Brief history of the 1994 World Cup in the United States

In 1994, the United States proved world critics wrong by hosting the World Cup.

Skeptics in Europe and South America argued that a country without a top professional league, coupled with a population supposedly not “understanding” the game, was a questionable choice for the world’s biggest sporting event.

But what unfolded over the summer was a memorable tournament attended by massive crowds in stadiums better known for the other type of football. American football has experienced its long-awaited watershed moment.

A look back at the summer of football that invaded the United States.

How did the USA perform in the 1994 World Cup?

If you remember or saw clips of the United States men’s national team during the 1994 World Cup, a couple of things stood out. One of them was the amazing hairstyles. You had Alexi Lalas. Cobi Jones. Marcelo Balboa. Tony Meola. All the American football icons sport such a unique mix of looks.

Coming off their participation in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where they went winless in three matches, the United States wanted to make sure they made a better impression as hosts.

The United States men’s national team opened the group stage against Switzerland at the Pontiac Silverdome – then home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions – on a temporary turf field.

The first match in the history of the World Cup to be played indoors, the stadium was designed to withstand winter weather and was not equipped with air conditioning. American midfielder Thomas Dooley later called it “the worst place I’ve ever played”.

American star Eric Wynalda, center, before the opening match. (Photo by Lutz Bongarts/Bongarts/Getty Images)

But it was a superb goal against Switzerland from American star Eric Wynalda that made the match memorable, even though the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

After splitting the points in the opener against Switzerland, the United States upset a heavily favored Colombian team in a 2-1 victory in the Rose Bowl. But that followed a 1-0 defeat at the same stadium to group winners Romania, relegating the United States to third place in the group and the round of 16 against Brazil.

Alexi Lalas of the United States keeps pace with Brazilian Romario. (Photo credit: Chris Cole/ALLSPORT)

On a sunny July 4 afternoon, the United States faced mighty Brazil at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto. A tough match that saw the Brazilians play part of the match a man behind due to a red card, the United States was unable to break down the more talented South American team. Brazil ended the Americans’ dream with a 1-0 victory.

Who won the 1994 World Cup?

Brazil with the 1994 World Cup trophy (Photo by Daniel GARCIA / AFP via Getty Images)

Brazil then won the country’s fourth World Cup by beating Italy, ending a 24-year drought and its first title since Pelé last lifted his third and final trophy of his illustrious career in 1970.

Brazil was led by legendary strikers Romario and Bebeto, who finished with a combined eight goals. It was Bebeto who scored the winning goal against the United States in the round of 16. A quarter-final victory over the Dutch then set up a semi-final win over Sweden, in which Romario scored the decisive goal.

Despite the historic setting of the Rose Bowl, the finale itself had relatively few memorable moments. After 120 minutes of scoreless play, it became the first World Cup final to be decided on penalties.

If there was one lasting image of the final, it would be that of Italian star Roberto Baggio going over the crossbar and his penalty attempt over the crossbar and into the crowd. A heartbreak for Italy, but an elusive fourth title for Brazil.

What were the best moments of the 1994 World Cup?

Diego Maradona made a brief appearance at USA ’94. (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

The tournament provided its share of legendary players. It was the last tournament to feature the likes of Diego Maradona, who helped Argentina win it all in 1986, and German icon Jürgen Klinsmann, who led his country to the title in 1990.

But Maradona’s abrupt exit from the World Cup would prove to be one of the most shocking moments in World Cup history. After an iconic final goal and wild celebration against Greece, he was sent home in disgrace after failing a drugs test.

Russian Oleg Salenko scores FIVE goals in a single match. (Photo by Patrick HERTZOG / AFP via Getty Images)

Just days after Maradona’s departure, Russia’s Oleg Salenko etched his name into the record books in a way no one imagined would come.

In a group stage match against Cameroon at Stanford Stadium, Salenko scored a record five goals in a single match. To this day, he remains the only player in World Cup history to achieve this feat in a single match. Ironically, despite this historic feat, Russia was eliminated in the first round.

Who won the 1994 World Cup Golden Ball?

Brazilian Romario targets Italy in the final. (Photo by Henri Szwarc/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The Ballon d’Or is awarded to the best player of the tournament, and Brazil’s Romario certainly deserved it. Scoring five goals throughout the tournament, he established himself by scoring in each of the group stage matches and then two more in the round of 16. He also assisted Bebeto on the only goal in the 1-0 victory against the United States in the round of 16.

Who won the Golden Boot? Who won the Golden Glove?

The 1994 tournament remains the only time where the Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorers, was shared by two players: the Russian Oleg Salenko and the Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov. Both players finished the tournament with six goals each.

Salenko made history by scoring a record five goals in a single match against Cameroon, while adding another against Sweden. Salenko’s record-breaking day contributed greatly to him becoming the only player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot, despite only competing in the first round. Not bad for a guy who has played four fewer matches than Stoichkov.

Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov was a star. (Photo by Multhaup Oliver/photo alliance via Getty Images)

Stoichkov’s brilliance led Bulgaria on a fairytale run to the semi-finals, highlighted by a superb free-kick that helped knock out defending champions Germany. He started the tournament with two penalties against Greece and also scored against Mexico in the round of 16.

Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme won the first Golden Glove (then known as the Lev Yashin Award) at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. Even though the Belgians only reached the round of 16, Preud’homme kept clean sheets against Morocco and the Netherlands. He conceded one against Saudi Arabia before his team lost 3-2 to the Germans.

What was the legacy of the 1994 World Cup?

A generation of football fans grew up with USA 94. (Photo by Lutz Bongarts/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The 1994 World Cup changed American sports culture and proved that soccer could draw big crowds in the land of the Super Bowl. It turned a “questionable choice” into the highest-attended tournament in FIFA history, proving that the United States was ready to define the game on its own terms.

Before the tournament, skeptics predicted empty stadiums, cultural indifference and general confusion.

Instead, 3.6 million spectators filled venues from Los Angeles to New York, which remains the all-time World Cup attendance record.

The national popularity of the tournament led to the birth of Major League Soccer, a league that still exists today and includes 30 professional soccer teams, spread across 25 American cities and three Canadian cities.

MLS has provided the U.S. Soccer Federation with a much greater talent pool than was available more than 30 years ago.

As the United States prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup, it does so in a much different position than it did more than 30 years ago.

FIFA World Cup 2026: how to watch

The 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. The 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every game broadcast 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).