.jpg) Rose Bowl stadium, the final venue, photographed in 2018. | |||||||
| Event | 1994 FIFA World Cup | ||||||
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| Afterextra time Brazil won 3–2 onpenalties | |||||||
| Date | July 17, 1994 | ||||||
| Venue | Rose Bowl,Pasadena,California | ||||||
| Referee | Sándor Puhl (Hungary) | ||||||
| Attendance | 94,194 | ||||||
| Weather | Scattered clouds 100 °F (38 °C)[1] | ||||||
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The1994 FIFA World Cup final was asoccer game that took place at theRose Bowl inPasadena,California, United States, on July 17, 1994, to determine the winner of the1994 FIFA World Cup.Brazil beatItaly 3–2 onpenalties to claim its fourth World Cup title when the game finished 0–0 afterextra time;[2] this was the first time Brazil lifted theFIFA World Cup Trophy, as its previous three titles, last won in1970, were secured as Jules Rimet Trophy.
It is to date, the only World Cup final to be scoreless after 120 minutes and the first to be decided by a penalty shoot-out.Silver Ball winnerRoberto Baggio missed the decisive penalty for Italy.[3] Brazil had previously beaten Italy in the1970 final, marking the 1994 final as the second time that the same teams had met in two different World Cup finals, afterArgentina andGermany met in1986 and1990.[4][5] Played at 12:30 pm local time, this was the most recent World Cup final to be played in broad daylight.
FIFA awarded the final game of the tournament to the famous college sports stadium nearLos Angeles on June 30, 1992; the Rose Bowl was the largest stadium used for the tournament.[6] With over 94,000 spectators, the 1994 final is the most recent World Cup final to have an attendance of 90,000 or more as of2022.
The Brazilian team dedicated its win to the late tripleFormula One motor racing world championAyrton Senna, who haddied in an accident at that year'sSan Marino Grand Prix in Italy two and a half months before.[7] With Italy finishing as runner-up,Franco Baresi became the sixth player in history to win gold, silver, and bronze medals at the FIFA World Cup.[8] Previously this result was attained in 1974 by five German players:Sepp Maier,Franz Beckenbauer,Wolfgang Overath,Jürgen Grabowski, andHorst-Dieter Höttges.
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The1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th edition of theWorld Cup,FIFA's competition for national teams, held in the United States between June 17 and July 17, 1994.[9][10] The finals featured 24 teams, with theUnited States qualifying for the finals automatically as tournament host, along withGermany as the1990 winner.[11] The remaining 22 spots were decided throughqualifying rounds held between March 1992 and November 1993, organized by the sixFIFA confederations and involving 147 teams.[11][12] In the final tournament, the twenty-four teams were divided into six groups of four with each team playing each other once within the group in around-robin format. The two top teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed sides, advanced to aknockout phase.[13]
The game was played at theRose Bowl, in the city ofPasadena, California, part of theLos Angeles metropolitan area.[14] With a capacity of 102,000, it was the largest of the venues selected for the World Cup and had previously hosted thegold medal match at the 1984 Summer Olympics and fiveSuper Bowls, as well as the annualRose Bowl Game incollege American football.[14][15] The ball for this game was theAdidas Questra, which was introduced at the start of the World Cup.[16] The ball was lighter than those previously used. Canadian journalist Scott McKeen described it as having been "engineered to created more excitement for soccer, in a land where there has been little soccer excitement".[17] The ball's controllability was praised by strikers in the tournament, but goalkeepers criticized what they said was its unpredictable tendency to deviate in flight.[16]
Brazil had won the title three times before—in 1958,1962, and1970—while Italy had also recorded three wins in the1934,1938, and1982 tournaments.[9] The winner would therefore be the first nation to record a fourth World Cup win.[18] The two teams had met four times previously in the World Cup with two wins each – in the semifinal of the 1938 tournament, which Italy won 2–1;the 1970 final, which Brazil won 4–1; the third-place playoff in 1978, won 2–1 by Brazil; and four years later in the group stage, where Italy won the game 3–2.[19][20][21][22][23]
