France trailed for only 66 seconds en route to lifting the trophy in 1998. Thereafter, no team has been behind for less time during a World Cup-winning campaign, with the Brazil the closest having been down to Türkiye for five minutes at Korea/Japan 2002.
Davor Suker, following excellent work from Aljosa Asanovic, fired Croatia ahead just 24 seconds into the second half of the 1998 semi-finals. Lilian Thuram, culpable for playing Suker onside, was determined to make amends. Sixty-six seconds later, he did, equalising with his first international goal. The right-back then struck a superb 70th-minute winner with his left foot.
Thuram would ultimately score in just one of his 142 caps for France. Amazingly, the man who was in the midst of netting just one goal in 11 seasons in all competitions at club level, got two in it!
“My mother was in the stands,” said Thuram. “They told her that her son had scored the first goal – she couldn’t understand it. When they told her I’d scored again, she fainted. I’m not joking.”
