The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six populated continents participated in the qualification process which began in September 2003. Thirty-one teams qualified from this process along with hosts Germany for the finals tournament. It was the second time that Germany staged the competition and the first as a unified country along with the former East Germany with Leipzig as a host city (the other was in 1974 in West Germany), and the 10th time that the tournament was held in Europe.
Italy won the tournament, claiming their fourth World Cup title, defeating France 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out in the final after extra time had finished in a 1–1 draw. Germany defeated Portugal 3–1 to finish in third place. Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Trinidad and Tobago and Togo made their first appearances in the finals. It was also the only appearance of Serbia and Montenegro under that name; they had previously appeared in 1998 as Yugoslavia. In late May 2006, immediately prior to the tournament, Montenegro voted in a referendum to become an independent nation and dissolve the loose confederacy then existing between it and Serbia; Serbia recognised the results of the referendum in early June. Due to time constraints, FIFA had Serbia and Montenegro play in the World Cup tournament as one team, marking the first instance of multiple sovereign nations competing as one team in a major football tournament since UEFA Euro 1992.
The 2006 World Cup stands as one of the most watched events in television history, garnering an estimated 26.29 billion times viewed compiled over the course of the tournament. The final attracted an estimated audience of 715.1 million people.
Venues[]
| Stadiums | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Olympiastadion | Berlin | 72,000 |
| Allianz Arena (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich) |
Munich, Bavaria | 66,000 |
| Signal Iduna Park (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund) |
Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia | 65,000 |
| Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion | Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg | 52,000 |
| Arena AufSchalke (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen) |
Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia | 52,000 |
| AOL Arena (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg) |
Hamburg | 50,000 |
| Commerzbank-Arena (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt) |
Frankfurt, Hesse | 48,000 |
| Fritz-Walter-Stadion | Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate | 46,000 |
| RheinEnergieStadion (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne) |
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia | 45,000 |
| AWD-Arena (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover) |
Hanover, Lower Saxony | 43,000 |
| Zentralstadion | Leipzig, Saxony | 43,000 |
| easyCredit-Stadion (Frankenstadion) |
Nuremberg, Bavaria | 41,000 |
Participating teams[]
| Region (confederation) | Team | FIFA ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Asia (AFC) | Iran | 23 |
| Japan | 18 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 34 | |
| South Korea | 29 | |
| Africa (CAF) | Angola | 57 |
| Ghana | 48 | |
| Ivory Coast | 32 | |
| Togo | 61 | |
| Tunisia | 21 | |
| Oceania (OFC) | Australia | 42 |
| North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) | Costa Rica | 26 |
| Mexico | 4 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 47 | |
| United States | 5 | |
| South America (CONMEBOL) | Argentina | 9 |
| Brazil | 1 | |
| Ecuador | 39 | |
| Paraguay | 33 | |
| Europe (UEFA) | Croatia | 23 |
| Czech Republic | 2 | |
| England | 10 | |
| France | 8 | |
| Germany (host country) | 19 | |
| Italy | 13 | |
| Netherlands | 3 | |
| Poland | 29 | |
| Portugal | 7 | |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 44 | |
| Spain | 5 | |
| Sweden | 16 | |
| Switzerland | 35 | |
| Ukraine | 45 |
List of games[]
Group stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | ||||
| 9 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | Germany | 4–2 | Costa Rica |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen | Ecuador | 2–0 | Poland | |
| 14 June 2006 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund | Germany | 1–0 | Poland |
| 15 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg | Ecuador | 3–0 | Costa Rica |
