1998 FIFA World Cup Group D

Nigeria won their first two games while Paraguay drew their first two games 0–0, which meant that Nigeria were certain of qualifying in first place with a game to spare. In their final game, Spain got their only victory after scoring six against Bulgaria, but were still eliminated in third place after Paraguay beat Nigeria. Thus, Spain were the only top seed not to advance to the second round, while all others topped their respective groups. On the other hand, Bulgaria could not repeat their surprise performance from the previous tournament, finishing last in the group with a single point.

Standings

{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL|section=standings

|update=complete

|source=[https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/groups/ FIFA]

|teamwidth=200

|team1=NGA|team2=PAR|team3=ESP|team4=BUL

|result1=KO|result2=KO

|name_NGA={{fb|NGA}}|name_PAR={{fb|PAR|1990}}|name_ESP={{fb|ESP}}|name_BUL={{fb|BUL}}

|res_col_header=Q

|col_KO=green1 |text_KO=Advance to knockout stage

}}

Nigeria advanced to play Denmark (runner-up of Group C) in the round of 16.
Paraguay advanced to play France (winner of Group C) in the round of 16.

Matches

=Paraguay vs Bulgaria=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D1

|date = 12 June 1998

|time = 14:30 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|PAR|1990}}

|score = 0–0

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8728/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|BUL}}

|goals1 =

|goals2 =

|stadium = Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier

|attendance = 27,650

|referee = Abdul Rahman Al-Zeid (Saudi Arabia) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

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width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	José Luis Chilavert (c)
CB	4	Carlos Gamarra
CB	5	Celso Ayala
CB	11	Pedro Sarabia
RWB	19	Carlos Morales		{{suboff\|43}}
LWB	21	Jorge Luis Campos		{{suboff\|78}}
CM	10	Roberto Acuña
CM	13	Carlos Paredes
CM	16	Julio César Enciso
SS	15	Miguel Ángel Benítez	{{yel\|45}}
CF	9	José Cardozo		{{suboff\|70}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
DF	20	Denis Caniza		{{subon\|43}}
FW	18	César Ramírez		{{subon\|70}}
MF	7	Julio César Yegros		{{subon\|78}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|BRA}} Paulo César Carpegiani

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	Zdravko Zdravkov
RB	2	Radostin Kishishev
CB	3	Trifon Ivanov (c)	{{yel\|73}}
CB	5	Ivaylo Yordanov
LB	4	Ivaylo Petkov
RM	16	Anatoli Nankov	{{sent off\|2\|27\|89}}
CM	6	Zlatko Yankov
CM	11	Ilian Iliev		{{suboff\|77}}
LM	10	Krasimir Balakov
FW	8	Hristo Stoichkov	{{yel\|45}}
FW	9	Lyuboslav Penev		{{suboff\|68}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	7	Emil Kostadinov		{{subon\|68}}
MF	18	Daniel Borimirov		{{subon\|77}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Hristo Bonev

width=100% style="font-size: 90%"

Assistant referees:

Achmat Salie (South Africa)

Hussain Ghadanfari (Kuwait)

Fourth official:

Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)

=Spain vs Nigeria=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D2

|date = 13 June 1998

|time = 14:30 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|ESP}}

|score = 2–3

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8731/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|NGA}}

|goals1 = Hierro {{goal|21}}
Raúl {{goal|47}}

|goals2 = Adepoju {{goal|24}}
Zubizarreta {{goal|73|o.g.}}
Oliseh {{goal|78}}

|stadium = Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

|attendance = 33,257

|referee = Esfandiar Baharmast (United States) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

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| title = Nigeria

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width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	Andoni Zubizarreta (c)
RB	2	Albert Ferrer		{{suboff\|45}}
CB	14	Iván Campo	{{yel\|75}}
CB	4	Rafael Alkorta
LB	12	Sergi
RM	21	Luis Enrique
CM	20	Miguel Ángel Nadal	{{yel\|59}}	{{suboff\|77}}
CM	6	Fernando Hierro
LM	10	Raúl
SS	19	Kiko
CF	11	Alfonso		{{suboff\|58}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
MF	18	Guillermo Amor	{{yel\|56}}	{{subon\|45}}
FW	17	Joseba Etxeberria		{{subon\|58}}
MF	16	Albert Celades		{{subon\|77}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Javier Clemente

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	Peter Rufai
RB	2	Mobi Oparaku		{{suboff\|70}}
CB	5	Uche Okechukwu (c)	{{yel\|62}}
CB	6	Taribo West
LB	3	Celestine Babayaro
DM	15	Sunday Oliseh
RM	7	George Finidi
CM	8	Mutiu Adepoju
CM	10	Jay Jay Okocha
LM	11	Garba Lawal		{{suboff\|90+3}}
CF	20	Victor Ikpeba		{{suboff\|83}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	9	Rasheed Yekini		{{subon\|70}}
MF	13	Tijani Babangida		{{subon\|83}}
DF	21	Godwin Okpara		{{subon\|90+3}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|FR Yugoslavia}} Bora Milutinović

width=100% style="font-size: 90%"

