- 이때의 프랑스의 퐁테느는 13골로 월드컵의 최고골잡이로 기록이 남아 있으며, 16강전에서 영국과 브라질은 월드컵 사상 처음으로 0:0 무승부를 기록하게 되고, 최초로 세계적 TV방영권을 가지게 되어 세계는 안방에서 월드컵 스타들을 만나게 된다. 

- 지역예선에서 벨기에, 네델란드, 스위스, 스페인, 우루과이, 이탈리아 등이 탈락되었으며 16강을 거쳐 웨일즈, 북아일랜드, 소련, 스웨덴이 새롭게 8강에 그 이름을 들어 내었다. 프랑스는 최고의 골잡이 퐁테느(13골), 최고의 공격력(23골), 최고의 선수 Kopa를 보유하고서도 4강에서 브라질에 지고만다.

Sweden's Hamrin (above, in a duel for the ball) presented a big problem to the Soviet defence in their quarterfinals match

Frenchman Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in the tournament, a record which still stands. It was also the first World Cup in which a match ended in a 0-0 draw: the first round game between England and Brazil. 

By television to the world 

For the first time the World Cup received international television coverage and the world could watch the mastery of the stars of modern football: Kopa, Fontaine, Charlton, Yashin, Garrincha, Vava and Pele who at 17 scored six goals, including two in the final when the Brazilians, at last, were crowned world champions. 

After TV coverage had been introduced for the World Cup games in Switzerland in 1954, the world entered a new era. Eight years after the disappointment of Rio, Brazil proved unstoppable with a 17 year-old Pele in the team and won the first of their four titles. Another of the players was a certain Mario Zagallo, who was there again in 1962 as a player and then in 1970 as coach, when the team took home the Jules Rimet Cup forever after their third win.    That new names will appear near the top of the list of goalscorers in 1998 seems unlikely; still in the lead are Gerd M?ler (Germany) with 14 goals (1970 and 1974) and Just Fontaine (France) with 13 in 1958. Pele scored at least once in each of his four World Cup appearances (1958-70), and has a total of 12 to his credit.

The 6th World Cup was also to be marked by a record number of countries taking part (55). The qualifying rounds threw up some startling surprises: Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Uruguay and, most unexpectedly, Italy, all failed to qualify. 
 
The first round of the finals offered the public the chance to discover new footballing nations such as Wales, Northern Ireland, the USSR and Sweden. Most notably, however, it was the team from France which caught the public's eye with its incisive attacking trio of Kopa, Piantoni and Fontaine. The "Blues" were to garner a string of honours: Best Goalscorer (Just Fontaine-13 goals; Fontaine's record stands to this day, unlikely ever to be surpressed), Best Attack (23 goals) and Best Player, elected by an international panel, Raymond Kopa. France finished top of its group in the first round, scoring 11 goals in three games. But the fairy-tale ended in the semi-finals against the competition favourites Brazil. 

After consecutive disappointments in 1950 and 1954, the Brazilians set out to make amends. They finished on top of a difficult group which included Austria (3-0), England (0-0) and the USSR (2-0). In the quarter-finals against Wales, Brazil pegged away for an hour before a stroke of brilliance by a young 17-year old made the difference. This was the first World Cup goal scored by Pele - a star was born. In the semis, Pele went on to devastate a French side which could do nothing to stop him scoring . 

Mercenaries and magicians 

Once again Brazil had made it to the final, this time against Sweden. The Swedes' presence in the final was astonishing in that it was a side built from scratch for the tournament, a great deal of debate having gone on before deciding whether to make professional players in the Italian league eligible for World Cup competition. Yet the Swedes proved to be a solid, well-built unit, beating West Germany, the defending Champions, in the semi-finals (3-1). 

In the "mercenaries" vs. "magicians" final, it was the former who started more strongly. For the first time in the competition the Brazilians were behind. Not for long, however: thanks to goals by Zagallo, Vava and above all Pele who scored twice, Brazil won its first World Cup (5-2). FIFA President Arthur Drewry presented the gold statuette to the Brazilian captain Bellini. 

Sources: FIFA Archives; CFO France 98; Ian Morrison: The World Cup - A Complete Record 1930-1990. Breedon Books, Derby (UK) 1990.; John Robinson: Soccer - The World Cup 1930-1998. Soccer Books Limited, Lincolnshire (UK) 1998