Michel Platini reveals "small fix" in 1998 World Cup draw to avoid France-Brazil showdown

Just a few weeks before the start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Michel Platini, co-president of the organizing committee for the 1998 World Cup, explained the "small fix" that allowed France and Brazil to not meet until the final of the tournament, in an interview on a French radio station.

"When we organized the schedule, if we (France) finished first and Brazil also finished first, we could not meet until the final," explained Platini in an interview on the program Stade Bleu, which will be broadcast in its entirety on Sunday.

"Listen, we are at home, we have to enjoy things, we wouldn't spend six years organizing the World Cup if we couldn't make small fixes: Do you think the others didn't do it in the other World Cups?" explained the former star of the French team.

A France-Brazil final "was the dream of everyone," added the president of UEFA, currently suspended from all football-related activities for having received a payment of 1.8 million euros without a contract from Joseph Blatter, former president of FIFA, who is also suspended.

The "small fix" consisted of placing the seeded teams of two groups during the draw on December 4, 1997 in Marseille. Brazil, as the reigning world champion, and France, as the host country, were part of these seeded teams.

Brazil was the seeded team in Group A and France in Group C. If they finished at the top of their groups, they couldn't face each other until the final. The placement of these two countries in these groups paid off and on July 12, France challenged and defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final.

Source: AFP