Group H at the 1998 FIFA World Cup comprised CONMEBOL representatives Argentina, and three World Cup debutants: Croatia, competing from the UEFA confederation; Jamaica of CONCACAF; and Japan from the Asian Football Confederation.
Argentina qualified with a match to spare after they beat Japan and Jamaica with Gabriel Batistuta scoring in both games.
Assistant referees: Marc Van den Broeck (Belgium) Eddie Foley (Republic of Ireland) Fourth official: Ryszard Wójcik (Polish) To date, this is the last match in which both sides were playing their first ever FIFA World Cup fixture.
It was the first time it had happened since 1974, when East Germany played Australia.
Assistant referees: Nicolae Grigorescu (Romania) Jacques Poudevigne (France) Fourth official: Bernd Heynemann (Germany) Assistant referees: Marere Gonzales (Trinidad and Tobago) Achmat Salie (South Africa) Fourth official: Gunter Benko (Austria) Assistant referees: Mikael Nilsson (Sweden) Gennaro Mazzei (Italy) Fourth official: Pierluigi Collina (Italy) Assistant referees: Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa) Mohamed Mansri (Tunisia) Fourth official: An-Yan Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius) Assistant referees: Evžen Amler (Czech Republic) Dramane Danté (Mali) Fourth official: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)