Assistant referees:

Luis Torres Zúñiga (Costa Rica)

Yuri Dupanov (Belarus)

Fourth official:

Ian McLeod (South Africa)

=Nigeria vs Bulgaria=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D3

|date = 19 June 1998

|time = 17:30 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|NGA}}

|score = 1–0

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8747/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|BUL}}

|goals1 = Ikpeba {{goal|28}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = Parc des Princes, Paris

|attendance = 45,500

|referee = Mario Sánchez Yantén (Chile) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

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| leftarm = 008751

| body = 008751

| rightarm = 008751

| shorts = 008751

| socks = 008751

| title = Nigeria

}}

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| title = Bulgaria

}}

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	Peter Rufai
RB	8	Mutiu Adepoju	{{yel\|20}}
CB	5	Uche Okechukwu (c)	{{yel\|44}}
CB	6	Taribo West
LB	3	Celestine Babayaro
DM	15	Sunday Oliseh
RM	7	Finidi George		{{suboff\|84}}
AM	10	Jay Jay Okocha	{{yel\|70}}
LM	11	Garba Lawal
CF	14	Daniel Amokachi		{{suboff\|67}}
CF	20	Victor Ikpeba	{{yel\|49}}	{{suboff\|75}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	4	Nwankwo Kanu		{{subon\|67}}
FW	9	Rasheed Yekini		{{subon\|75}}
MF	13	Tijani Babangida		{{subon\|84}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|FR Yugoslavia}} Bora Milutinović

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	Zdravko Zdravkov
DF	2	Radostin Kishishev	{{yel\|78}}
DF	3	Trifon Ivanov (c)
DF	4	Ivaylo Petkov
MF	6	Zlatko Yankov		{{suboff\|84}}
FW	7	Emil Kostadinov
FW	8	Hristo Stoichkov
MF	10	Krasimir Balakov
MF	11	Ilian Iliev	{{yel\|66}}	{{suboff\|66}}
DF	13	Gosho Ginchev
MF	14	Marian Hristov		{{suboff\|45}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
MF	18	Daniel Borimirov		{{subon\|45}}
FW	9	Lyuboslav Penev		{{subon\|66}}
FW	19	Georgi Bachev		{{subon\|84}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Hristo Bonev

width=100% style="font-size: 90%"

Assistant referees:

Jorge Díaz Gálvez (Chile)

Arnaldo Pinto (Brazil)

Fourth official:

Marcio Rezende (Brazil)

=Spain vs Paraguay=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D4

|date = 19 June 1998

|time = 21:00 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|ESP}}

|score = 0–0

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8748/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|PAR|1990}}

|goals1 =

|goals2 =

|stadium = Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne

|attendance = 30,600

|referee = Ian McLeod (South Africa) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _esp9800

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| leftarm = ED1C24

| body = ED1C24

| rightarm = ED1C24

| shorts = 003060

| socks = 003060

| title = Spain

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _par98a

| pattern_b = _par98a

| pattern_ra = _par98a

| pattern_sh = _bluebottom

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| title = Paraguay

}}

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	Andoni Zubizarreta (c)
RB	15	Carlos Aguilera
CB	5	Abelardo		{{suboff\|56}}
CB	4	Rafael Alkorta
LB	12	Sergi	{{yel\|8}}
RM	17	Joseba Etxeberria
CM	6	Fernando Hierro
CM	18	Guillermo Amor
LM	21	Luis Enrique
SS	10	Raúl		{{suboff\|65}}
CF	9	Juan Antonio Pizzi		{{suboff\|52}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	7	Fernando Morientes		{{subon\|52}}
MF	16	Albert Celades		{{subon\|56}}
FW	19	Kiko	{{yel\|87}}	{{subon\|65}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Javier Clemente

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	José Luis Chilavert (c)
DF	2	Francisco Arce	{{yel\|76}}
DF	4	Carlos Gamarra
DF	5	Celso Ayala	{{yel\|30}}
FW	8	Arístides Rojas		{{suboff\|83}}
MF	10	Roberto Acuña	{{suboff\|73}}
DF	11	Pedro Sarabia
FW	15	Miguel Ángel Benítez
MF	16	Julio César Enciso
DF	20	Denis Caniza
MF	21	Jorge Luis Campos		{{suboff\|45}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
MF	13	Carlos Paredes		{{subon\|45}}
MF	7	Julio César Yegros		{{subon\|73}}
FW	18	César Ramírez		{{subon\|83}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|BRA}} Paulo César Carpegiani

width=100% style="font-size: 90%"

Assistant referees:

Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)

Owen Powell (Jamaica)

Fourth official:

Esse Baharmast (United States)

