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Brazil's 2002 World Cup Triumph: A Redemption Story
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May 25, 2025
Brazil's 2002 World Cup Triumph: A Redemption Story Brazil's 2002 FIFA World Cup victory stands as one of football's most iconic redemption stories, culminating in their record fifth title. After a disappointing 1998 final, the Seleção, under coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, entered the tournament in South Korea and Japan with doubts swirling. However, a squad brimming with talent and a renewed sense of purpose embarked on an unforgettable journey. The legendary "Three Rs" – Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho – spearheaded Brazil's attack, dazzling audiences with their flair and clinical finishing. Ronaldo, in particular, was on a remarkable comeback trail after severe knee injuries, silencing critics with his eight goals, earning him the Golden Boot. Brazil navigated the group stage with a perfect record, defeating Turkey (2-1), China (4-0), and Costa Rica (5-2). Their knockout stage run saw them overcome Belgium (2-0) in the Round of 16, a formidable England side (2-1) in the quarter-finals (featuring Ronaldinho's famous free-kick), and a gritty Turkey again (1-0) in the semi-finals, thanks to a Ronaldo strike. The final saw them face Germany, and Ronaldo cemented his legendary status with both goals in a decisive 2-0 victory, securing Brazil's place in football history. Brazil, 2002 World Cup, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Scolari, football, champions, Seleção, fifth title, redemption, Germany, South Korea, Japan Brazil 2002 World Cup victory, Ronaldo goals 2002 World Cup, Brazil football team 2002, World Cup champions, iconic football moments, #Brazil vs Germany 2002 final, #Ronaldinho free-kick, #Cafu Roberto Carlos, #Brazil's road to victory, #FIFA World Cup history.
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0:00
[Music]
0:03
the year was 1998 the World Cup final in
0:06
Paris Brazil the reigning champions were
0:08
expected to win again but it all went
0:10
wrong France were simply too strong on
0:12
the day Brazil looked like a shadow of
0:15
their usual selves Star striker Ronaldo
0:18
had a mysterious convulsive fit before
0:20
the match There was so much confusion
0:22
surrounding his fitness and selection He
0:24
played but he was not himself The team
0:26
looked lost disjointed and ultimately
0:29
succumbed to a heavy 3-nil defeat A
0:31
nation's dream which had seemed so close
0:33
was brutally shattered The pain was
0:35
immense deeply felt by millions of
0:37
passionate fans back home It was a truly
0:40
dark day for Brazilian football a memory
0:42
that would linger for a long time The
0:45
journey to the 2002 tournament in Korea
0:47
and Japan was anything but smooth
0:50
Brazil's qualification campaign was
0:52
surprisingly difficult a real struggle
0:54
They flirted with the unthinkable
0:56
prospect of not even making it to the
0:58
World Cup finals The team suffered
1:00
several unexpected losses along the way
1:03
Performances that were simply not good
1:05
enough for a nation with such a proud
1:07
footballing heritage Stability was also
1:10
an issue with coaches changing hands
1:12
Vanderly Luxembourg tried then Emerson
1:14
Lao took charge for a period The
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pressure from the media and the public
1:18
mounted with every setback Critics were
1:21
incredibly vocal questioning the desire
1:23
and quality of the squad So many
1:25
questions hung over the team's future
1:28
Many people in Brazil and around the
1:30
world began to doubt this generation of
1:32
players Could they truly recover from
1:34
the trauma of Paris the failure in 1998
1:37
cast a very long and imposing shadow
1:39
over the national team The vibrant
1:41
joyful football oonito that Brazil was
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famous for seemed to have faded The
1:46
media constantly asked "Where has the
1:48
magic gone where is that typical
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Brazilian flare and joy on the pitch
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fans were understandably worried They
1:54
cherished the memories of past glory of
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pelle of Garina of Ziko They desperately
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wanted those glorious days to return But
2:01
for many hope was beginning to dwindle
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The optimism was not what it once was
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Yet amidst all this uncertainty and
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widespread criticism a new resolve began
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to take root within the squad Luis
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Felipe Scolari affectionately known as
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Felipa was appointed as the new manager
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in 2001 He was seen as the man to steady
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the ship With his arrival came a flicker
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of new hope He was a strong pragmatic
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leader known for his nononsense approach
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He started the difficult process of
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rebuilding the team's shattered
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confidence He aimed to forge a new
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identity a team with a clear mission
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That mission was simple redemption They
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were determined to prove everyone wrong
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The burning hunger to reclaim their
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place at the pinnacle of world football
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was
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[Music]
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ignited Luis Felipe Scolari was a
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manager with a formidable personality He
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knew exactly what he wanted to achieve
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His primary goal was to build a united
2:55
team a cohesive unit He wanted a group
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of players who would fight for each
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other on and off the pitch He famously
3:02
fostered this spirit by referring to the
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squad as the Familia Scolari the Scolari
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family This concept became central to
