Russia were back. Missing from the previous edition, they had last graced the World Cup in 1994. Under Oleg Romantsev, they were ready to write the next chapter.
Russia found moments of promise but ultimately fell short of the consistency needed to progress beyond the group stage.
Russia endured a difficult group stage, unable to advance despite moments of resistance. Their campaign featured a 2-0 win over Tunisia, a narrow 0-1 loss to Japan, and a narrow 2-3 loss to Belgium. Despite moments of quality, it was not enough to advance, and Russia's campaign ended at the first round.
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Eliminated in the group stage.
Yegor Titov led Russia's attack with 1 goal at the 2002 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with Karpin, Beschastnykh and Sychev, all with 1.
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3.0per match
Alenichev booked twice 4 cards in a single match vs Belgium.
The tactical mind behind Russia's 2002 campaign. Leading Russia at his first World Cup 1 win, 2 losses under Romantsev.
The Russian team employed a somewhat unpredictable playing style, often struggling against the more experienced and favored teams. They had some notable individual performances but ultimately fell short due to their inability to keep up with faster paced games.
