Was USA ‘94 one of the greatest World Cups ever staged?

America in 1994. It was the year of Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump and Shawshank Redemption. The rise of hip-hop, the retirement of Michael Jordan from the NBA, the arrest of OJ Simpson and the death of Kurt Cobain. And for football fans, the US staged one of the great World Cups.

When you picture USA 94, what do you think of? Roberto Baggio and that infamous miss? Romario and those finishes? Hristo Stoichkov and Gheorge Hagi adding to their legends, as Diego Maradona’s was diminished? Is it John Aldridge swearing at an official in a yellow cap? Is it the heat, the brightness? Diana Ross missing from the spot?

The tournament perhaps didn’t have the sense of opera of Italia 90. But the 1990 World Cup produced the lowest goals per game (2.21) of any before or since, rewarded miserly tactics, and was capped by an abominable final described by sports writer Brian Glanville as “probably the worst, most tedious, bad-tempered final in the history of the World Cup”.

On the fourth episode of Copa Independent, our new podcast on the World Cup, chief sports writer Lawrence Ostlere is joined by the only two members of the sports department who can remember that far back, Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly, to discuss the highs and lows of USA 94, the tournament’s lasting legacy, and how it stands in stark contrast to the upcoming 2026 edition.

USA ’94 seemed like a hedonistic festival of football. The back-pass rule had freed the game from its shackles, and modern formulaic patterns weren’t yet figured out, making for a riotous American summer. Goals per game rocketed to a heady 2.71, and it all played out in vast open-air amphitheatres, like the Giants Stadium in New York and the monstrous 92,000-seater Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. More than 3.5m people saw a match, and the average attendance of 69,000 remains the biggest ever World Cup show.

Paulo Sergio #18, Jorginho #2 and Viola #21 from Brazil celebrate with the FIFA World Cup Trophy after winning the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final between Italy and Brazil (Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images) (Getty)

USA 94 really did match almost any World Cup for storylines and moments. There was Romario and Bebeto bringing Brazil’s first in 24 years; Baggio’s rise and fall; Stoichkov, Hagi and the last dance of communist football in the home of capitalism; Maradona’s fall; Swedish surprise; Charlton’s fiery last Irish tournament; England not being there; The darkness of Colombia and tragic murder of Andres Escobar; Owairan’s goal; Yekini in the net; the US embrace of World Cup amid doubt.

For more World Cup analysis, listen to Copa Independent – your weekly dose of news, politics, predictions, and nostalgia. It won’t just get you feeling the World Cup, but thinking about it, too. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.