YOKOHAMA, Japan -- The most dramatic story of the 1998 World Cup final happened not on the pitch but in the changing rooms -- and a was a chaotic nightmare for the mass media trying to report it.

Two hours before Brazil were to take on France in the Stade de France, rumors began to circulate around the press stands that Ronaldo was not in the Brazilian team.

It seemed preposterous that the striker would not be involved as Brazil's hopes of a fifth title sat squarely on his shoulders.

But sure enough, as the army of young volunteers later swarmed into the stands armed with copies of the team sheets, Ronaldo's name was missing.

More than 2,000 journalists were suddenly abuzz with the stunning news and immediately set about trying to discover its cause.

Editors around the world phoned their reporters again to double-check the news they had been given, so hard was it to believe, Reuters reported.

Within minutes, however, the story took another turn as the volunteers returned to reclaim the team sheets, saying they had been issued in error and replacements would soon follow.