Brazil's three Rs Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho cut through every opponent. They won all seven matches, scoring 18 goals. Ronaldinho's free-kick that lobbed Seaman was audacious genius. But the story was Ronaldo's four years after the trauma of Paris, he had rebuilt himself physically and mentally, and was scoring goals with a hunger that bordered on fury.

Germany, marshalled by Oliver Kahn the tournament's best goalkeeper held firm until the 67th minute. Then Kahn, who had been almost perfect, spilled Rivaldo's shot. Ronaldo pounced. Twelve minutes later, Ronaldo scored again. Brazil 2, Germany 0. Ronaldo fell to his knees. Eight goals in the tournament, the Golden Boot, and a redemption arc that transcended sport. Brazil's fifth title more than any nation in history.

The first World Cup in Asia was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, two nations with a fraught shared history. France arrived as defending champions and European champions simultaneously. Ronaldo was returning after the mysterious collapse before the 1998 final. Senegal, making their World Cup debut, were drawn against France in the opening match.

September 11th had happened nine months earlier. The security apparatus was vast. The War on Terror was reshaping global politics. Kick-off times were set for Asian evenings, meaning European fans would be watching at dawn.

Ten South Korean cities (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Suwon, Daejeon, Jeonju, Ulsan, Seogwipo) and ten Japanese cities (Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Kobe, Niigata, Oita, Shizuoka, Kashima, Rifu) hosted matches. Teams were based in hotels and training centres in both countries. The cultural contrasts between the co-hosts were stark, from Seoul's energy to Sapporo's northern calm.

Combined infrastructure spending exceeded $4 billion. South Korea's Red Devils supporters generated a global television phenomenon. Both nations upgraded transport, telecommunications, and hospitality infrastructure. Tourism between the two countries increased significantly. However, many purpose-built stadiums struggled with low post-tournament use, particularly in smaller Japanese cities. The co-hosting model demonstrated both the benefits of shared costs and the challenges of divided logistics.

Ronaldo scored eight goals, including both in the final, completing a personal redemption arc that transcended sport. Ronaldinho's audacious free-kick over David Seaman lobbed from 35 yards was either genius or a mishit. Nobody is sure. Rivaldo completed Brazil's attacking trident. Oliver Kahn was the tournament's best goalkeeper until the final, when he gifted Ronaldo his opening goal.

South Korea's run to the semifinals was powered by extraordinary crowd energy and refereeing decisions that remain bitterly contested by Spain and Italy. Senegal's opening-day victory over France the holders eliminated without scoring a goal was the first great shock of the new century. Turkey's Hakan Şükür scored the fastest World Cup goal ever, after 11 seconds in the third-place match. The tournament proved football truly belonged to the whole world.