Brazil began the tournament as the favorite, with both pundits andbookmakers regarding it as the most likely team to win. Commentators cited the team's star players such asRaí andRomario, as well as the hot weather conditions, which they said would favor Latin American teams.[24] Italy was also listed before the tournament among the teams likely to win the competition, although some commentators thought it might face difficulties based on poor recent performance and a failure to adapt to managerArrigo Sacchi's preferred attacking style of play.[25] In the 1990 World Cup, Brazil had been eliminated in the round of 16, losing toArgentina, while Italy finished third in the tournament, on home soil, beatingEngland in the third-place playoff game after losing to Argentina in apenalty shootout in the semifinal.[26]
| Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 2–0 |
| 2 | Cameroon | 3–0 |
| 3 | Sweden | 1–1 |
| R16 | United States | 1–0 |
| QF | Netherlands | 3–2 |
| SF | Sweden | 1–0 |
Brazil was inGroup B at the World Cup, joined byCameroon,Russia, andSweden.[27] Its first game was the tournament opener atStanford Stadium in California, on June 20 against Russia.[28] Brazil opened the scoring after 26 minutes, whenRomário evaded hismarker following an in-swingingcorner and hit the ball into the goal.[28][29] Brazil scored again after 52 minutes, whenRaí converted apenalty following a foul byVladislav Ternavsky on Romário, and went on to complete a 2–0 win.[29][30] Its second game was against Cameroon on June 24, once again at Stanford.[31] Romário gave Brazil the lead after 39 minutes after receiving a pass fromDunga and hitting it past goalkeeperJoseph-Antoine Bell.[32] In the second half, Cameroon defenderRigobert Song wassent off for a foul on Raí, beforeMárcio Santos andBebeto added two further goals to complete a 3–0 win for Brazil.[33] The result meant that Brazil had qualified for the round of 16 with one game to spare.[32] Brazil's final group game was against Sweden at thePontiac Silverdome in Michigan on June 28.Kennet Andersson gave Sweden the lead after 23 minutes, following a long pass byTomas Brolin, before Romário equalized for Brazil with his third goal of the tournament shortly after halftime. The game finished 1–1, which was sufficient for Brazil to finish as group winner.[34][35]
Brazil faced the hostUnited States inthe round of 16 on July 4,American Independence Day. Brazil's performance through most of the game was described byThe Guardian's Paul Wilson as "wholly unconvincing as aspiring champions", until Bebeto scored the game's only goal after 72 minutes.[36][37] Both teams finished the game with 10 players after Brazil'sLeonardo was dismissed for a violent foul while AmericanFernando Clavijo was sent off for a second bookable offense.[37] In the quarterfinals, Brazil playedthe Netherlands at theCotton Bowl in Dallas on July 9.[38] After a goalless first half, Romário gave Brazil the lead from a Bebeto pass after 53 minutes, before Bebeto himself scored a second ten minutes later.[38][39] The Dutch players disputed the second goal, saying that Romário had been caught by theiroffside trap whenBranco passed forward to him in the build-up, but the goal stood.Rob Witschge of the Netherlands later said that thelinesman was "absolutely blind".[40] The Netherlands pulled a goal back a minute later throughDennis Bergkamp, and then equalized with 14 minutes remaining, throughAron Winter. Brazil scored again after 81 minutes when Branco hit a free kick from 30 yards (27 m) to seal a 3–2 win.[38][41] Brazil's semifinal was against Sweden at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California, on July 13.[42] Sweden defended deeply throughout the game and was reduced to 10 players when Jonas Thern was sent off in the 63rd minute for a foul on Dunga. Brazil had much of the possession and several chances throughout the game, but did not score until the 81st minute when Romárioheaded the ball into the Swedish goal from aJorginho cross. Brazil won 1–0 and earned a place in the final.[43]
| Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Republic of Ireland | 0–1 |
| 2 | Norway | 1–0 |
| 3 | Mexico | 1–1 |
| R16 | Nigeria | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
| QF | Spain | 2–1 |
| SF | Bulgaria | 2–1 |
