1990 FIFA World Cup facts for kids
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Italy |
| Dates | 8 June – 8 July |
| Teams | 24 |
| Venue(s) | 12 (in 12 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  West Germany (3rd title) |
| Runners-up |  Argentina |
| Third place |  Italy |
| Fourth place |  England |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 52 |
| Goals scored | 115 (2.21 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,516,348 (48,391 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Salvatore Schillaci (6 goals) |
| Best player | Salvatore Schillaci |
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was a big international football (soccer) event. It took place in Italy from June 8 to July 8, 1990. Teams from 24 countries competed. West Germany won the championship. They beat Argentina in the final match.
This World Cup had the fewest goals scored compared to other tournaments. It also saw 16 red cards given out to players. Even with fewer goals, the 1990 FIFA World Cup was one of the most watched sports events ever. It was also the last World Cup where teams got 2 points for a win in the first round (Group Stage).
Contents
Teams That Qualified
Many teams from around the world worked hard to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Three countries made it to the World Cup for the very first time: Costa Rica, Republic of Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates.
Here are the 24 teams that played in the tournament:
African Teams
Asian Teams
European Teams
Austria
Belgium
Czechoslovakia- England
- West Germany
- Italy
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland
Romania
Scotland
Soviet Union
Spain
Sweden
Yugoslavia
North and Central American Teams
South American Teams
Group Stage Matches
The 24 teams were divided into six groups (A, B, C, D, E, F). Teams in each group played against each other. The best teams from each group moved on to the next round.
Group A: Italy's Strong Start
Italy, the host country, won Group A. They won all their games. They beat Austria 1-0, with a goal from Salvatore 'Totò' Schillaci. Schillaci became a big star in the tournament. Italy also beat the United States 1-0. Czechoslovakia finished second in the group. The USA lost all three of their games.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
| Czechoslovakia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 |
| Austria |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | –1 | 2 |
 United States |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | –6 | 0 |
Group B: Cameroon's Surprise Wins
Cameroon surprised everyone by beating the defending champions, Argentina, 1-0. Even with only nine players on the field, Cameroon held on for the win. In their next game, Roger Milla came on as a substitute and scored two goals. This helped Cameroon win 2-1 against Romania. Cameroon lost their last group game 4-0 to the Soviet Union. Both Romania and Argentina also moved on to the next round.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cameroon |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | –2 | 4 |
| Romania |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| Argentina |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| Soviet Union |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Group C: Brazil's Perfect Record
Costa Rica had a good start, beating Scotland 1-0. They lost to Brazil but then beat Sweden 2-1 to reach the next round. Brazil won all their games, getting the most points in the group. Scotland's win against Sweden was not enough for them to move on.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Brazil |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
 Costa Rica |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
.svg){kind=small} Scotland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 |
| Sweden |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 0 |
Group D: West Germany's Strong Attack
Group D had the most goals scored. The United Arab Emirates team struggled, losing all their games. West Germany won the group. They started with a big 4-1 win over Yugoslavia.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 5 |
| Yugoslavia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
 Colombia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
 United Arab Emirates |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 0 |
Group E: Spain Leads the Way
Spain won Group E without losing a game. Michel scored three goals (a hat-trick) in their 3-1 win against South Korea. Belgium won their first two games and also moved on. Uruguay got into the next round by scoring a late goal against South Korea.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 5 |
| Belgium |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 |
 Uruguay |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
.svg){kind=small} South Korea |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
Group F: Tight Competition
Group F included the Netherlands, England, the Republic of Ireland, and Egypt. No team scored more than one goal in any match in this group. England won the group by beating Egypt 1-0. The Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands had the exact same results. They both moved on, and their final positions were decided by drawing lots.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| Republic of Ireland |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Netherlands |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Egypt |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
Knockout Stage: The Road to the Final
The knockout stage was where 16 teams battled it out. If a game was a draw after 90 minutes, they played 30 minutes of extra time. If it was still a draw, they had a penalty shootout.
Round of 16: Exciting Matches
- Argentina vs. Brazil: Argentina won 1-0 with a goal from Claudio Caniggia. Their goalkeeper, Sergio Goycochea, played amazingly.
