Host Selection
Korea and Japan were selected as hosts by FIFA on 31 May 1996. Initially, Korea, Japan, and Mexico presented three rival bids. However, the two Asian countries agreed to unite their bids shortly before the decision was made, and they were chosen unanimously in preference to Mexico. This was the first (and so far the only) World cup to be hosted by two countries.
At the time the decision was made, Japan had never qualified for a World Cup finals (although the Japanese did subsequently qualify for the 1998 competition). The only other countries to have been awarded a World Cup without previously having competed in a Finals tournament are Italy in 1934 and Qatar in 2022.
Read more about this topic: 2002 FIFA World Cup
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