Brazil at the 2006 FIFA World Cup World Cup, played Cameroon in the opening match; in 1994, Germany, winner of the 1990 World Cup, played Bolivia; in 1998, Brazil played Scotland and in 2002 France played Senegal). As of the 2006 World Cup, because of the change in the rules, with the last champion no longer having a secured berth in the competition, the opening match has become another privilege of the host nation (in the 2006 World Cup, Germany, as the host nation, played Costa Rica in the opening match). Despite being the returning champion, the Brazilian team debuted, against Croatia, only four days after the
Mexico at the FIFA World Cup (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final. Along with Brazil, Mexico holds the record for most consecutive 2nd round appearances. Mexico's record World Cup player, Rafael Márquez, and goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal have appeared in five FIFA World Cups each, a record they only share with German midfielder Lothar Matthäus. <noinclude> Mexico at the FIFA World Cup This is a record of the results of the Mexico national football team at the FIFA World