- Italy vs. Uruguay: Italy won 2-0. Schillaci scored again, and Aldo Serena added another goal.
- West Germany vs. Netherlands: This was a big match between two strong teams. West Germany won 2-1. Two players, Rudi Völler and Frank Rijkaard, were sent off early in the game.
- Cameroon vs. Colombia: Roger Milla scored two goals in extra time for Cameroon, helping them win 2-1. This made Cameroon the first African team to reach the quarter-finals.
- Republic of Ireland vs. Romania: This game ended 0-0 after extra time. Ireland won 5-4 in a penalty shootout.
- Yugoslavia vs. Spain: Yugoslavia won 2-1 after extra time, with both goals scored by Dragan Stojković.
- England vs. Belgium: England won 1-0 with a late goal from David Platt in extra time.
Quarter-finals: Intense Battles
- Argentina vs. Yugoslavia: This game was 0-0 even after extra time. Argentina won 3-2 in a penalty shootout, even though Diego Maradona missed his penalty.
- Italy vs. Republic of Ireland: Italy won 1-0 with a goal from Schillaci. This ended Ireland's great run in the tournament.
- West Germany vs. Czechoslovakia: West Germany won 1-0 with a penalty goal from Lothar Matthäus.
- England vs. Cameroon: This was a thrilling game. England went ahead, but Cameroon scored two quick goals to lead 2-1. Gary Lineker scored two penalties for England, one in regular time and one in extra time, to give England a 3-2 win. England reached the semi-finals for the first time in 24 years.
Semi-finals: Penalty Drama
- Argentina vs. Italy: Italy scored first with Schillaci. But Argentina's Claudio Caniggia equalized. The game went to extra time and then to penalties. Argentina won the shootout 4-3.
- West Germany vs. England: West Germany scored first with a deflected shot. England's Gary Lineker equalized. The game was 1-1 after extra time. West Germany won the penalty shootout 4-3.
Third-place Match: Italy Finishes Strong
Italy played England for third place. Italy won 2-1. Roberto Baggio scored for Italy. David Platt scored for England. Then, Schillaci scored a penalty for Italy, which also made him the top scorer of the tournament with six goals. England received the Fair Play award for their good sportsmanship.
| 7 July 1990 20:00 |
Italy |
2-1 | England |
Stadio San Nicola, Bari |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Baggio  71'Schillaci 86' (pen.) |
Platt 81' |
Final Match: West Germany Wins the Cup
The final was between West Germany and Argentina. Many people thought it was not a very exciting final. In the 65th minute, Argentina's Pedro Monzon was sent off, becoming the first player ever to get a red card in a World Cup Final.
West Germany scored the only goal of the game in the 85th minute. It was a penalty scored by Andreas Brehme. Argentina had another player, Gustavo Dezotti, sent off near the end of the game. West Germany won 1-0. Argentina became the first team not to score in a World Cup Final.
West Germany won their third World Cup title. Their manager, Franz Beckenbauer, became the first person to win the World Cup both as a player and as a manager.
| 8 July 1990 20:00 |
West Germany |
1-0 | Argentina |
Stadio Olimpico, Rome Attendance: 73,603 Referee:  Edgardo Codessal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brehme 85' (pen.) |
Top Goal Scorers
Here are some of the players who scored goals in the 1990 FIFA World Cup:
2 goals
- Marius Lăcătuş
- Tomáš Skuhravý
Careca- Lothar Matthäus
1 goal
- François Omam-Biyik
- Bernardo Redín
- Carlos Valderrama
- Salvatore Schillaci
- Michal Bílek
- Ivan Hašek
- Milan Luhový
- Paul Caligiuri
- Tomas Brolin
- Jürgen Klinsmann
- Rudi Völler
- Davor Jozić
Images for kids
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Countries that qualified for the World Cup Countries that did not qualify Countries that did not enter or were removed by FIFA Countries not part of FIFA
-
Ciao, a stick figure in the colors of the Italian flag, was the mascot for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 1990 para niños
