2006 FIFA World Cup Group F

Last updated October 26, 2025

Play in Group F of the 2006 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and completed on 22 June 2006. Brazil won the group and advanced to the round of 16, along with runners-up Australia. Croatia and Japan failed to advance. Australia's win against Japan was the first (and so far only) by a team from the Oceania Football Confederation, having switched to the Asian Football Confederation after the tournament. It is also the only time that a team from the OFC has advanced to the second round of the tournament, as in 1974 Australia went out in the first round.

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Brazil	3	3	0	0	7	1	+6	9	Advance to knockout stage
2	Australia	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	4	Advance to knockout stage
3	Croatia	3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	2
4	Japan	3	0	1	2	2	7	−5	1

Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria

Brazil advanced to play Ghana (runners-up of Group E) in the round of 16.
Australia advanced to play Italy (winner of Group E) in the round of 16.

Matches

All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

Australia vs Japan

12 June 2006

15:00

Australia	3–1	Japan
Cahill 84', 89' Aloisi 90+2'	Report	Nakamura 26'

Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern

Attendance: 46,000

Referee: Essam Abd El Fatah (Egypt)

Australia

Japan


GK	1	Mark Schwarzer
CB	3	Craig Moore	58'	61'
CB	2	Lucas Neill
CB	14	Scott Chipperfield
RM	20	Luke Wilkshire		75'
CM	7	Brett Emerton
CM	13	Vince Grella	33'
CM	23	Mark Bresciano		53'
LM	5	Jason Culina
CF	10	Harry Kewell
CF	9	Mark Viduka (c)
Substitutions:
MF	4	Tim Cahill	69'	53'
FW	19	Joshua Kennedy		61'
FW	15	John Aloisi	78'	75'
Manager:
Guus Hiddink


GK	23	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
CB	19	Keisuke Tsuboi		56'
CB	5	Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (c)	31'
CB	22	Yuji Nakazawa
RM	3	Yūichi Komano
CM	7	Hidetoshi Nakata
CM	15	Takashi Fukunishi
LM	14	Alex
AM	10	Shunsuke Nakamura
CF	9	Naohiro Takahara	40'
CF	13	Atsushi Yanagisawa		79'
Substitutions:
DF	2	Teruyuki Moniwa	68'	56'	90+1'
MF	18	Shinji Ono		79'
FW	16	Masashi Oguro			90+1'
Manager:
Zico

Man of the Match:
Tim Cahill (Australia)

Assistant referees:
Dramane Danté (Mali)
Mamadou N'Doye (Senegal)
Fourth official:
Éric Poulat (France)
Fifth official:
Vincent Texier (France)

Brazil vs Croatia

13 June 2006

21:00

Brazil	1–0	Croatia
Kaká 44'	Report

Olympiastadion, Berlin

Attendance: 72,000

Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Brazil

Croatia


GK	1	Dida
RB	2	Cafu (c)
CB	3	Lúcio
CB	4	Juan
LB	6	Roberto Carlos
CM	5	Emerson	42'
CM	11	Zé Roberto
AM	8	Kaká
AM	10	Ronaldinho
CF	7	Adriano
CF	9	Ronaldo		70'
Substitutions:
FW	23	Robinho		70'
Manager:
Carlos Alberto Parreira


GK	1	Stipe Pletikosa
CB	7	Dario Šimić
CB	4	Robert Kovač	67'
CB	3	Josip Šimunić
RM	2	Darijo Srna
CM	5	Igor Tudor	90'
CM	10	Niko Kovač (c)	32'	41'
LM	8	Marko Babić
AM	19	Niko Kranjčar
CF	17	Ivan Klasnić		56'
CF	9	Dado Pršo
Substitutions:
MF	16	Jerko Leko		41'
FW	18	Ivica Olić		56'
Manager:
Zlatko Kranjčar

Man of the Match:
Kaká (Brazil)

Assistant referees:
José Ramírez (Mexico)
Héctor Vergara (Canada)
Fourth official:
Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco)
Fifth official:
Brahim Djezzar (Algeria)

