The 2026 World Cup has put the footballing world’s eyes on North America, with games happening every day across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
But while Mexico has a long and storied relationship with the tournament and Canada is making its debut, the World Cup arrived in the U.S. for the first time 32 years ago and left no one indifferent.
From the Hollywood-star-studded opening ceremonies and matches to the neon-bright football kits under the Los Angeles sun, the 1994 debut as World Cup hosts left a myriad of iconic moments worth revisiting.
1. Diana Ross’s missed penalty It’s fair to say that there was little, if any, football culture in the U.S. previous to USA 94. Few moments exemplify that more than when singer and actress Diana Ross had to take a mock penalty as part of her act during the tournament’s opening ceremony, and missed spectacularly.
Ross, while singing I’m Coming Out in a packed Soldier Field in Chicago, was supposed to step up to a specially set-up goal and kick the ball roughly inside it while the keeper dived out of the way.
After going back and forth repeatedly, Ross — who, admittedly, wasn’t wearing sports clothes but also wasn’t wearing high heels — sent the ball comfortably wide to her left, with the special effect of the goal splitting in two making it all the more obvious.
2. Diego Maradona’s doping Argentine football superstar Diego Maradona lived his greatest hour in football in North America, winning the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City. Eight years later, and some 3,751 kilometers northeast, he’d live his darkest.
After helping Argentina to a 2-1 win against Nigeria at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts, Maradona was escorted off the pitch by a nurse for an anti-doping test. Two days later, it was announced he had tested positive for ephedrine.
“They’ve cut my legs off,” said a tearful Maradona after the announcement became public. He’d later go on to suggest the problem came from a trainer buying the wrong dietary supplements for him. Regardless, it was the last time he represented Argentina.
3. Oleg Salenko’s high five More often than not, iconic World Cup moments are linked to a football star. From Pelé’s 1958 World Cup first goal, to Maradona’s two strikes against England in 1986 and on to Messi’s tango dance against Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol in 2022, big moments are linked to big names.
However, on June 28, 1994, a World Cup record came from an unlikely source. Russian striker Oleg Salenko set a mark that remains untouched as he scored five goals in his team’s clash against Cameroon, the most scored by a single player in a single World Cup match.
His five goals, along with a penalty he scored in another game against Sweden, were enough to earn him a Golden Boot, the trophy for the most goals scored in the tournament, which he shared with Bulgaria’s Hristo Stoichkov.
4. Roger Milla’s last dance Cameroon had been the surprise of the tournament four years prior at Italy 1990, but by 1994, that generation was long past its best moment. Still, at 42 years old, the legendary Roger Milla had one more great moment in his bag.
In the same game where Salenko had his glorious World Cup moment, Milla had his last one. The iconic striker scored Cameroon’s sole goal in that game, and at 42 years, 1 month, and 8 days old, he became the oldest-ever World Cup goalscorer. His record, like Salenko’s, still stands.
5. Roberto Baggio’s iconic miss USA 1994 is sometimes described as the World Cup that both started and ended with a missed penalty. While we can reflect somewhat jovially on that Diana Ross mishap, the one that ended it all was legacy-defining for the man who took the kick, Italy’s Roberto Baggio.
He had been the out-and-out star of the tournament, scoring four crucial goals as the Azzurri arrived at their first World Cup final since Spain 1982.
The final, against Brazil, went to a penalty shootout after ending 0-0. Baggio was given Italy’s fifth and final penalty shot, but his shot sailed over the crossbar, handing the title to the Verdeamarelha.
The miss is often over-dramatized, as Italy was already 3-2 down on the shootout, meaning all Brazil had to do if Baggio scored was convert their last. However, Baggio’s dejection after the miss, standing still with his gaze fixed on the ground, earned him the nickname of “the man who died standing,” and gave the first-ever World Cup held in the United States a truly iconic ending.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons