The First Shared Hosting
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the first ever to be hosted jointly by two nations. South Korea and Japan shared the tournament, splitting the matches between stadiums in each country. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, in either of those countries, which made the edition a double first: a new continent and a new format for hosting on the same year.
Two Rivals Made Co-Hosts
The road to that shared hosting was unusual. South Korea and Japan had both bid separately and competed for the right to host the 2002 tournament. Their rivalry over the bid was intense. In the end, FIFA decided not to pick a winner and instead awarded the hosting duties to both, requiring them to split the matches between the two countries. Each nation provided ten stadiums, and the tournament ran smoothly across two organising committees and two governments.
The Tournament Itself
On the pitch, Brazil won the 2002 World Cup, lifting their fifth title with a side built around Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho. South Korea, meanwhile, produced one of the most memorable host-country runs in World Cup history, reaching the semi-finals after upsets over Italy and Spain. Japan also progressed from their group. The tournament has been remembered both for Brazil's success and for the shared hosting model it introduced — a model that has since been tried again, and which the 2026 tournament is taking further by spreading hosting across three countries.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.