# 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

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Spain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 | |
* 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

| Paraguay | Bulgaria |
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra |
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala |
| CB | 11 | Pedro Sarabia |
| RWB | 19 | Carlos Morales | | 43' |
| LWB | 21 | Jorge Luis Campos | | 78' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| CM | 13 | Carlos Paredes |
| CM | 16 | Julio César Enciso |
| SS | 15 | Miguel Ángel Benítez | 45' |
| CF | 9 | José Cardozo | | 70' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza | | 43' |
| FW | 18 | César Ramírez | | 70' |
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
| GK | 1 | Zdravko Zdravkov |
| RB | 2 | Radostin Kishishev |
| CB | 3 | Trifon Ivanov (c) | 73' |
| CB | 5 | Ivaylo Yordanov |
| LB | 4 | Ivaylo Petkov |
| RM | 16 | Anatoli Nankov | 27' 89' |
| CM | 6 | Zlatko Yankov |
| CM | 11 | Ilian Iliev | | 77' |
| LM | 10 | Krasimir Balakov |
| FW | 8 | Hristo Stoichkov | 45' |
| FW | 9 | Lyuboslav Penev | | 68' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Emil Kostadinov | | 68' |
| MF | 18 | Daniel Borimirov | | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Hristo Bonev ||
* Assistant referees:
* Achmat Salie (South Africa)
* Hussain Ghadanfari (Kuwait)
* Fourth official:
* Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)

### Spain vs Nigeria

| Spain | Nigeria |
| GK | 1 | Andoni Zubizarreta (c) |
| RB | 2 | Albert Ferrer | | 45' |
| CB | 14 | Iván Campo | 75' |
| CB | 4 | Rafael Alkorta |
| LB | 12 | Sergi |
| RM | 21 | Luis Enrique |
| CM | 20 | Miguel Ángel Nadal | 59' | 77' |
| CM | 6 | Fernando Hierro |
| LM | 10 | Raúl |
| SS | 19 | Kiko |
| CF | 11 | Alfonso | | 58' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Guillermo Amor | 56' | 45' |
| FW | 17 | Joseba Etxeberria | | 58' |
| MF | 16 | Albert Celades | | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Javier Clemente ||
| GK | 1 | Peter Rufai |
| RB | 2 | Mobi Oparaku | | 70' |
| CB | 5 | Uche Okechukwu (c) | 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 | | 90+3' |
| CF | 20 | Victor Ikpeba | | 83' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Rasheed Yekini | | 70' |
| MF | 13 | Tijani Babangida | | 83' |
| DF | 21 | Godwin Okpara | | 90+3' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
* Assistant referees:
* Luis Torres Zúñiga (Costa Rica)
* Yuri Dupanov (Belarus)
* Fourth official:
* Ian McLeod (South Africa)

### Nigeria vs Bulgaria

| Nigeria | Bulgaria |
| GK | 1 | Peter Rufai |
| RB | 8 | Mutiu Adepoju | 20' |
| CB | 5 | Uche Okechukwu (c) | 44' |
| CB | 6 | Taribo West |
| LB | 3 | Celestine Babayaro |
| DM | 15 | Sunday Oliseh |
| RM | 7 | Finidi George | | 84' |
| AM | 10 | Jay Jay Okocha | 70' |
| LM | 11 | Garba Lawal |
| CF | 14 | Daniel Amokachi | | 67' |
| CF | 20 | Victor Ikpeba | 49' | 75' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 4 | Nwankwo Kanu | | 67' |
| FW | 9 | Rasheed Yekini | | 75' |
| MF | 13 | Tijani Babangida | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
| GK | 1 | Zdravko Zdravkov |
| DF | 2 | Radostin Kishishev | 78' |
| DF | 3 | Trifon Ivanov (c) |
| DF | 4 | Ivaylo Petkov |
| MF | 6 | Zlatko Yankov | | 84' |
| FW | 7 | Emil Kostadinov |
| FW | 8 | Hristo Stoichkov |
| MF | 10 | Krasimir Balakov |
| MF | 11 | Ilian Iliev | 66' | 66' |
| DF | 13 | Gosho Ginchev |
| MF | 14 | Marian Hristov | | 45' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Daniel Borimirov | | 45' |
| FW | 9 | Lyuboslav Penev | | 66' |
| FW | 19 | Georgi Bachev | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Hristo Bonev ||
* Assistant referees:
* Jorge Díaz Gálvez (Chile)
* Arnaldo Pinto (Brazil)
* Fourth official:
* Marcio Rezende (Brazil)