=Nigeria vs Paraguay=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D5

|date = 24 June 1998

|time = 21:00 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|NGA}}

|score = 1–3

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8763/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|PAR|1990}}

|goals1 = Oruma {{goal|11}}

|goals2 = Ayala {{goal|1}}
Benítez {{goal|58}}
Cardozo {{goal|86}}

|stadium = Stade de Toulouse, Toulouse

|attendance = 33,500

|referee = Pirom Un-prasert (Thailand) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

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| pattern_so = _nig98a

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| body = 008751

| rightarm = 008751

| shorts = FFFFFF

| socks = FFFFFF

| title = Nigeria

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _par98h

| pattern_b = _par98h

| pattern_ra = _par98h

| pattern_sh = _whitebottom

| pattern_so =

| leftarm = FF0000

| body = FF0000

| rightarm = FF0000

| shorts = 0000FF

| socks = 0000FF

| title = Paraguay

}}

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	Peter Rufai (c)
RB	17	Augustine Eguavoen	{{yel\|25}}
CB	6	Taribo West
CB	16	Uche Okafor
LB	19	Ben Iroha	{{yel\|38}}
RM	13	Tijani Babangida
CM	15	Sunday Oliseh		{{suboff\|45}}
CM	18	Wilson Oruma		{{suboff\|68}}
LM	11	Garba Lawal
CF	9	Rasheed Yekini
CF	4	Nwankwo Kanu
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
DF	21	Godwin Okpara		{{subon\|45}}
MF	7	Finidi George		{{subon\|68}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|FR Yugoslavia}} Bora Milutinović

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	José Luis Chilavert (c)
RB	2	Francisco Arce
CB	4	Carlos Gamarra
CB	5	Celso Ayala
LB	11	Pedro Sarabia
CM	13	Carlos Paredes
CM	16	Julio César Enciso
CM	20	Denis Caniza	{{suboff\|55}}
RF	17	Hugo Brizuela	{{suboff\|77}}
CF	9	José Cardozo
LF	15	Miguel Ángel Benítez	{{suboff\|67}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
MF	7	Julio César Yegros	{{subon\|55}}
MF	10	Roberto Acuña	{{subon\|67}}
FW	8	Aristides Rojas	{{subon\|77}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|{{flagicon\|BRA}} Paulo César Carpegiani

width=100% style="font-size: 90%"

Assistant referees:

Mohamed Al Musawi (Oman)

Mikael Nilsson (Sweden)

Fourth official:

Masayoshi Okada (Japan)

=Spain vs Bulgaria=

{{#invoke:football box|main|section=D6

|date = 24 June 1998

|time = 21:00 CET (UTC+1)

|team1 = {{fb-rt|ESP}}

|score = 6–1

|report = [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8761/ Report]

|team2 = {{fb|BUL}}

|goals1 = Hierro {{goal|6|pen.}}
Luis Enrique {{goal|18}}
Morientes {{goal|55||81}}
Bachev {{goal|88|o.g.}}
Kiko {{goal|90+4}}

|goals2 = Kostadinov {{goal|58}}

|stadium = Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens

|attendance = 38,100

|referee = Mario van der Ende (Netherlands) }}

width=92%

{{Football kit

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| leftarm = ED1C24

| body = ED1C24

| rightarm = ED1C24

| shorts = 003060

| socks = 003060

| title = Spain

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la = _bul98H

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| pattern_ra = _bul98H

| pattern_sh = _bul98H

| pattern_so = _red_midband_color

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| socks = FFFFFF

| title = Bulgaria

}}

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
width="100%" \|valign="top" width="50%"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	1	Andoni Zubizarreta (c)
RB	15	Carlos Aguilera	{{yel\|16}}
CB	20	Miguel Ángel Nadal
CB	4	Rafael Alkorta
LB	12	Sergi
RM	17	Joseba Etxeberria		{{suboff\|50}}
CM	6	Fernando Hierro
CM	18	Guillermo Amor
LM	21	Luis Enrique		{{suboff\|69}}
SS	11	Alfonso		{{suboff\|65}}
CF	7	Fernando Morientes
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	10	Raúl		{{subon\|50}}
FW	19	Kiko		{{subon\|65}}
MF	8	Julen Guerrero	{{yel\|73}}	{{subon\|69}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Javier Clemente

|valign="top"|

|valign="top" width="50%"|

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
GK	1	Zdravko Zdravkov
DF	2	Radostin Kishishev
DF	3	Trifon Ivanov (c)
MF	5	Ivaylo Yordanov
FW	7	Emil Kostadinov
FW	8	Hristo Stoichkov		{{suboff\|45}}
MF	10	Krasimir Balakov		{{suboff\|61}}
DF	13	Gosho Ginchev
MF	16	Anatoli Nankov		{{suboff\|28}}
MF	18	Daniel Borimirov
FW	19	Georgi Bachev	{{yel\|85}}
colspan=3\|Substitutions:
FW	9	Lyuboslav Penev	{{yel\|45}}	{{subon\|28}}
MF	11	Ilian Iliev		{{subon\|45}}
MF	14	Marian Hristov		{{subon\|61}}
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan="4"\|Hristo Bonev