The First Time The Men’s World Cup Came to the U.S.A.

Summary

---

Suave Presents: "The First Time The Men’s World Cup Came to the U.S.A."

Podcast: Suave / American Football
Host: Fernanda Echavarri (Futuro Media)
Guest/Featured Voice: Jonathan Wilson, soccer historian
Release Date: May 29, 2026
Episode Theme: The powerful intersection of soccer, memory, identity, and immigrant experience in the U.S., revisiting the historic 1994 World Cup and previewing the stakes and stories of 2026.

---

Episode Overview

This special episode, cross-promoting Futuro Studios’ new podcast American Football, explores how the 1994 FIFA Men’s World Cup changed soccer in the U.S. forever. Host Fernanda Echavarri takes listeners through personal and collective memories bound to the sounds, foods, and emotions of the World Cup, underlining soccer’s deep ties to immigrant identity, cross-generational connection, and the evolving place of the sport in American life. The episode features archival stories, expert insight from soccer historian Jonathan Wilson, and a look ahead to the significance of hosting again in 2026, at a time of intensifying global and domestic tensions.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The World Cup as Soundtrack to Family Memory

• Fernanda begins (03:18) with nostalgic sensory memories: the stadium buzz, chanting fans, her father’s presence, gathering around “la botana” table, and sharing Mexico jerseys with her daughter. For her and many immigrants, the World Cup is a time out of time—deeply linked to home and shared history.

  • Quote:

    "Most of my World Cup memories are tied to my dad... football means family."
    (Fernanda Echavarri, 05:34)

• Personal anecdotes show soccer’s role in forging connections between generations and across geographical distance.

2. Soccer’s Underdog & Immigrant Roots in the U.S.

• Across multiple vox pops (07:01–08:31), soccer fans from Lebanon, Morocco, Ecuador, Colombia, and beyond describe how, in the U.S., soccer is a crucial link to homeland and a unifier among immigrants.

  • Quote:

    "When you’re a soccer lover here... many times that connection is also to another country, like it was for me and my dad."
    (Fernanda, 07:19)

  • Quote:

    "Everybody just collabs... We all come together and watch the same thing, which is football."
    (Jonathan Wilson, 08:25; various fans)

• The show reframes soccer as an American game, tracing its complex, often overlooked history in the country (12:30).

3. The 1994 U.S. World Cup: An American Spectacle

• Jonathan Wilson gives context (15:59): In the late ’80s, U.S. soccer was marginal, the U.S. national team had been dormant, and hosting was controversial—soccer purists feared the U.S. would "ruin" the game.

  • Quote:

    "Opinion was divided... some people saw this as the next frontier... others were thinking, well, what are they going to do to it?"
    (Jonathan Wilson, 15:59)

• The U.S. approached the event with “American showmanship”: glitzy ceremonies, big stadiums, and Oprah/Diana Ross as opening acts.

  • Quote:

    "The U.S. said, hold my beer, we’re gonna turn this into a production."
    (Fernanda, 19:13)

  • Memorable moment (21:23): Diana Ross’ infamous missed goal during the opening ceremony, described humorously by Wilson—

    "She takes a huge swing at it and drags it wide... The goal still splits, everything goes off, but it just looks farcical."
    (Jonathan, 21:32)

• The 1994 tournament was overshadowed by "one of the juiciest moments of the ‘90s" in the U.S.—the O.J. Simpson car chase, which happened the same day as the opening ceremony (19:33).

4. Historic Firsts and Tragedies in 1994

• Despite a rocky start, 1994 broke attendance records (22:26), drew immigrant communities, and featured dramatic storylines—

  • Diego Maradona’s expulsion after a positive drug test (23:22).
  • Andres Escobar’s tragic own goal and subsequent murder (23:58–24:06).
  • Nigeria’s inspiring debut and iconic celebration (24:27).

• Quote:

  "There was loads of great stories. There was loads of great football played. The beginning and the end weren't great, but the stuff in between was really good."
  (Jonathan, 24:56)

5. Legacy and the Road to 2026

• The U.S. hosting sparked national growth: MLS founded two years later; U.S. women’s soccer dominance. The 2026 World Cup presents new challenges and opportunities (25:59–27:22).