Italy was drawn inGroup E at the finals, alongsideMexico,Norway, and theRepublic of Ireland.[27] It began its campaign on June 18 against the Republic of Ireland atGiants Stadium inEast Rutherford, New Jersey. Italy was one of the pre-tournament favorites to win the World Cup,[44] but the crowd was predominantly Irish, many of themIrish Americans. Ireland won the game 1–0 through an 11th-minute goal byRay Houghton,[45] a result later described byThe Irish Post as "one of Ireland's greatest ever sporting moments".[46] Italy's second game was against Norway on June 23, once again at Giants Stadium. GoalkeeperGianluca Pagliuca was sent off after 22 minutes for aprofessional foul, but Italy recovered to win the game 1–0,Dino Baggio scoring the winner after 69 minutes.[47] Its final group game, against Mexico atRFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., began with all four Group E teams level on points.[48] The Italian supporters were again outnumbered by the opposition, but their team took the lead shortly after halftime on a low shot byDaniele Massaro. Massaro almost added a second after 56 minutes, but then Mexico equalized a minute later throughMarcelino Bernal.[49] The game finished 1–1, while Norway and the Republic of Ireland also tied, leaving all four teams on 4 points with identicalgoal difference. With the most goals scored, Mexico was first in the group, while Norway was bottom with fewest goals. Italy and the Republic of Ireland both had two goals each, but Ireland took second place through its win over Italy. Italy qualified for the next round, however, as one of the better-performing third-place teams, with its progress confirmed when Cameroon was defeated by Russia later that day.[50]
Italy's round of 16 opponent wasNigeria, atFoxboro Stadium inFoxborough, Massachusetts, on July 5.[51] Nigeria took the lead after 25 minutes, whenFinidi George took a corner which bounced off Italian defenderPaolo Maldini before being struck into the goal byEmmanuel Amunike.[51] After 75 minutes, Italy'sGianfranco Zola, who had come on as a substitute, was sent off for a foul onAugustine Eguavoen, immediately after he had been denied a penalty.[51][52] Despite this setback, Italy equalized after 88 minutes whenRoberto Baggio hit a low shot past the Nigerian goalkeeper. With the score at 1–1, the game went toextra time and the game was decided when Roberto Baggio scored his second goal after 102 minutes, sealing a 2–1 Italian win.[51][53] Italy's quarterfinal game was againstSpain in Foxborough on July 9. Dino Baggio gave Italy the lead after 25 minutes, before Spain'sJosé Luis Caminero equalized shortly before the hour mark.[54] For the second game in a row, Roberto Baggio scored after 88 minutes, scoring from a tight angle following a run into thepenalty area, and Italy won 2–1.[55] It returned to Giants Stadium on July 13 for a semifinal againstBulgaria.[56] Bulgaria had defeated previous championsArgentina andGermany en route to the match, but Italy started strongly, Roberto Baggio scoring twice in the first half hour for a 2–0 lead. Bulgaria'sHristo Stoichkov pulled a goal back through a penalty shortly before halftime, and protested about two denied penalty claims in the second half, but Italy held on for a 2–1 win and a place in the final.[57]
Brazil'sMazinho was booked in the fourth minute for a foul onNicola Berti. In the 13th minute, Romario had a chance to score with a header from close range, following a cross by Dunga, but his header went straight to the goalkeeper. Four minutes later, Romario passed the ball through to Bebeto on the left side of the penalty area. Instead of shooting, Bebeto attempted a cross, but it deflected behind offPaolo Maldini.[58] Italy then had one of its best chances of the game whenDaniele Massaro beat two defenders and wasone-on-one with Taffarel, but his shot was directed straight at the Brazilian goalkeeper.[59] After 21 minutes, Brazil'sJorginho had to leave the game following an injury sustained a few minutes previously and was replaced byCafu. Italy made a replacement after 34 minutes, bringingLuigi Apolloni on forRoberto Mussi, moving Maldini to the left back position. Roberto Baggio attempted a pass through toAntonio Benarrivo late in the first half butAldair was able to intercept it. Late in the half, Brazil had two further opportunities, first from Romario, whose shot was parried byGianluca Pagliuca without falling to a Brazilian player, and then throughBranco whose free kick was saved. The free kick resulted from a foul by Apolloni on Romario, for which Apolloni received ayellow card, while Italian defenderDemetrio Albertini was also booked for not being sufficiently far from the ball during the free kick.[58] The first half concluded with the score at 0–0.