### Spain vs Paraguay

| Spain | Paraguay |
| GK | 1 | Andoni Zubizarreta (c) |
| RB | 15 | Carlos Aguilera |
| CB | 5 | Abelardo | | 56' |
| CB | 4 | Rafael Alkorta |
| LB | 12 | Sergi | 8' |
| RM | 17 | Joseba Etxeberria |
| CM | 6 | Fernando Hierro |
| CM | 18 | Guillermo Amor |
| LM | 21 | Luis Enrique |
| SS | 10 | Raúl | | 65' |
| CF | 9 | Juan Antonio Pizzi | | 52' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Fernando Morientes | | 52' |
| MF | 16 | Albert Celades | | 56' |
| FW | 19 | Kiko | 87' | 65' |
| Manager: ||
| Javier Clemente ||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) |
| DF | 2 | Francisco Arce | 76' |
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra |
| DF | 5 | Celso Ayala | 30' |
| FW | 8 | Arístides Rojas | | 83' |
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña | 73' |
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia |
| FW | 15 | Miguel Ángel Benítez |
| MF | 16 | Julio César Enciso |
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza |
| MF | 21 | Jorge Luis Campos | | 45' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 13 | Carlos Paredes | | 45' |
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | | 73' |
| FW | 18 | César Ramírez | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
* Assistant referees:
* Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)
* Owen Powell (Jamaica)
* Fourth official:
* Esse Baharmast (United States)

### Nigeria vs Paraguay

| Nigeria | Paraguay |
| GK | 1 | Peter Rufai (c) |
| RB | 17 | Augustine Eguavoen | 25' |
| CB | 6 | Taribo West |
| CB | 16 | Uche Okafor |
| LB | 19 | Ben Iroha | 38' |
| RM | 13 | Tijani Babangida |
| CM | 15 | Sunday Oliseh | | 45' |
| CM | 18 | Wilson Oruma | | 68' |
| LM | 11 | Garba Lawal |
| CF | 9 | Rasheed Yekini |
| CF | 4 | Nwankwo Kanu |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 21 | Godwin Okpara | | 45' |
| MF | 7 | Finidi George | | 68' |
| Manager: ||
| Bora Milutinović ||
| 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 | 55' |
| RF | 17 | Hugo Brizuela | 77' |
| CF | 9 | José Cardozo |
| LF | 15 | Miguel Ángel Benítez | 67' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | 55' |
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña | 67' |
| FW | 8 | Aristides Rojas | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
* Assistant referees:
* Mohamed Al Musawi (Oman)
* Mikael Nilsson (Sweden)
* Fourth official:
* Masayoshi Okada (Japan)

### Spain vs Bulgaria

| Spain | Bulgaria |
| GK | 1 | Andoni Zubizarreta (c) |
| RB | 15 | Carlos Aguilera | 16' |
| CB | 20 | Miguel Ángel Nadal |
| CB | 4 | Rafael Alkorta |
| LB | 12 | Sergi |
| RM | 17 | Joseba Etxeberria | | 50' |
| CM | 6 | Fernando Hierro |
| CM | 18 | Guillermo Amor |
| LM | 21 | Luis Enrique | | 69' |
| SS | 11 | Alfonso | | 65' |
| CF | 7 | Fernando Morientes |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 10 | Raúl | | 50' |
| FW | 19 | Kiko | | 65' |
| MF | 8 | Julen Guerrero | 73' | 69' |
| Manager: ||
| Javier Clemente ||
| 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 | | 45' |
| MF | 10 | Krasimir Balakov | | 61' |
| DF | 13 | Gosho Ginchev |
| MF | 16 | Anatoli Nankov | | 28' |
| MF | 18 | Daniel Borimirov |
| FW | 19 | Georgi Bachev | 85' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Lyuboslav Penev | 45' | 28' |
| MF | 11 | Ilian Iliev | | 45' |
| MF | 14 | Marian Hristov | | 61' |
| Manager: ||
| Hristo Bonev ||
* Assistant referees:
* Nicolae Grigorescu (Romania)
* Claudio Rossi (Argentina)
* Fourth official:
* Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)