The exhibition match between Europe XI and Rest of the World XI, played on December 4, 1997, at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, showcased the best players from around the globe in celebration of football's universal appeal. With the draw for the 1998 FIFA World Cup following immediately after, the match was a prelude to the tournament and gave fans a glimpse of the stars who would light up the competition.
The match ended in an emphatic 5–2 victory for the Rest of the World XI, highlighted by the iconic partnership between Gabriel Batistuta and Ronaldo, who both scored twice. Below are the team lineups and notable performances from this unforgettable night.
Ronaldo & Batistuta’s Iconic Partnership
04/12/97 - World XI vs Europe XI
— My Greatest 11 (@MyGreatest11) December 4, 2023
When Ronaldo & Batistuta Combined pic.twitter.com/uobJZekSvs
Rest of the World XI
Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazil)
Starting XI:
Jacques Songo’o - (Cameroon, Deportivo La Coruña) – Goalkeeper
Hong Myung-Bo - (South Korea, Bellmare Hiratsuka) – Defender
Javier Margas - (Chile, Universidad Católica) – Defender
Nourredine Naybet - (Morocco, Deportivo La Coruña) – Defender
David Nyathi - (South Africa, St. Gallen) – Defender
Marcelino Bernal - (Mexico, Monterrey) – Midfielder
Hidetoshi Nakata - (Japan, Bellmare Hiratsuka) – Midfielder
Adel Sellimi - (Tunisia, Nantes) – Midfielder
Antony de Ávila - (Colombia, New York MetroStars) – Forward
Gabriel Batistuta - (Argentina, Fiorentina) – Forward
Ronaldo - (Brazil, Inter) – Forward
Substitutes:
- Rubén Martín Ruiz Díaz (Paraguay, Monterrey) – Goalkeeper
- Hussain O. Sulimani (Saudi Arabia) – Defender
- Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria, Inter) – Forward
- Deon Burton (Jamaica, Derby County) – Forward
- Eric Wynalda (USA, San Jose Clash) – Forward
Europe XI
Coach: Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
Starting XI:
Andreas Köpke - (Germany, Olympique de Marseille) – Goalkeeper
Heimo Pfeifenberger - (Austria, Werder Bremen) – Defender
Fernando Hierro - (Spain, Real Madrid) – Defender
Alessandro Costacurta - (Italy, AC Milan) – Defender
Dominique Lemoine - (Belgium, Espanyol) – Defender
Paul Ince - (England, Liverpool) – Midfielder
Zinedine Zidane - (France, Juventus) – Midfielder
Krassimir Balakov - (Bulgaria, VfB Stuttgart) – Midfielder
Marius Lăcătuș - (Romania, Steaua Bucharest) – Midfielder
Patrick Kluivert - (Netherlands, AC Milan) – Forward
Alen Bokšić - (Croatia, Lazio) – Forward
Substitutes:
- Frode Grodas (Norway, Chelsea) – Goalkeeper
- Dominique Lemoine (Belgium, Espanyol) – Midfielder
- Slaviša Jokanović (Yugoslavia, CD Tenerife) – Midfielder
- Gordon Durie (Scotland, Rangers) – Forward
- Mehdi Pashazadeh (Iran, Tehran FC) – Defender
- Sorin Colding (Denmark, Brøndby FC) – Defender
Key Moments
- Ronaldo and Batistuta's Partnership: The match marked the first time these two iconic forwards played together. Both scored two goals, combining devastating pace, power, and clinical finishing to dismantle the Europe XI defense.
- Zidane's Playmaking: Representing Europe XI in front of a French crowd, Zidane provided glimpses of his magic with precise passes and creative flair, assisting Patrick Kluivert for one of Europe’s goals.
- Rest of the World Dominance: With players like Nakata orchestrating in midfield and Kanu adding finesse in attack, the Rest of the World XI dominated proceedings and entertained fans with their flair.
Final Score: Europe XI 2–5 Rest of the World XI
This match celebrated football's global unity and set the tone for the upcoming World Cup. The performances of Ronaldo and Batistuta remain etched in memory as a glimpse of what was to come from these legends.