| 20 June 2006 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Germany | 3–0 | Ecuador |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover | Poland | 2–1 | Costa Rica | |
| Group B | ||||
| 10 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt | England | 1–0 | Paraguay |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund | Trinidad and Tobago | 0–0 (draw) |
Sweden | |
| 15 June 2006 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg | England | 2–0 | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Olympiastadion, Berlin | Sweden | 1–0 | Paraguay | |
| 20 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne | Sweden | 2–2 (draw) |
England |
| Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern | Paraguay | 2–0 | Trinidad and Tobago | |
| Group C | ||||
| 10 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg | Argentina | 2–1 | Ivory Coast |
| 11 June 2006 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig | Netherlands | 1–0 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 16 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen | Argentina | 6–0 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | Netherlands | 2–1 | Ivory Coast | |
| 21 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt | Netherlands | 0–0 (draw) |
Argentina |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | Ivory Coast | 3–2 | Serbia and Montenegro | |
| Group D | ||||
| 11 June 2006 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg | Mexico | 3–1 | Iran |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne | Portugal | 1–0 | Angola | |
| 16 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover | Mexico | 0–0 (draw) |
Angola |
| 17 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt | Portugal | 2–0 | Iran |
| 21 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen | Portugal | 2–1 | Mexico |
| Zentralstadion, Leipzig | Iran | 1–1 (draw) |
Angola | |
| Group E | ||||
| 12 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen | Czech Republic | 3–0 | United States |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover | Italy | 2–0 | Ghana | |
| 17 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne | Ghana | 2–0 | Czech Republic |
| Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern | Italy | 1–1 (draw) |
United States | |
| 22 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg | Italy | 2–0 | Czech Republic |
| Frankenstadion, Nuremberg | Ghana | 2–1 | United States | |
| Group F | ||||
| 12 June 2006 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern | Australia | 3–1 | Japan |
| 13 June 2006 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Brazil | 1–0 | Croatia |
| 18 June 2006 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg | Japan | 0–0 (draw) |
Croatia |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | Brazil | 2–0 | Australia | |
| 22 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund | Brazil | 4–1 | Japan |
| Gottlier-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | Croatia | 2–2 (draw) |
Australia | |
| Group G | ||||
| 13 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt | South Korea | 2–1 | Togo |
| Gottlier-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | France | 0–0 (draw) |
Switzerland | |
| 18 June 2006 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig | France | 1–1 (draw) |
South Korea |
| 19 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund | Switzerland | 2–0 | Togo |
| 23 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne | France | 2–0 | Togo |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover | Switzerland | 2–0 | South Korea | |
| Group H | ||||
| 14 June 2006 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig | Spain | 4–0 | Ukraine |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | Tunisia | 2–2 (draw) |
Saudi Arabia | |
| 19 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg | Ukraine | 4–0 | Saudi Arabia |
| Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | Spain | 3–1 | Tunisia | |
| 23 June 2006 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern | Spain | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
| Olympiastadion, Berlin | Ukraine | 1–0 | Tunisia | |
Knockout stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | ||||
| 24 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | Germany | 2–0 | Sweden |
| Zentralstadion, Leipzig | Argentina | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
Mexico | |
| 25 June 2006 | Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | England | 1–0 | Ecuador |
| Frankenstadion, Nuremberg | Portugal | 1–0 | Netherlands | |
