Background
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th edition of the international soccer tournament, and it was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. This was the first time that the World Cup had been held in the United States, and it was also the first World Cup to feature 24 teams instead of 16.
Participants
A total of 24 teams participated in the 1994 World Cup, including hosts the United States. The other teams were divided into six groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage.
Format
The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consisted of 16 teams playing in a single-elimination format until the champion was crowned.
Matches
A total of 52 matches were played during the tournament, with a total of 141 goals scored. The opening match was played between Germany and Bolivia, with Germany winning 1-0. The final match was played between Brazil and Italy, with Brazil winning the match in a penalty shootout after the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Goalscorers
The top goal scorer of the tournament was Oleg Salenko of Russia and Hristo Stoichkov of Bulgaria, who both scored six goals.
Winner
The winner of the 1994 World Cup was Brazil, who won their fourth World Cup title by defeating Italy in the final.
Legacy
The 1994 World Cup is considered to be a turning point for soccer in the United States, as it helped to increase the popularity of the sport in the country. It was also the first World Cup to feature a mascot, which was a dog named Striker.
Controversy
There were a few controversies during the tournament, including Diego Maradona being kicked out of the tournament after testing positive for ephedrine. There were also concerns about the heat and humidity in some of the host cities, which led to a few matches being played at night to avoid the hottest part of the day.
