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World Cup 1990

Winner

Germany

Highlights

The 1990 World Cup, held in Italy, opened with a bombshell: Cameroon beat holders Argentina 1-0 despite finishing the match with nine men. Inspired by Roger Milla, who scored four goals at the age of 38, the Indomitable Lions became the first African team to reach the quarter-finals, where they lost to England only after extra time (3-2).

The tournament remains the lowest-scoring in history, with 115 goals in 52 matches, an average of 2.21 per game. Italy's Salvatore Schillaci, a substitute at the start of the competition, was top scorer with six goals. Both semi-finals were decided on penalties: Argentina knocked out the hosts in Naples, and West Germany saw off England in Turin.

The final, in Rome, brought together the same teams as in 1986. It was settled by an Andreas Brehme penalty five minutes from time (1-0) against an Argentine side reduced to nine men, Pedro Monzón becoming the first player sent off in a World Cup final. West Germany won their third title a few months before German reunification, and Franz Beckenbauer became the second man to win the trophy as both player and coach.

Statistics

Total goals
115
Matches played
52
Goals/match
2.21
Best attack (goals scored)
15
Germany
Best defense (goals conceded)
2
Brazil

First round

Qualified for the next round

Group A

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Italy 6 3 3 0 0 4 0 +4
2.Czechoslovakia 4 3 2 0 1 6 3 +3
3.Austria 2 3 1 0 2 2 3 -1
4.United States 0 3 0 0 3 2 8 -6
Match results
Italy - Austria1 - 0
Czechoslovakia - United States5 - 1
Italy - United States1 - 0
Czechoslovakia - Austria1 - 0
Italy - Czechoslovakia2 - 0
Austria - United States2 - 1

Group B

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Cameroon 4 3 2 0 1 3 5 -2
2.Romania 3 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1
3.Argentina 3 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1
4.URSUSSR 2 3 1 0 2 4 4 0
Match results
Cameroon - Argentina1 - 0
Romania - USSR2 - 0
Argentina - USSR2 - 0
Cameroon - Romania2 - 1
USSR - Cameroon4 - 0
Argentina - Romania1 - 1

Group C

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Brazil 6 3 3 0 0 4 1 +3
2.Costa Rica 4 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1
3.Scotland 2 3 1 0 2 2 3 -1
4.Sweden 0 3 0 0 3 3 6 -3
Match results
Brazil - Sweden2 - 1
Costa Rica - Scotland1 - 0
Brazil - Costa Rica1 - 0
Scotland - Sweden2 - 1
Brazil - Scotland1 - 0
Costa Rica - Sweden2 - 1

Group D

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Germany 5 3 2 1 0 10 3 +7
2.YUGYugoslavia 4 3 2 0 1 6 5 +1
3.Colombia 3 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1
4.United Arab Emirates 0 3 0 0 3 2 11 -9
Match results
Colombia - United Arab Emirates2 - 0
Germany - Yugoslavia4 - 1
Yugoslavia - Colombia1 - 0
Germany - United Arab Emirates5 - 1
Yugoslavia - United Arab Emirates4 - 1
Germany - Colombia1 - 1

Group E

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.Spain 5 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3
2.Belgium 4 3 2 0 1 6 3 +3
3.Uruguay 3 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1
4.South Korea 0 3 0 0 3 1 6 -5
Match results
Belgium - South Korea2 - 0
Uruguay - Spain0 - 0
Belgium - Uruguay3 - 1
Spain - South Korea3 - 1
Spain - Belgium2 - 1
Uruguay - South Korea1 - 0

Group F

Team PtsPldWDLGFGAGD
1.England 4 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1
2.Ireland 3 3 0 3 0 2 2 0
3.Netherlands 3 3 0 3 0 2 2 0
4.Egypt 2 3 0 2 1 1 2 -1
Match results
England - Ireland1 - 1
Egypt - Netherlands1 - 1
England - Netherlands0 - 0
Ireland - Egypt0 - 0
England - Egypt1 - 0
Ireland - Netherlands1 - 1

Knockout stage

Round of 16

Cameroon - Colombia2 - 1 a.e.t.
Czechoslovakia - Costa Rica4 - 1
Argentina - Brazil1 - 0
Germany - Netherlands2 - 1
Ireland - Romania0 - 0 a.e.t. (5-4 p)
Italy - Uruguay2 - 0
Yugoslavia - Spain2 - 1
England - Belgium1 - 0 a.e.t.