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his philosophy He believed that
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togetherness loyalty and a shared sense
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of purpose were absolutely key to
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success He successfully created a
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protective fortress around his players
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shielding them from the often harsh
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external pressures This family
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environment was crucial Bellipau was not
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afraid to make brave sometimes
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controversial choices He made some
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incredibly big decisions in the leadup
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to the tournament The most notable of
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these was his decision to leave the
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legendary striker Roario out of the
3:37
squad Roario was a national hero the
3:40
star of the 1994 World Cup victory His
3:43
omission caused a huge public outcry
3:46
People protested and the media debated
3:48
it endlessly But Scolari remained
3:51
resolute He stood firm by his decision
3:53
demonstrating his authority and his
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commitment to picking players who he
3:56
believed best fit his tactical system
3:59
and his team ethic No single individual
4:01
no matter how famous was deemed bigger
4:03
than the collective interests of the
4:05
team While the attacking talents often
4:07
grabbed the headlines the 2002 squad
4:10
possessed amazing quality throughout the
4:12
team Of course everyone knew about the
4:14
forwards but the defensive and midfield
4:16
units were packed with experience and
4:18
skill Kafu the inspirational captain was
4:21
a tireless right back and a true leader
4:23
on the field On the other flank Roberto
4:26
Carlos provided incredible power with
4:28
his surging runs and thunderous left
4:30
foot shots In central defense Lucio and
4:32
Ro Jr formed a formidable partnership
4:35
and patrolling the midfield providing a
4:37
crucial shield for the defense was the
4:39
understated but highly effective
4:41
Gilberto Silva In goal Marcos proved to
4:44
be a very reliable and calming presence
4:46
It was a truly balanced and complete
4:49
team Scolari masterfully shielded his
4:52
players from the barrage of criticism
4:53
that had followed them throughout the
4:55
qualifiers He worked tirelessly to
4:57
create a positive and focused atmosphere
4:59
within the training camp His message to
5:02
the players was consistent and clear
5:04
Believe in yourselves He constantly
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reiterated that they had the talent and
5:09
the mentality to win the World Cup He
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was a meticulous planner studying
5:13
opponents in great detail and preparing
5:15
his team thoroughly for every single
5:16
match Perhaps most importantly he was a
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superb motivator The players deeply
5:21
trusted his judgment and responded to
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his leadership They arrived in Korea and
5:25
Japan fully prepared and ready to face
5:28
the challenges
5:31
ahead Up front Brazil possessed an
5:34
attacking force of almost unparalleled
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magic and creativity They were famously
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known as the three Rs Ronaldo Ronaldo
5:41
and Ronaldo What an incredible
5:44
combination of talent They were
5:46
defenders across the world absolutely
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feared facing them Fans on the other
5:50
hand adored watching them play Each one
5:54
of them was a footballing genius in his
5:56
own distinctive right They had the
5:58
ability to change the course of a game
6:00
in a single breathtaking instant When
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they played together linking up with
6:04
intuitive understanding they often
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seemed completely unstoppable Their
6:08
performances were a sheer joy to behold
6:11
for any football lover They were the
6:13
spark Raldo the 1999 FIFA World Player
6:16
of the Year was simply brilliant
6:18
throughout the tournament He
6:19
demonstrated remarkable consistency by
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scoring in Brazil's first five matches
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His contribution was absolutely vital He
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not only scored crucial goals but also
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created numerous chances for his
6:30
teammates with his intelligent passing
6:32
and vision Many will remember his
6:34
spectacular bicycle kick goal for
6:36
Barcelona That was the kind of
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worldclass skill he possessed He was a
6:40
true playmaker capable of unlocking the
6:42
tightest defenses but he was also a
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fierce competitor someone who carried
6:47
the fight to the opposition His
6:49
influence on the team's success cannot
6:50
be overstated He was a warrior Then
6:53
there was the young magician Ronald do
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He was full of dazzling tricks and
6:57
audacious skills He played football with
6:59
an infectious smile on his face bringing
7:01
a sense of fun and unpredictability to
7:04
Brazil's attack His natural Brazilian
7:06
flare was truly captivating to watch His
7:09
most iconic moment of the tournament and
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perhaps one of the greatest World Cup
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goals ever was that incredible long
7:15
range free kick against England in the
7:17
quarterfinals It caught goalkeeper David
7:20
Seaman completely offguard What a
7:22
stunning piece of ingenuity even though
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he was rather unfortunately sent off
7:26
later in that same game A global
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superstar had truly announced his
7:30
arrival on the world stage But perhaps
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the most compelling and emotional story
7:34
of the entire 2002 World Cup was that of
7:37
Ronaldo Nazario
7:39
Oenomo His journey to that tournament
7:42
was nothing short of incredible He had
7:44
suffered two devastating
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career-threatening knee injuries in the
