1994 FIFA World Cup

Notes

USA's first time hosting; highest WC attendance of all time (3.59M, avg 68k/match — record still stands). Brazil's fourth title — first WC final to go to penalties (Brazil 3-2 Italy after 0-0; Roberto Baggio missed). Stoichkov and Russia's Salenko tied for Golden Boot at 6 goals each (Salenko scored 5 in one match vs Cameroon — single-match record). Maradona kicked out of tournament after failed drug test. Colombian Andrés Escobar shot dead after returning home, days after his own goal vs USA. First WC where 3 points awarded for a win (instead of 2). First WC with Best Goalkeeper award (Lev Yashin Trophy, won by Belgium's Preud'homme).

Awards & marks

Best player

Romário

Best GK

Michel Preud'homme

Ball

Adidas Questra

Mascot

Striker

Top scorers

1. 1.Hristo StoichkovBulgaria· Forwards6
2. 2.Oleg SalenkoRussia· Forwards6
3. 3.RomárioBrazil· Forwards5
4. 4.Roberto BaggioItaly· Forwards5
5. 5.Kennet AnderssonSweden· Forwards5
6. 6.Jürgen KlinsmannGermany· Forwards5
7. 7.Martin DahlinSweden· Forwards4
8. 8.Florin RăducioiuRomania· Forwards4
9. 9.Gabriel BatistutaArgentina· Forwards4
10. 10.BebetoBrazil· Forwards3

Brazil's road to the title

1. r16vs United States1-0
2. qfvs Netherlands3-2
3. sfvs Sweden1-0
4. finalvs Italy0-0 (3-2 pens)

Confederation breakdown

• UEFA13
• CONMEBOL4
• Concacaf2
• CAF3
• AFC2
• OFC0

📚 Trivia (5)

• finalsBrazil 0-0 Italy (3-2 pens) on 17 July 1994 in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena was the first World Cup final ever decided on penalties. Roberto Baggio missed the decisive kick — sending it over the bar. Brazil won their fourth title.
• recordsRussia's Oleg Salenko scored 5 goals in a single match — Russia 6-1 Cameroon, 28 June 1994 — the only player ever to do so at a World Cup. Russia were eliminated in the group stage; Salenko shared the Golden Boot with Hristo Stoichkov on 6 goals.
• recordsUSA 1994 set the all-time WC attendance record: 3,587,538 fans (averaging 68,991/match) — a record that still stands more than 30 years later, even with WC expansions.
• firsts1994 was the first WC to award the Lev Yashin Trophy for Best Goalkeeper. Belgium's Michel Preud'homme was the inaugural winner. The trophy is named after the legendary Soviet keeper.
• contextColombian defender Andrés Escobar was murdered in Medellín on 2 July 1994, ten days after his own goal in Colombia's 2-1 loss to USA. The killing was widely linked to Colombian drug-trafficking betting interests; the gunman served 11 years.