Quarter-finals

Argentina - Yugoslavia0 - 0 a.e.t. (3-2 p)
Italy - Ireland1 - 0
Germany - Czechoslovakia1 - 0
England - Cameroon3 - 2 a.e.t.

Semi-finals

Argentina - Italy1 - 1 a.e.t. (4-3 p)
Germany - England1 - 1 a.e.t. (4-3 p)

Third place

Italy - England2 - 1

Final

Germany1
Argentina0

Top Scorers

Rank Player Goals Penalties Goals/match
1 Salvatore Schillaci 6 1 0.86
2 Tomás Skuhravý 5 0 1.00
3 Roger Milla 4 0 1.00
3 Míchel 4 1 1.00
3 Lothar Matthäus 4 1 0.57
3 Gary Lineker 4 2 0.57
7 David Platt 3 0 0.50
7 Rudi Völler 3 0 0.50
7 Andreas Brehme 3 1 0.50
7 Jürgen Klinsmann 3 0 0.43
11 Darko Pancev 2 0 0.67
11 Bernardo Redín 2 0 0.67
11 Marius Lacatus 2 1 0.67
11 Gavril Balint 2 0 0.50
11 Muller 2 0 0.50
11 Careca 2 0 0.50
11 Roberto Baggio 2 0 0.40
11 Michal Bílek 2 2 0.40
11 Davor Jozic 2 0 0.40
11 Dragan Stojkovic 2 0 0.40
11 Claudio Caniggia 2 0 0.33
22 Eugène Ekéké 1 0 1.00
22 Milan Luhovy 1 0 1.00
22 Pablo Bengoechea 1 0 1.00
22 Daniel Fonseca 1 0 0.50
22 Johnny Ekstrom 1 0 0.50
22 Hwang Bo Kwan 1 0 0.50
22 Khalid Ismail 1 0 0.50
22 Gerhard Rodax 1 0 0.50
22 Andrei Zygmantovich 1 0 0.50
22 Igor Dobrovolskyi 1 0 0.33
22 Leo Clijsters 1 0 0.33
22 Oleg Protasov 1 0 0.33
22 Magdy Abdelghany 1 1 0.33
22 Mo Johnston 1 1 0.33
22 Stuart Mccall 1 0 0.33
22 Julio Salinas 1 0 0.33
22 Hernán Medford 1 0 0.33
22 Aldo Serena 1 0 0.33
22 Glenn Stromberg 1 0 0.33
22 Patrick Vervoort 1 0 0.33
22 Robert Prosinecki 1 0 0.33
22 Tomas Brolin 1 0 0.33
22 Aleksandr Zavarov 1 0 0.33
22 Ali Thani Jumaa 1 0 0.33
22 Andeas Ogris 1 0 0.33
22 Bruce Murray 1 0 0.33
22 Paul Caligiuri 1 0 0.33
22 Niall Quinn 1 0 0.25
22 Pedro Monzón 1 0 0.25
22 Alberto Górriz 1 0 0.25
22 Emmanuel Kundé 1 1 0.25
22 Marc De Grijse 1 0 0.25
22 Jan Ceulemans 1 0 0.25
22 Juan Cayasso 1 0 0.25
22 Lubos Kubík 1 0 0.25
22 Ronald Koeman 1 1 0.25
22 Róger Flores 1 0 0.25
22 Ruud Gullit 1 0 0.25
22 Rónald González 1 0 0.25
22 Freddy Rincón 1 0 0.25
22 Michel De Wolf 1 0 0.25
22 Enzo Scifo 1 0 0.25
22 Carlos Valderrama 1 0 0.25
22 Wim Kieft 1 0 0.25
22 Uwe Bein 1 0 0.25
22 Pierre Littbarski 1 0 0.20
22 Safet Susic 1 0 0.20
22 Ivan Hasek 1 0 0.20
22 Kevin Sheedy 1 0 0.20
22 Francois Omam-Biyik 1 0 0.20
22 Pedro Troglio 1 0 0.17
22 Mark Wright 1 0 0.17
22 Giuseppe Giannini 1 0 0.14
22 Jorge Burruchaga 1 0 0.14