«It’s the happiest day of my life, I can’t find the words to express it. Croatia is a small country, but we have great football, beyond the mistakes against France. We showed that we carry this red and white shirt in our hearts». Whoever said these words did not come from qualifying for the World Cup final or winning the title. None of that, Davor Suker was exploding with happiness after Croatia’s triumph over the Netherlands in the match for third place at France 1998. That success was worth more than any trophy for the Croatian players.
In that match played at the Parc des Princes, Suker scored the second goal for his team 35 minutes into the first half. Zvonimir Boban could have defined on his own account, however, he waited for the forward’s arrival and enabled him to be the nine who converted. It is that the man from Real Madrid added five goals and had great possibilities of being the top scorer in the championship. And his whole team played for that.
Suker and the golden boot to the top gunner Getty Images
«I am the happiest man in the world, no one will take this happiness away from me, for being the top scorer and for what we have achieved, for having this medal on my chest», declared the winner of the 1998 World Cup Golden Boot. all the Cups disputed between the one in Argentina 78 and the one in France, the top scorer converted six goals in the contest.
Sukerman He arrived in France after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, a club he had joined the previous season after shining in a big way in Seville. His first World Cup match was against Jamaica in Lens. Croatia won 3-1 and closed the account after 24 minutes of the second stage.
Then, he converted the winning goal against Japan, three minutes from the end of the match played in Nantes. At the end of the first phase, against Argentina, Suker started but he could do nothing to avoid the fall of his team. Quite the opposite occurred in the duel against Romania for the round of 16, in which the center forward scored the only goal of the game from a penalty, which put Croatia among the top eight in the championship.
The striker was the leader of the surprising Croatia Getty Images
In the quarterfinals the rival was Germany, with all that that meant. Robert Jarni opened the scoring at the end of the first half and Vlaovic scored the second in the 35th minute of the second half. Five minutes later came the goal that could not be missed in the most important victory in the history of Croatian football. Davor Suker converted his fifth World Cup goal and sealed an unforgettable thrashing.
The opponent in the semifinals was France in a duel between two teams that were looking to play their first final. Despite the clever tactical approach of the visiting team, the Gauls won 1-0 and qualified for the big match, while the pleasant revelation of the tournament had to play for third place. And from the hand of Suker, Croatia hung a medal on its chest.
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«Without Vieri and Batistuta, the great rival to beat is Suker,» Ronaldo said before the semi-final. The Brazilian was almost certain that he would have the honor of being crowned the top scorer, but suddenly a Croatian with a thirst for glory appeared who surpassed everyone’s candidate, the child prodigy of companies and FIFA.
«I want to be the tournament’s top scorer,» said Davor Suker ahead of the World Cup. Nobody took it very seriously. Of course, any center forward dreams of that, that’s why his phrase did not have a great impact. However, when FIFA awarded him the Golden Boot, many remembered that wish that seemed like a utopia and today became a reality. Because France 98 was the World Cup in which Croatia fulfilled all her dreams.