# 1998 FIFA World Cup Group H

Group H at the 1998 FIFA World Cup comprised CONMEBOL representatives Argentina, and three World Cup debutants: Croatia, competing from the UEFA confederation; Jamaica of CONCACAF; and Japan from the Asian Football Confederation.
Argentina qualified with a match to spare after they beat Japan and Jamaica with Gabriel Batistuta scoring in both games. Croatia did the same with Davor Šuker scoring in both games. Argentina then beat Croatia to take first place, while Jamaica got their first ever points in a World Cup finals tournament by beating Japan.

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Croatia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Jamaica | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 3 | |
| 4 | Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | |
* Argentina advanced to play England (runner-up of Group G) in the round of 16.
* Croatia advanced to play Romania (winner of Group G) in the round of 16.

## Matches
### Argentina vs Japan

| Argentina | Japan |
| GK | 1 | Carlos Roa |
| RB | 14 | Nelson Vivas |
| CB | 2 | Roberto Ayala |
| CB | 6 | Roberto Sensini | 72' |
| LB | 22 | Javier Zanetti |
| DM | 5 | Matías Almeyda |
| CM | 8 | Diego Simeone (c) |
| CM | 11 | Juan Sebastián Verón |
| AM | 10 | Ariel Ortega |
| CF | 7 | Claudio López | 61' |
| CF | 9 | Gabriel Batistuta |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 18 | Abel Balbo | 61' |
| DF | 3 | José Chamot | 72' |
| Manager: ||
| Daniel Passarella ||
| GK | 20 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi |
| CB | 17 | Yutaka Akita |
| CB | 4 | Masami Ihara (c) | 26' |
| CB | 19 | Eisuke Nakanishi | 67' |
| RM | 2 | Akira Narahashi |
| CM | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi |
| CM | 10 | Hiroshi Nanami |
| LM | 3 | Naoki Soma | | 84' |
| AM | 8 | Hidetoshi Nakata |
| CF | 9 | Masashi Nakayama | | 65' |
| CF | 18 | Shoji Jo |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 12 | Wagner Lopes | | 65' |
| MF | 22 | Takashi Hirano | 90+2' | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Takeshi Okada ||
* Assistant referees:
* Marc Van den Broeck (Belgium)
* Eddie Foley (Republic of Ireland)
* Fourth official:
* Ryszard Wójcik (Polish)

### Jamaica vs Croatia

To date, this is the last match in which both sides were playing their first ever FIFA World Cup fixture. It was the first time it had happened since 1974, when East Germany played Australia.
| Jamaica | Croatia |
| GK | 1 | Warren Barrett (c) |
| CB | 19 | Frank Sinclair |
| CB | 7 | Peter Cargill | | 69' |
| CB | 5 | Ian Goodison |
| RM | 6 | Fitzroy Simpson |
| CM | 11 | Theodore Whitmore |
| CM | 16 | Robbie Earle | | 74' |
| LM | 15 | Ricardo Gardner |
| RF | 18 | Deon Burton | 62' |
| CF | 17 | Onandi Lowe |
| LF | 22 | Paul Hall | | 81' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 20 | Darryl Powell | | 69' |
| FW | 9 | Andrew Williams | | 74' |
| FW | 10 | Walter Boyd | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| René Simões ||
| GK | 1 | Dražen Ladić |
| CB | 6 | Slaven Bilić |
| CB | 14 | Zvonimir Soldo | 5' |
| CB | 4 | Igor Štimac |
| RWB | 20 | Dario Šimić | 59' | 74' |
| LWB | 17 | Robert Jarni |
| CM | 8 | Robert Prosinečki |
| CM | 7 | Aljoša Asanović |
| AM | 10 | Zvonimir Boban (c) |
| CF | 13 | Mario Stanić |
| CF | 9 | Davor Šuker |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | Goran Vlaović | | 74' |
| Manager: ||
| Miroslav Blažević ||
* Assistant referees:
* Nicolae Grigorescu (Romania)
* Jacques Poudevigne (France)
* Fourth official:
* Bernd Heynemann (Germany)

### Japan vs Croatia

| Japan | Croatia |
| GK | 20 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi |
| CB | 17 | Yutaka Akita | 89' |
| CB | 4 | Masami Ihara (c) |
| CB | 19 | Eisuke Nakanishi | 70' |
| RM | 2 | Akira Narahashi | | 79' |
| CM | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi |
| CM | 10 | Hiroshi Nanami | 41' | 84' |
| LM | 3 | Naoki Soma |
| AM | 8 | Hidetoshi Nakata |
| CF | 9 | Masashi Nakayama | | 61' |
| CF | 18 | Shoji Jo |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 14 | Masayuki Okano | | 61' |
| MF | 15 | Hiroaki Morishima | | 79' |
| FW | 12 | Wagner Lopes | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Takeshi Okada ||
| GK | 1 | Dražen Ladić |
| CB | 6 | Slaven Bilić |
| CB | 14 | Zvonimir Soldo |
| CB | 4 | Igor Štimac | | 46' |
| RWB | 20 | Dario Šimić |
| LWB | 17 | Robert Jarni |
| DM | 21 | Krunoslav Jurčić |
| CM | 8 | Robert Prosinečki | 26' | 67' |
| CM | 7 | Aljoša Asanović |
| CF | 13 | Mario Stanić | 70' | 88' |
| CF | 9 | Davor Šuker (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | Goran Vlaović | | 46' |
| MF | 11 | Silvio Marić | | 67' |
| DF | 15 | Igor Tudor | | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Miroslav Blažević ||
* Assistant referees:
* Marere Gonzales (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Achmat Salie (South Africa)
* Fourth official:
* Gunter Benko (Austria)

