The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th staging of the World Cup, the world championship for men’s national association football teams. This was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1990 (30 Days). It was the First World Cup in the U.S.
The 1994 World Cup was one of the most successful financially for FIFA in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
Brazil Football National Team won the 1994 World cup championship after defeating Italy 3–2 in a penalty shoot-out. It was the first World Cup final decided by a penalty shootout. The Final match was played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.
Brazil’s National Team won its fourth World Cup trophy in football history. Before the bidding process, three countries were selected: the United States, Brazil, and Morocco.
1994 FIFA World Cup, United States
Table of Contents
In this tournament, 24 teams (from 5 confederations) qualified, and 9 Venues were selected with 9 host cities. Hristo Stoichkov and Oleg Salenko were the top scorers of the 1994 World Cup with 6 goals. Marc Overmars was selected as the best young Player, and Romário was selected as the Best Player.
Qualification for the FIFA World Cup 1994
- Asia– 2 Teams (Saudi Arabia, South Korea)
- Europe– 13 Teams (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland)
- CONCACAF (North America, Central America, Caribbean) – Mexico, Canada
- CAF (Africa): 3 teams (Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria)
- South America– 4 Team (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia)
List of qualified teams
| Confederations | Teams |
|---|---|
| AFC (2) | Saudi Arabia (debut) South Korea |
| CAF (3) | Cameroon Morocco Nigeria (debut) |
| CONCACAF (2) | Mexico United States (host) |
| CONMEBOL (4) | Argentina Bolivia Brazil Colombia |
| UEFA (13) | Belgium Bulgaria Germany Greece (debut) Italy Netherlands Norway Republic of Ireland Romania Russia Spain Sweden Switzerland |
| OFC (0) |
Group stage or Standing
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 |
| 3 | United States (H) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Colombia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
| 2 | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Russia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 1 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 2 | Spain | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | South Korea | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
| 4 | Bolivia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 4 | Greece | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0 |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
| 3 | Belgium | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| 4 | Morocco | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0 |
Ranking of third-placed teams
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | knockout stage |
| 2 | F | Belgium | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | A | United States | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | E | Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 5 | B | Russia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 3 | |
| 6 | C | South Korea | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
Knockout stage
Round of 16
| Teams | Score | Location (Stadium, City) |
|---|---|---|
| Germany vs Belgium | 3–2 | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Spain vs Switzerland | 3–0 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington D.C. |
| Saudi Arabia vs Sweden | 1–3 | Cotton Bowl, Dallas |
| Romania vs Argentina | 3–2 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
| Netherlands vs Republic of Ireland | 2–0 | Citrus Bowl, Orlando |
| Brazil vs USA | 1–0 | Stanford Stadium, Stanford |
| Nigeria vs Italy | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough |
| Mexico vs Bulgaria | 1(2)–1(3) pens | Soldier Field, Chicago |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Teams | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 1994 | Brazil vs Netherlands | 3-2 | Stanford Stadium, Stanford |
| July 9, 1994 | Sweden vs Romania | 2(5)-1(4) | Cotton Bowl, Dallas |
| July 10, 1994 | Germany vs Bulgaria | 1-2 | Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough |
| July 10, 1994 | Italy vs Spain | 2-1 | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford |
Semifinals
| Date | Teams | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 13, 1994 | Brazil vs Sweden | 1–0 | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford |
| July 13, 1994 | Italy vs Bulgaria | 2-1 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
Third-place playoff
| Date | Teams | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 16, 1994 | Sweden vs Bulgaria | 4-0 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
Final
| Date | Teams | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 17, 1994 | Brazil vs Italy | 0(3)-0(2) | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
1994 FIFA World Cup Quick Facts
- The first World Cup final is to be decided on penalties.
- The victory made Brazil the first nation to win four World Cup titles
- The FIFA World Cup boasts a total attendance of 3,587,538 (over 3.5 million) and an impressive average of 68,991 spectators per match, across 52 games.
- The 1994 World Cup played a pivotal role in the establishment of Major League Soccer (MLS)
- Champions – Brazil
- Runners-up– Italy
- Third place- Sweden
- Fourth place- Bulgaria
1994 World Cup Tournament info
| Total Participating Teams | 24 (from 5 confederations) |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 17 – July 17 |
| Match Played | 52 |
| Venues | 9 (in 9 host cities) |
| Last Winner | West Germany |
Awards
| Goals scored | 141 (average of 2.71 goals per match) |
|---|---|
| Adidas Golden Ball | Romário (Brazil) |
| Adidas Golden Boot (6 goals each) | Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) Oleg Salenko (Russia) |
| Best Young Player | Marc Overmars (Netherlands) |
| Fair Play Award | Brazil |
| Most Entertaining Team | Brazil |
| Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper) | Michel Preud’homme’s |
FIFA World Cup Ball
The official match ball for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which took place in the United States, was named after the Latin word “quaerere,” meaning “to seek, to strive, or to quest for the stars.” Its design was inspired by the modern image of the United States during the era of space exploration.
Venues or Stadiums
9 cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, and Orlando. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted the final.
| Stadium Names | Location | Capacities |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl | Pasadena, California | 91,226 |
| Giants Stadium | East Rutherford, New Jersey | 77,000 |
| Cotton Bowl | Dallas, Texas | 63,998 |
| Stanford Stadium | Stanford, California | 83,500 |
| Pontiac Silverdome | Pontiac, Michigan (near Detroit) | 77,000 |
| Soldier Field | Chicago, Illinois | 63,160 |
| Citrus Bowl (now Camping World Stadium) | Orlando, Florida | 65,000 |
| Foxboro Stadium | Oxborough, Massachusetts (near Boston) | 54,000 |
| RFK Stadium | Washington, D.C. | 56,454 |
