Some finals close a story that an earlier one left open. Yokohama did exactly that. Four years after Ronaldo went into the 1998 final a broken figure and came out a question mark, he walked into the 2002 final and answered everything.
The match
For an hour it was tense rather than thrilling. Oliver Kahn had been the goalkeeper of the tournament, an immovable last line who had carried an ordinary German side to the final almost by himself. Then, on 67 minutes, he produced the one error of his World Cup, spilling a Rivaldo shot, and Ronaldo was there to score. Twelve minutes later Ronaldo took a pass on the edge of the box and finished low for his second. Germany, who had not conceded until the final, had no reply.
Redemption
The numbers tell one story: two goals, the Golden Boot, a record fifth star for Brazil. The meaning was bigger. In 1998 Ronaldo had been the best player on earth and the central mystery of a lost final. In 2002 he came back leaner, scarred by years of knee injuries, and finished the job. The haircut became a punchline; the performance became the point.
Why it mattered
It remains the only time Brazil and Germany, the two most successful nations in the tournament's history, have met in a World Cup final. Brazil's fifth title set a mark no one has matched. And for one player it was the rarest thing in sport: a second chance, taken in full view of the world, on the biggest stage there is.