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preceding years The pain and
7:50
rehabilitation process had been arduous
7:52
He had undergone so many operations Many
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doctors and pundits openly doubted
7:57
whether he would ever be able to play
7:58
top level football again let alone
8:00
return to his previous worldbeating form
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His entire career had been hanging
8:05
precariously in the balance But Ronaldo
8:08
refused to give up He fought back with
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unbelievable determination and spirit
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What willpower he
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showed Brazil kicked off their World Cup
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campaign in the group stage with
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impressive attacking prowess Their first
8:22
match was against Turkey and it proved
8:24
to be a tough encounter They eventually
8:26
won 2-1 a game notable for a
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controversial penalty awarded to Brazil
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after a foul on Luiso that appeared to
8:32
be outside the box Cooly converted by
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Ronaldo Next they faced China and
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secured a comfortable 4-nil victory
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Ronaldo scored a penalty and Ronaldo
8:42
also got his name on the score sheet
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boosting his confidence Their final
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group game was against Costa Rica which
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turned into another goal fest ending 5-2
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Ronaldo was in fine form netting two
8:54
more goals They comfortably topped their
8:56
group with maximum points scoring 11
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goals in three games Confidence was
9:00
visibly growing within the squad
9:02
Knockout football as everyone knows
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presents a completely different kind of
9:07
challenge The pressure intensifies with
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every game In the round of 16 Brazil
9:12
faced a spirited Belgium side It was a
9:14
hard-fought match but Brazil's quality
9:16
eventually shone through Ronaldo broke
9:19
the deadlock with a fine strike and then
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Ronaldo added a second to secure a 2-nil
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win The job was done and they moved on
9:26
Next up was England in the quarterfinals
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Michael Owen gave England an early lead
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presenting Brazil with a significant
9:33
test of character but Ronaldo ever the
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man for the big occasion equalized
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superbly just before halftime Then came
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Ronaldo's moment of magic with that
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audacious free kick followed by his
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contentious red card Brazil had to
9:46
defend bravely with 10 men for a large
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portion of the second half and they did
9:50
so magnificently The semi-final brought
9:53
a rematch against Turkey who had proven
9:55
to be tricky opponents in the group
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stage This encounter was even tougher
9:59
and more tense than the first It was a
10:01
very tight game with clear-cut chances
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few and far between for both sides The
10:06
Turkish team defended resolutely and
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looked dangerous on the counterattack
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But Brazil had a trump card Ronaldo When
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his team needed him most he found a way
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to make the difference He scored the
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only goal of the game with a brilliant
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instinctive topoke finish early in the
10:20
second half It was his seventh goal of
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the tournament That single moment of
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genius was enough Brazil were through to
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the World Cup final Just one more
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colossal step stood between them and
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ultimate glory a final against Germany
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Yokohama Japan was the stage for the
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grand finale the 2002 FIFA World Cup
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final Brazil versus Germany Two titans
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of international football Ronaldo
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sporting his famous and rather
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distinctive triangular haircut was
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determined to exercise the ghosts of
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1998 and he did so in spectacular
10:53
fashion He was on fire He scored the
10:56
first goal in the 67th minute pouncing
10:59
with predatory instinct after German
11:01
goalkeeper Oliver Khan who had been
11:03
magnificent throughout the tournament
11:04
made a rare and uncharacteristic error
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spilling a shot from Ronaldo Later in
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the 79th minute Ronaldo sealed the
11:12
victory with his second goal A beautiful
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clinical finish after a clever dummy
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from Ronaldo The score line read 2-0
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Brazil were champions of the world Their
11:21
record fifth star was secured Ronaldo
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the hero finished as the golden boot
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winner with an incredible eight goals
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Redemption was complete What a truly
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magnificent story Football a simply
11:31
wonderful isn't it
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