Yugoslavia were back. Missing from the previous edition, they had last graced the World Cup in 1990. Under Slobodan Santrač, they were ready to write the next chapter.
Yugoslavia showed enough quality to navigate the group stage, but their campaign ended in the knockout rounds before the latter stages.
Yugoslavia emerged from the group stage unbeaten, showing resilience in a tough opening round. In the knockout rounds, they were narrowly knocked out by Netherlands in the Round of 16. The narrowest of defeats against Netherlands ended what had been a promising tournament run.
2won1drawn1lost
5scored4conceded
Scored in every match.
Slobodan Komljenović led Yugoslavia's attack with 2 goals 1 in the group stage and 1 in the round of 16 at the 1998 World Cup.
Conceded in only 2 of 4 matches
The tactical mind behind Yugoslavia's 1998 campaign. Leading Yugoslavia at his first World Cup 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss under Santrać.
With a focus on quick transitions and counterattacks, Yugoslavia's team employed a defensive-minded approach that caught opponents off guard. However, this strategy ultimately proved insufficient against the Dutch side's superior firepower.