In the second half, Cafu hit a shot that went across the face of the Italian goal, after which Bebeto attempted to score with a header which was saved by Pagliuca and was also flagged foroffside.[58][60] Roberto Baggio had a chance for Italy, when he received a pass from Dino Baggio and was able to run at the Brazilian goal, butMarcio Santos tackled him and kicked the ball out, ending his run.[58] Silva attempted a top-spin shot from distance which bounced off the goalpost, after whichMazinho also had a chance but Pagliuca was able to stop the ball.[60] Other than that, the second half was largely devoid of scoring chances, as Brazil was unable to break through the center-back pairing ofFranco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. The lack of attacking play in the game was down to strong holding midfield play by Dino Baggio for Italy, and by both Dunga andMauro Silva for Brazil.
As extra time began, chances became more plentiful as Brazil began to dominate play. Romário had another chance early in extra time after Pagliuca made an ill-advised decision to come for a cross, leaving the goal exposed, but Bebeto was unable to find him. Roberto Baggio, who had been quiet for most of the game after having picked up an injury earlier in the tournament, had his only sight of goal in the entire game in the first half of extra time, hitting a shot from around 25 yards, but Taffarel pushed the shot over.Zinho had a chance on the stroke of halftime in extra time, hitting his shot well from inside the area, but Pagliuca saved well at his near post. In the second half of extra time, Romário missed a golden chance to hand Brazil the trophy, asCafu had found him inside the six yard box. With Pagliuca at least four yards away from him on the other side of the goal, and the entire goal to aim at, the off balance Romário put his shot wide of the post.
This was the first time the World Cup would be decided on penalties. Italian captain Baresi took the first penalty and blazed his penalty over the bar. Brazilian center-back Márcio Santos went next, but Pagliuca saved the Brazilian defender's effort low to his right.Demetrio Albertini went next for Italy, scoring his penalty into the top corner. Romário was next for Brazil, and he scored his penalty, placing it so far in the corner that it went in off the post, tying the score at 1–1.Alberico Evani went third for Italy, he scored, putting his penalty high and in the middle, as Taffarel dove to the right. Branco went next for Brazil, and he scored in the bottom left corner. Massaro, who had scored twice in the Champions League Final less than two months previously, went next for Italy, but he was unable to put the ball in Taffarel's net just as he had been unable to do in the game, as the Brazilian keeper saved to his left. Brazilian captain Dunga was next, and he comfortably placed his shot into the bottom left corner, making it game point. With Italy needing to score to keep its dreams alive, talisman Roberto Baggio stepped up to take the penalty. In what would become an infamous moment in World Cup History, Baggio blazed his penalty over the bar, in similar fashion to Baresi, and this gave Brazil its fourth title.[61]
Brazil  | 0–0 (a.e.t.) |  Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
Márcio Santos Romário  Branco Dunga | 3–2 | BaresiAlbertiniEvaniMassaroR. Baggio |
         Brazil |     Italy |
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Officials
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U.S. vice presidentAl Gore, UEFA presidentLennart Johansson and FIFA presidentJoão Havelange were among those present at the stands during the awards ceremony. In the presentation ceremony, Gore handed the trophy to Brazil's captain, Dunga.[5][61]
In 2023, Italian comedy metal bandNanowar of Steel andJoakim Brodén released a song called "Pasadena 1994" about the match.
1994 FIFA World Cup finalists | |
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| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Quarter-finals | |
| Round of 16 | |
| Group stage | |
Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) | |
| Tournaments |
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| Qualification | |
| Finals | |
| Squads | |
| Final draw | |
| Broadcasters | |
| Bids | |
| Officials | |
| Team appearances | |
| Other records |
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| Miscellaneous | |
