For the first time in their history, Slovenia walked onto the World Cup stage. Srečko Katanec led the squad into the unknown.
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 |
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 |
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 |
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
It was a tournament to forget for Slovenia, who left without a single victory to their name. Goals proved hard to come by, with just 2 in 3 matches, and their lack of firepower ultimately told.
Slovenia found the group stage unforgiving, unable to pick up a single victory against their opponents. Their campaign featured a 1-3 defeat against Spain, a narrow 0-1 loss to South Africa, and a 1-3 defeat against Paraguay. The World Cup dream ended earlier than hoped, with Slovenia bowing out in the first round.
3lost
2scored7conceded
Lost all 3 matches a tough World Cup debut — 3 matches, zero wins.
Sebastjan Cimirotič led Slovenia's attack with 1 goal at the 2002 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with Ačimovič, both with 1.
10yellow1red
3.7per match
Čeh sent off vs Paraguay Karić booked twice.
The tactical mind behind Slovenia's 2002 campaign. Guided Slovenia to their first World Cup winless under Katanec.
Slovenia's tactics were characterized by a lack of cohesion and set-piece threats, which ultimately failed to yield results. The team relied heavily on individual brilliance but was unable to replicate it throughout the group stage.
