Tournament summary
Respective winners of groups A and B at the expense of Europe's Real Madrid and Manchester United, Corinthians and Vasco confronted one another in an intriguing, all-Brazilian Final. The Rio side possessed an attack comprising the one-off talents of Edmundo and Romário, while their Paulista counterparts boasted the creative genius of Marcelinho Carioca and the hypersonic Edílson. Vasco started the stronger of the two sides, but despite dominating possession and having the territorial advantage, they found their opponents' rearguard impenetrable. Following the interval, Corinthians came into the game, but they were unable to find a way past young goalkeeper Helton. Penalties ensued, and after two successful conversions apiece, Dida thwarted Vasco kicker Gilberto with a fine save. Two more spot-kicks had rippled the net before Marcelinho Carioca was presented with the chance to seal victory for the Timão. However, he missed from twelve yards. Edmundo then stepped up for Vasco, needing to score to keep their chances alive. He was unable to do so, his effort drifting wide of Dida's upright and handing Corinthians the title.

Coach
Corinthians' appointment of the inexperienced Oswaldo de Oliveira in 1999 evoked widespread surprise, but it didn't take the club long to reap the rewards of his leadership. In his first season at the helm, he masterminded Paulista and Brasileiro title successes, endearing himself to the club's vast army of supporters. The tactician enhanced his reputation during the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. Following an estimable 2-2 draw against a Real Madrid side gushing with talent, Corinthians needed to beat Al-Nassr by a two-goal margin to book a Final meeting with domestic rivals Vasco. Ricardinho had edged them in front midway through the first-half, but with the clock ticking down on the Timão's existence in the tournament, Oswaldo de Oliveira made a telling change, replacing the goalscorer with Edu. His introduction allowed Freddy Rincon to operate in a more advanced position, and the Colombian vindicated the switch by scoring his side's all-important second goal. In the deciding match, Oswaldo de Oliveira's insightful organization of his defence helped Corinthians keep a clean sheet and send the game to a penalty shootout, from which they emerged victorious.

Key Player
Five of the 28 players nominated for the adidas Golden Ball were from Corinthians, but one stood conspicuous among them as the tournament's finest competitor. Edílson, then 28, performed admirably from start to finish, his unpredictable flair and pace posing a relentless threat to his adversaries. The "Little Devil" scored a double against Real Madrid in Group A to earn Corinthians a crucial point, and was at the forefront of most of his team's attacks throughout the competition.

Vasco 0-0 Corinthians (Corinthians win 4-3 on penalties)
Venue: Rio de Janeiro
14 January 2000
Attendance: 73,000
Referee: Dick Jol (NED)
Vasco: Hélton; Paulo Miranda, Odvan, Mauro Galvão & Gilberto; Amaral, Felipe (Alex Oliveira), Juninho Pernambucano (Viola) & Ramón (Donizete); Edmundo & Romário
Coach: Antônio Lopes
Corinthians: Dida; Índio, Fábio Luciano, Adílson & Kléber; Vampeta (Gilmar), Rincón, Marcelinho Carioca & Ricardinho (Edu); Edílson (Fernando Baiano) & Luizão.
Coach: Oswaldo de Oliveira
Player of the tournament: Edílson (Corinthians)