| 26 June 2006 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern | Italy | 1–0 | Australia |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Cologne | Ukraine | 0–0 (a.e.t.) 3–0 (penalties) |
Switzerland | |
| 27 June 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund | Brazil | 3–0 | Ghana |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover | France | 3–1 | Spain | |
| Quarter-finals | ||||
| 30 June 2006 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Germany | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 4–2 (penalties) |
Argentina |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hamburg | Italy | 3–0 | Ukraine | |
| 1 July 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Gelsenkirchen | Portugal | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 3–1 (penalties) |
England |
| FIFA World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt | France | 1–0 | Brazil | |
| Semi-finals | ||||
| 4 July 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Dortmund | Italy | 2–0 (a.e.t.) |
Germany |
| 5 July 2006 | FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich | France | 1–0 | Portugal |
| Third place play-off | ||||
| 8 July 2006 | Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart | Germany | 3–1 | Portugal |
| Final | ||||
| 9 July 2006 | Olympiastadion, Berlin | Italy | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 5–3 (penalties) |
France |
Broadcasters[]
| Country/Territory | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Arab World Middle East and North Africa |
ART |
| Albania | DigitAlb |
| Argentina | Telefe, El Trece, El Nueve, América TV, TyC Sports, DirecTV |
| Armenia | ARMTV |
| Australia | SBS |
| Austria | ORF |
| Azerbaijan | Lider TV |
| Bangladesh | BTV |
| Belgium | Kanaal Twee, VRT, RTBF |
| Bhutan | ESPN Star Sports |
| Bolivia | Unitel |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BHRT |
| Brazil | Rede Globo, ESPN Brasil, BandSports, SporTV |
| Brunei | Kristal-Astro |
| Bulgaria | BNT |
| Canada | CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, TSN, SRC, Omni 1, Omni 2 |
| Chile | Megavisión, TVN, RED Televisión, DirecTV |
| China | CCTV-5, CCTV-1, CCTV-7 |
| Colombia | Caracol Televisión, RCN Televisión, DirecTV |
| Costa Rica | Teletica, Repretel |
| Cuba | Tele Rebelde |
| Croatia | HRT |
| Cyprus | CyBC |
| Czech Republic | ČT |
| Denmark | DR1, TV 2 |
| Ecuador | Teleamazonas, RTS, Ecuavisa |
| Estonia | ETV |
| Finland | YLE |
| France | TF1, M6, Canal+, Eurosport France |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Germany | ARD, ZDF, RTL, Premiere, Premiere HD |
| Greece | ET1, NET |
| Guatemala | Canal 3, Canal 7 |
| Honduras | TVC |
| Hong Kong | ATV, TVB, Cable TV Hong Kong |
| Hungary | RTL Klub, Sport Klub |
| Iceland | Sýn |
| India | Doordarshan, ESPN Star Sports |
| Indonesia | SCTV |
| Iran | IRIB |
| Ireland | RTÉ |
| Israel | Channel 2 (Reshet), Channel 10, Sport 5, Sport 1, Sport 2 |
| Italy | RAI, Sky Sport |
| Japan | Fuji TV |
| Kenya | KTN, KBC |
| Latvia | LTV7, Channel 1 |
| Lithuania | LRT |
| Macedonia | MRT |
| Malaysia | RTM 1, RTM 2, NTV7, Astro |
| Malta | Melita Sports |
| Mexico | TV Azteca, Televisa, Mega Cable, Cablevisión, Sky México |
| Moldova | TRM |
| Montenegro | TV In |
| Netherlands | NOS |
| New Zealand | TV One, Sky |
| Norway | NRK, TV2 |
| Pakistan | PTV |
| Panama | Channel 4 |
| Paraguay | SNT |
| Peru | ATV |
| Philippines | RPN, SportsPlus |
| Poland | Polsat, TVP |
| Portugal | RTP, SIC, SportTV |
| Puerto Rico | Univision Puerto Rico, ABC, ESPN |
| Romania | TVR |
| Russia | Channel One Russia, VGTRK |
| Saudi Arabia | Al Riyadiah |
| Serbia | RTS, RTK |
| Singapore | MediaCorp TV Channel 5, StarHub Cable Television |
| Slovakia | STV |
| Slovenia | RTVSLO, Kanal A |
| South Africa | SABC, SuperSport |
| South Korea North Korea |
KBS 1TV, MBC, SBS |
| Spain | laSexta, Cuatro, Digital+ |
| Sweden | SVT, TV4 |
| Switzerland Liechtenstein |
SF2, TSR 2, TSI 2 |
| Taiwan | Era Television |
| Thailand | Channel 3, Channel 5, Channel 7, Channel 9, TVT11, ITV |
| Trinidad and Tobago | CCN TV6 |
| Turkey | Kanal 1 |
| Ukraine | Inter, ICTV |
| United Kingdom | BBC, ITV, BBC HD, ITV HD |
| United States | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Univision, TeleFutura, Setanta Sports, TV5Monde, RTBI, Rede Globo, Tapesh TV, ART, TV Japan, KBS |
| Uruguay | Teledoce, Monte Carlo TV, Canal 10, DirecTV |
| Venezuela | Venevisión, RCTV, Meridiano Televisión, DirecTV |
| Vietnam | FPT, VTV, HTV, VTC |