) Laurent Rausis (Switzerland) Fourth official: Abdul Rahman Al-Zeid (Saudi Arabia)

Brazil vs Morocco

16 June 1998

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Brazil	3–0	Morocco
Ronaldo 9' Rivaldo 45+2' Bebeto 50'	Report

Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Attendance: 35,500

Referee: Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)

Brazil

Morocco

GK 1 Cláudio Taffarel RB 2 Cafu CB 4 Júnior Baiano  87' CB 3 Aldair LB 6 Roberto Carlos CM 5 César Sampaio  36'  68' CM 8 Dunga (c) AM 18 Leonardo AM 10 Rivaldo  87' CF 20 Bebeto  72' CF 9 Ronaldo Substitutions: MF 17 Doriva  68' FW 21 Edmundo  72' FW 19 Denílson  87' Manager: Mário Zagallo

GK 12 Driss Benzekri RB 2 Abdelilah Saber  76' CB 4 Youssef Rossi CB 6 Noureddine Naybet (c) LB 3 Abdelkrim El Hadrioui RM 7 Mustapha Hadji CM 8 Saïd Chiba  64'  76' CM 20 Tahar El Khalej LM 18 Youssef Chippo CF 9 Abdeljalil Hadda  32'  88' CF 14 Salaheddine Bassir Substitutions: DF 15 Lahcen Abrami  76' MF 17 Gharib Amzine  76' FW 11 Ali El Khattabi  88' Manager: Henri Michel

Assistant referees: Yuri Dupanov (Belarus) Mark Warren (England) Fourth official: Paul Durkin (England)

Scotland vs Morocco

23 June 1998

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Scotland	0–3	Morocco
	Report	Bassir 23', 85' Hadda 47'

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne

Attendance: 30,600

Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)

Scotland

Morocco

GK 1 Jim Leighton CB 16 David Weir CB 5 Colin Hendry (c) CB 3 Tom Boyd RM 2 Jackie McNamara  54' CM 8 Craig Burley  53' CM 14 Paul Lambert CM 11 John Collins LM 22 Christian Dailly CF 7 Kevin Gallacher  21' CF 9 Gordon Durie  83' Substitutions: DF 6 Tosh McKinlay  54' FW 20 Scott Booth  83' Manager: Craig Brown

GK 12 Driss Benzekri RB 2 Abdelilah Saber  72' CB 5 Smahi Triki CB 6 Noureddine Naybet (c) LB 15 Lahcen Abrami RM 7 Mustapha Hadji CM 17 Gharib Amzine  76' CM 20 Tahar El Khalej LM 18 Youssef Chippo  81'  87' CF 9 Abdeljalil Hadda CF 14 Salaheddine Bassir Substitutions: DF 4 Youssef Rossi  72' MF 16 Rachid Azzouzi  76' MF 19 Jamal Sellami  87' Manager: Henri Michel

Assistant referees: Luis Torres Zúñiga (Costa Rica) Lencie Fred (Vanuatu) Fourth official: László Vágner (Hungary)

Brazil vs Norway

23 June 1998

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Brazil	1–2	Norway
Bebeto 78'	Report	T. A. Flo 83' Rekdal 89' (pen.)

Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Attendance: 55,000

Referee: Esfandiar Baharmast (United States)

Brazil

Norway

GK 1 Cláudio Taffarel RB 2 Cafu CB 4 Júnior Baiano CB 14 Gonçalves LB 6 Roberto Carlos CM 18 Leonardo CM 8 Dunga (c) AM 10 Rivaldo AM 19 Denílson CF 20 Bebeto CF 9 Ronaldo Manager: Mário Zagallo

GK 1 Frode Grodås (c) RB 4 Henning Berg CB 15 Dan Eggen CB 3 Ronny Johnsen LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 17 Håvard Flo  68' CM 22 Roar Strand  46' CM 10 Kjetil Rekdal CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen  54' LM 21 Vidar Riseth  79' CF 9 Tore André Flo  61' Substitutions: MF 7 Erik Mykland  46' FW 20 Ole Gunnar Solskjær  68' MF 16 Jostein Flo  79' Manager: Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Gennaro Mazzei (Italy) Dramane Danté (Mali) Fourth official: Arturo Brizio Carter (Mexico)

See also

• Brazil at the FIFA World Cup
• Morocco at the FIFA World Cup
• Norway at the FIFA World Cup
• Scotland at the FIFA World Cup