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Thirty-two years ago, many fans in the global soccer community saw the United States planning to host its first FIFA World Cup in 1994 and asked a collective question: For what?
At the time, the United States men’s national team was a largely anonymous team made up of unknown players wearing now-nostalgic denim uniforms.
In mainstream America, football did not have the same popularity as other sports like gridiron football or baseball. But then the tournament started.
Looking back to the summer of 1994, the members of that team – Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, John Harkes and Marcelo Balboa – came together to take a trip down memory lane and chronicle the tournament that changed sports in the United States.
Bora and the bootcamp
Alexi Lalas and United States head coach Bora Milutinovic before a friendly match against England in 1994 (Getty Images)
The architect behind the American transformation in 1994 was Bora Milutinović. The enigmatic coach arrived with a rich record in the World Cup, having already guided Costa Rica and Mexico to the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
Milutinović’s specialty was enticing underdogs to play well above their weight class, but his methods frustrated the young Lalas.
“Bora, an incredibly intelligent man… spoke five languages, none of which were good, and he will remain for me as… the most frustrating coach I have ever had in my life, but also the coach who gave me the opportunity that changed my life,” Lalas said.
To the players, Bora was not the most popular person in the dressing room, as his experience was initially met with resistance, until the team won its first ever major international tournament title in the 1991 Gold Cup.
“I hated it, and I’ll tell you why, because he made me the translator. There’s nothing like being on a team and you’re the player translating the coach’s new message. It was horrible,” Balboa said. “But as time went on, I understood what Bora wanted, and I think we all believed him when we went to the 1991 Gold Cup, and all of a sudden we started winning games, we beat Mexico and we won the Gold Cup.
“I don’t think a lot of us bought in until that tournament. Once we won that tournament, we were like: shit, here we go.“
The “Miracle on Ice” moment
Alexi Lalas celebrates winning the World Cup group stage against Colombia in 1994. (Photo by Mark Leech/Getty Images)
By the time the tournament arrived, the United States was still widely considered naive. But after earning a draw against Switzerland, the Americans faced tournament favorite Colombia in front of a raucous Rose Bowl crowd. What followed was a historic upset that became American soccer’s equivalent of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
“The final whistle blows, all hell breaks loose in the most positive way…I remember in 1980 when the American hockey team, Jim Craig, with a flag around him, and I wanted this moment to celebrate my country,” Lalas said. “Everyone thought we were going to lose to Colombia, didn’t they?”
The 2-1 victory was made even more stunning by the team’s humble realities. The United States didn’t even have a national professional league at the time.
“When you talk about ‘iconic wins,’ ‘best win ever.’ You look at that team with six guys, we didn’t have a club team, we practiced every day,” Balboa said.
“Cobi and I never played in a club and all our experience was international,” added Lalas.
Brazil breaks America’s heart
Thomas Dooley of the United States and Mazinho of Brazil compete during a World Cup match in 1994. (Photo by Stewart Kendall/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
This dream race finally came up against world power Brazil in the round of 16 on July 4. The match reached a violent turning point when American playmaker Tab Ramos was hospitalized following a brutal elbow from Brazilian Leonardo. Although Leonardo received a red card, the loss of Ramos gutted the American midfield.
“Just devastating, scared beyond belief, because of the way he landed,” Harkes said. “I cared about Tab. I didn’t care about the game at that point.”
The loss of Ramos not only hurt the United States and its players emotionally, but also tactically.
“We not only lost a player when Tab left the field, but we also lost from a practical point of view the guy who could keep the ball for us,” Lalas said.
Even with ten players, the future world champions continued to create scoring opportunities.
In the 72nd minute, Brazilian striker Bebeto finally opened the scoring with a clinical strike through the smallest of windows.
“What annoys me about this goal is that I have the tackle… The problem is I get there and I go past it, and it ends up going to the only possible place between my legs and into the far corner,” Lalas said. “This little magician here, Bebeto, scores the goal they need to go through and, for all intents and purposes, our World Cup is over.”
Looking forward to this summer
Can the 2026 team build on the legacy of the 1994 pioneers? (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
More than three decades after the class of 1994 laid the groundwork, the World Cup returns to North American soil.
For America’s current generation, the tournament represents a massive launching pad to eclipse the history made by their predecessors.
“I think this team can go far. I think this team can go further than 2002,” Harkes said. I hope we get to a semi-final or even beyond. Why not? Why not us? Let’s believe it. »
As pressure and expectations mount for the modern team, the 1994 pioneers remind them that changing this sport forever takes a little boldness.
“You have to have dreamers,” said Alexi Lalas.
FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
