1994 FIFA World Cup

Lore & Background

The tournament was the first to award three points for a win instead of two and introduced the back-pass rule to encourage attacking play. It was also the first World Cup final decided by a penalty shootout. The United States was chosen as host on July 4, 1988, beating bids from Brazil and Morocco.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Azteca hummed like a living thing. Luis García felt the ball on his boot, the leather slick with the June humidity, and for a heartbeat the 100,000 voices around him dissolved into a single, sustained roar. He struck it low, past the Italian keeper's outstretched glove, and the net rippled. He did not celebrate. He simply turned, walked back toward the centre circle, and let the stadium carry him. In the stands, a father in a white-and-green scarf pressed his hand over his mouth, his eyes wet, because he had not seen Mexico beat a European giant at a World Cup since he was a boy in 1970. The wizard on the touchline, Milutinovic, simply smiled and adjusted his cap. The night was young, and the dream was still alive.

Reader's Guide

The tournament featured 24 teams, including debutants Greece, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, as well as Russia appearing for the first time as a separate nation. A unified Germany took part for the first time since 1938. Matches were played in nine U.S. cities, with the Rose Bowl hosting the final.

Did You Know?

• The 1994 World Cup set attendance records with 3,587,538 total spectators and an average of 68,991 per game.
• It was the first World Cup where three points were awarded for a win instead of two.
• The United States was the sole host; Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup with the U.S. and Canada.
• Hugo Sánchez was a former world-class striker, not a goalkeeper, and the source does not mention him playing in goal at this tournament.