**WASHINGTON, D.C. —** The United States last hosted the World Cup 31 years ago. Brazil, led by captain Dunga, overcame a formidable Dennis Bergkamp and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and triumphed over Roberto Baggio and Italy in a thrilling penalty shootout. Yet, facing the US in the Round of 16 proved unexpectedly challenging for the Brazilians.
On July 4, 1994, over 84,000 spectators gathered at Stanford Stadium. Though Brazil was ranked No. 1 and the US No. 23, the match was no easy feat for Brazil. A missed opportunity to score in the first half became more tense when Leonardo received a red card just before halftime, reducing Brazil to ten players. Nonetheless, Brazil maintained control of the game, with Bebeto securing the winning goal in the 72nd minute for a narrow 1-0 victory.
“That was probably the hardest game that Brazil played during that World Cup,” Dunga stated at FIFA’s legends panel during the 2026 World Cup Draw celebration at the Kennedy Center. “It was Independence Day, there was a lot of motivation behind the Stars and Stripes, fair to say.”
Given the state of soccer in the US at the time, the American performance was commendable. With no professional league — Major League Soccer would debut two years later — only half of the 1994 squad played professionally overseas. Center back Marcelo Balboa, one of the players who only trained among themselves, said, “You dream about it, you breathe it. You’re in your backyard taking that penalty kick. So when you do get to play in the World Cup, and you get to play the best team in the world, and you hang in there, and you’re wondering, ‘We’re really in this game.’”
Balboa reflects on the 1994 experience, recounting, “No one gave us a chance in ’94… But to have the respect, and I remember Bebeto saying the same thing that Dunga now is reiterating, that it was one of their hardest games because we were a team that was going to fight, we were going to scratch, and we were going to play until the 110th minute. Whatever it took to try to get the job done.”
The American soccer scene has evolved significantly since then. MLS is establishing itself on the international stage, and US players regularly compete in top European leagues. The 1994 team laid the groundwork, bolstered by a memorable July 4th match in California against soccer giants.
“We laid a great foundation,” Balboa said. “The US is on the global map because people are finally coming to look at our players. They’re looking at our academy players, they’re signing them young, and that’s what we always wanted. The next step is this World Cup. This team has a lot of pressure… This is what we’ve always wanted. We always wanted the pressure from you guys on our players when we don’t perform. We’re going to have an opportunity to show the world how much we’ve grown over 30 years in soccer. Hopefully, we do a good job of that.”
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