### Argentina vs Jamaica

| Argentina | Jamaica |
| GK | 1 | Carlos Roa |
| RB | 22 | Javier Zanetti |
| CB | 2 | Roberto Ayala |
| CB | 6 | Roberto Sensini | | 25' |
| LB | 3 | José Chamot | 65' |
| DM | 5 | Matías Almeyda |
| CM | 8 | Diego Simeone (c) | | 80' |
| CM | 11 | Juan Sebastián Verón |
| AM | 10 | Ariel Ortega |
| CF | 7 | Claudio López | | 75' |
| CF | 9 | Gabriel Batistuta |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 14 | Nelson Vivas | | 25' |
| MF | 20 | Marcelo Gallardo | | 75' |
| DF | 4 | Mauricio Pineda | | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Daniel Passarella ||
| GK | 1 | Warren Barrett (c) |
| DF | 2 | Stephen Malcolm | | 62' |
| DF | 3 | Chris Dawes |
| DF | 5 | Ian Goodison |
| MF | 6 | Fitzroy Simpson |
| MF | 11 | Theodore Whitmore | | 73' |
| DF | 15 | Ricardo Gardner |
| FW | 18 | Deon Burton | | 46' |
| DF | 19 | Frank Sinclair |
| MF | 20 | Darryl Powell | 4' 45+1' |
| FW | 22 | Paul Hall |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 7 | Peter Cargill | 88' | 46' |
| FW | 10 | Walter Boyd | | 62' |
| MF | 16 | Robbie Earle | | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| René Simões ||
* Assistant referees:
* Mikael Nilsson (Sweden)
* Gennaro Mazzei (Italy)
* Fourth official:
* Pierluigi Collina (Italy)

### Argentina vs Croatia

| Argentina | Croatia |
| GK | 1 | Carlos Roa |
| RB | 14 | Nelson Vivas | 68' |
| CB | 2 | Roberto Ayala | 35' |
| CB | 13 | Pablo Paz |
| LB | 4 | Mauricio Pineda |
| DM | 22 | Javier Zanetti | | 67' |
| DM | 5 | Matías Almeyda |
| CM | 11 | Juan Sebastián Verón |
| AM | 10 | Ariel Ortega | 23' | 52' |
| AM | 20 | Marcelo Gallardo | | 80' |
| CF | 9 | Gabriel Batistuta (c) |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Claudio López | | 52' |
| MF | 8 | Diego Simeone | | 67' |
| MF | 16 | Sergio Berti | | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Daniel Passarella ||
| GK | 1 | Dražen Ladić |
| CB | 20 | Dario Šimić |
| CB | 6 | Slaven Bilić | 20' |
| CB | 14 | Zvonimir Soldo | 43' |
| RWB | 11 | Silvio Marić | | 46' |
| LWB | 17 | Robert Jarni | 58' |
| CM | 8 | Robert Prosinečki | | 67' |
| CM | 7 | Aljoša Asanović |
| AM | 10 | Zvonimir Boban (c) | 47' |
| CF | 13 | Mario Stanić |
| CF | 9 | Davor Šuker |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | Goran Vlaović | | 46' |
| DF | 4 | Igor Štimac | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Miroslav Blažević ||
* Assistant referees:
* Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)
* Mohamed Mansri (Tunisia)
* Fourth official:
* An-Yan Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius)

### Japan vs Jamaica

| Japan | Jamaica |
| GK | 20 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi |
| CB | 17 | Yutaka Akita |
| CB | 4 | Masami Ihara (c) |
| CB | 5 | Norio Omura | | 58' |
| RM | 2 | Akira Narahashi |
| CM | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi | 4' |
| CM | 10 | Hiroshi Nanami | | 78' |
| LM | 3 | Naoki Soma |
| AM | 8 | Hidetoshi Nakata |
| CF | 9 | Masashi Nakayama |
| CF | 18 | Shoji Jo | | 58' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 12 | Wagner Lopes | | 58' |
| MF | 22 | Takashi Hirano | | 58' |
| MF | 11 | Shinji Ono | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Takeshi Okada ||
| GK | 13 | Aaron Lawrence |
| DF | 2 | Stephen Malcolm | 78' |
| DF | 3 | Chris Dawes | 88' |
| DF | 5 | Ian Goodison (c) |
| MF | 6 | Fitzroy Simpson | | 89' |
| FW | 8 | Marcus Gayle | | 80' |
| MF | 11 | Theodore Whitmore |
| DF | 15 | Ricardo Gardner |
| FW | 17 | Onandi Lowe |
| DF | 19 | Frank Sinclair |
| FW | 22 | Paul Hall | | 72' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 10 | Walter Boyd | | 72' |
| FW | 18 | Deon Burton | | 80' |
| MF | 16 | Robbie Earle | | 89' |
| Manager: ||
| René Simões ||
* Assistant referees:
* Evžen Amler (Czech Republic)
* Dramane Danté (Mali)
* Fourth official:
* Hugh Dallas (Scotland)