Ireland year 1994 stamps Football – World Cup USA MNH

Ireland year 1994 stamps Football – World Cup USA MNH

The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, held in the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. Despite soccer’s relatively low popularity in the host nation, the tournament was the most financially successful in World Cup history at the time. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988.

Brazil emerged as the champion after defeating Italy 3–2 in a penalty shoot-out at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This victory marked Brazil’s fourth World Cup title and was the first final to be decided on penalties.

Several new entrants participated in the tournament, including Greece, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. Russia also appeared as a separate nation for the first time following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Additionally, a unified Germany took part in the tournament for the first time since 1938, but they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Bulgaria.

The 1994 World Cup introduced several changes to the tournament format. It was the first World Cup where three points were awarded for a victory instead of two, and it also implemented the back-pass rule to encourage a more attacking style of soccer. These changes led to an increase in goal-scoring, with an average of 2.71 goals per match compared to 2.21 in the 1990 World Cup.