Japan vs Croatia

18 June 2006

15:00

Japan	0–0	Croatia
	Report

Frankenstadion, Nuremberg

Attendance: 41,000

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

Japan

Croatia


GK	23	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi	42'
RB	21	Akira Kaji
CB	5	Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (c)	21'
CB	22	Yuji Nakazawa
LB	14	Alex	72'
RM	7	Hidetoshi Nakata
CM	15	Takashi Fukunishi		46'
LM	8	Mitsuo Ogasawara
AM	10	Shunsuke Nakamura
CF	9	Naohiro Takahara		85'
CF	13	Atsushi Yanagisawa		61'
Substitutions:
MF	17	Junichi Inamoto		46'
FW	20	Keiji Tamada		61'
MF	16	Masashi Oguro		85'
Manager:
Zico


GK	1	Stipe Pletikosa
CB	7	Dario Šimić
CB	4	Robert Kovač	32'
CB	3	Josip Šimunić
RM	2	Darijo Srna	69'	87'
CM	5	Igor Tudor		70'
CM	10	Niko Kovač (c)
LM	8	Marko Babić
AM	19	Niko Kranjčar		78'
CF	17	Ivan Klasnić
CF	9	Dado Pršo
Substitutions:
FW	18	Ivica Olić		70'
MF	14	Luka Modrić		78'
FW	22	Ivan Bošnjak		87'
Manager:
Zlatko Kranjčar

Man of the Match:
Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)

Assistant referees:
Peter Hermans (Belgium)
Walter Vromans (Belgium)
Fourth official:
Kevin Stott (United States)
Fifth official:
Gregory Barkey (United States)

Brazil vs Australia

18 June 2006

18:00

Brazil	2–0	Australia
Adriano 49' Fred 90'	Report

Allianz Arena, Munich

Attendance: 66,000

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

Brazil

Australia


GK	1	Dida
RB	2	Cafu (c)	29'
CB	3	Lúcio
CB	4	Juan
LB	6	Roberto Carlos
CM	5	Emerson		72'
CM	11	Zé Roberto
AM	8	Kaká
AM	10	Ronaldinho
CF	7	Adriano		88'
CF	9	Ronaldo	31'	72'
Substitutions:
MF	17	Gilberto Silva		72'
FW	23	Robinho	83'	72'
FW	21	Fred		88'
Manager:
Carlos Alberto Parreira


GK	1	Mark Schwarzer
CB	3	Craig Moore		69'
CB	2	Lucas Neill
CB	6	Tony Popovic		41'
RM	7	Brett Emerton	13'
CM	13	Vince Grella
LM	14	Scott Chipperfield
RW	5	Jason Culina	39'
AM	4	Tim Cahill		56'
LW	21	Mile Sterjovski
CF	9	Mark Viduka (c)
Substitutions:
MF	23	Mark Bresciano		41'
FW	10	Harry Kewell		56'
FW	15	John Aloisi		69'
Manager:
Guus Hiddink

Man of the Match:
Zé Roberto (Brazil)

Assistant referees:
Christian Schräer (Germany)
Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)
Fourth official:
Marco Rodríguez (Mexico)
Fifth official:
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)

Japan vs Brazil

22 June 2006

21:00

Japan	1–4	Brazil
Tamada 34'	Report	Ronaldo 45+1', 81' Juninho 53' Gilberto 59'

Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

Attendance: 65,000

Referee: Éric Poulat (France)

Japan

Brazil


GK	23	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
RB	21	Akira Kaji	40'
CB	19	Keisuke Tsuboi
CB	22	Yuji Nakazawa (c)
LB	14	Alex
RM	8	Mitsuo Ogasawara		56'
CM	7	Hidetoshi Nakata
CM	17	Junichi Inamoto
LM	10	Shunsuke Nakamura
CF	11	Seiichiro Maki		60'
CF	20	Keiji Tamada
Substitutions:
DF	6	Kōji Nakata		56'
FW	9	Naohiro Takahara		60'	66'
FW	16	Masashi Oguro			66'
Manager:
Zico


GK	1	Dida (c)		82'
RB	13	Cicinho
CB	3	Lúcio
CB	4	Juan
LB	16	Gilberto	44'
RM	8	Kaká		71'
CM	19	Juninho
CM	17	Gilberto Silva
LM	10	Ronaldinho		71'
CF	23	Robinho
CF	9	Ronaldo
Substitutions:
MF	11	Zé Roberto		71'
MF	20	Ricardinho		71'
GK	12	Rogério Ceni		82'
Manager:
Carlos Alberto Parreira

Man of the Match:
Ronaldo (Brazil)

Assistant referees:
Lionel Dagorne (France)
Vincent Texier (France)
Fourth official:
Jerome Damon (South Africa)
Fifth official:
Enock Molefe (South Africa)

Croatia vs Australia

22 June 2006

21:00

Croatia	2–2	Australia
Srna 2' N. Kovač 56'	Report	Moore 38' (pen.) Kewell 79'

Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart

Attendance: 52,000

Referee: Graham Poll (England)

Croatia

Australia


GK	1	Stipe Pletikosa	70'
CB	7	Dario Šimić	32' 85'
CB	13	Stjepan Tomas		83'
CB	3	Josip Šimunić	61' 90' 90+3'^[1]
RM	2	Darijo Srna
CM	5	Igor Tudor	38'
CM	10	Niko Kovač (c)
LM	8	Marko Babić
AM	19	Niko Kranjčar		65'
CF	18	Ivica Olić		74'
CF	9	Dado Pršo
Substitutions:
MF	16	Jerko Leko		65'
MF	14	Luka Modrić		74'
FW	17	Ivan Klasnić		83'
Manager:
Zlatko Kranjčar


GK	18	Zeljko Kalac
CB	3	Craig Moore
CB	2	Lucas Neill
CB	14	Scott Chipperfield		75'
RM	21	Mile Sterjovski		71'
CM	13	Vince Grella		63'
CM	7	Brett Emerton	81' 87'
LM	5	Jason Culina
AM	4	Tim Cahill
AM	10	Harry Kewell
CF	9	Mark Viduka (c)
Substitutions:
FW	15	John Aloisi		63'
MF	23	Mark Bresciano		71'
FW	19	Joshua Kennedy		75'
Manager:
Guus Hiddink

Man of the Match:
Harry Kewell (Australia)

Assistant referees:
Philip Sharp (England)
Glen Turner (England)
Fourth official:
Kevin Stott (United States)
Fifth official:
Gregory Barkey (United States)

Notes

↑ Šimunić was given three yellow cards in the match: the referee (Graham Poll) failed to send him off the pitch after the second yellow, and was only red carded after the third yellow. The original FIFA match report listed all three yellow cards, however was revised shortly after, with the second yellow card (90') not being recorded; it is unknown whether this was for consistency in the reports, or whether the card was retrospectively overturned.

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[1] Šimunić was given three yellow cards in the match: the referee (Graham Poll) failed to send him off the pitch after the second yellow, and was only red carded after the third yellow. The original FIFA match report listed all three yellow cards, however was revised shortly after, with the second yellow card (90') not being recorded; it is unknown whether this was for consistency in the reports, or whether the card was retrospectively overturned.

[1]

v t e 2006 FIFA World Cup
Stages	Group stage Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H Knockout stage Portugal v Netherlands Final
General information	Qualification Broadcasting Controversies Officials Organizing Committee Seeding Sponsorship Squads
Official symbols	+Teamgeist (match ball) Goleo and Pille (mascots) "The Time of Our Lives" (song) "Celebrate the Day" (anthem) 2006 FIFA World Cup (video game)

v t e 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists
Champions	Italy
Runners-up	France
Third place	Germany
Fourth place	Portugal
Quarter-finals	Argentina Brazil England Ukraine
Round of 16	Australia Ecuador Ghana Mexico Netherlands Spain Sweden Switzerland
Group stage	Angola Costa Rica Croatia Czech Republic Iran Ivory Coast Japan Paraguay Poland Saudi Arabia Serbia and Montenegro South Korea Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia United States

2006 FIFA World Cup Group F

Contents

Standings

Matches

Australia vs Japan

Brazil vs Croatia

Japan vs Croatia

Brazil vs Australia

Japan vs Brazil

Croatia vs Australia

See also

Notes