  • Countries like Haiti and Iraq qualify despite turmoil and barriers.
  • U.S. visa bans and host hostility contrast with historic norms of hospitality for World Cup guests (27:56).

• Quote:

  "The U.S. is overly hostile to foreigners... It’s going to be a difficult tournament from that point of view."
  (Jonathan, 28:00)

• Yet the optimism and multicultural roots of soccer in the U.S. shine through; the coming tournament is set to reflect and test that diversity.

  • Quote:

    "There will be a base of fans from all over the world... Call me hopeful, but I think the U.S. will rally. I mean, it is football after all."
    (Fernanda, 28:10)

6. Who Do You Root For?

• The complexity of soccer allegiance for American fans is shown in a warm, diverse round of voices—US, Mexico, Nigeria, Haiti, Colombia, Portugal, England, and more (28:46–29:42).
  • Quote:

    "It's a complicated time to be a U.S. soccer fan."
    (Jonathan, 29:36)

  • Quote:

    "Part of me wants to root for the United States, even though politically I have some complications here. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't root for our guys."
    (Fernanda, 29:42)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Soccer & Memory:

  "Up until now, [World Cup sounds] gave me a sense of home, of fun, of spending time with my dad. But if I’m really honest, I feel uneasy... this will be the first time I’m going to hear those sounds without my dad."
  (Fernanda, 05:35)

• American Showmanship:

  "There’s this sort of school sports day atmosphere to [past ceremonies]... The U.S. said, hold my beer..."
  (Fernanda, 19:06–19:13)

• Diana Ross’ Missed Goal:

  "Not sure that was supposed to happen... The goal still splits, everything goes off, but it just looks farcical."
  (Jonathan, 21:32)

• Attendance Records:

  "The highest average attendance of any World Cup was in 1994."
  (Jonathan, 22:26)

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• Fernanda’s Personal World Cup Memories: 03:18–07:01
• Immigrant Experiences & Soccer: 07:01–08:41
• Soccer as Underappreciated American Game: 12:30–13:40
• 1994 World Cup: Historical Context & Opening Ceremony: 15:18–21:49
• Tournament Highlights, Stories & Aftermath: 22:02–25:59
• 2026 World Cup, Politics & Identity: 26:06–29:42
• Diverse Fan Allegiances & Final Reflections: 28:46–30:12

---

In Summary

This episode paints the 1994 World Cup as the turning point in American soccer—a wild, imperfect, deeply emotional experiment that mirrored both American spectacle and the country’s evolving diversity. With firsthand stories and poignant expert insight, it sets up the stakes and hopes for the 2026 tournament: a celebration of the “beautiful game,” an arena for new stories at a time of tension, and a powerful reminder that for U.S. fans, football is always more than just a game.

---

Transcript

[Fernanda Echavarri]

My Futuro My Futuro My Futuro My Futuro is fearless, defends democracy, holds power accountable. My Futuro ebilingue My Futuro is passionate. My Futuro belongs here.

[Futuro Studios Host]

My Futuro is independent journalism. Futuro is having our biggest year yet. We're launching more shows than ever. Journalism that reveals, goes deep, tells stories from the heart, and does it beautifully. My Futuro is a place where you, dear listener, know that you belong. So I'm asking you to make my Futuro yours when you make a donation Today, My Futuro becomes your futuro and together we create a home for stories you won't hear anywhere else. So go to futuromediagroup.org donate to give my Futuro is powered by you. So from all of us here, thank you y gracias.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions, and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings by $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Grow Therapy / Aura Advertiser]

The to do list doesn't stop, and neither does the pressure to keep up with it. If you've been running on fumes. Grow Therapy makes it easier to find care that's covered by insurance and actually built around you, whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th. Grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around you. You can search by what matters like insurance, specialty, identity or availability and get started in as little as two days. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Grow helps you find therapy on your time Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com acast today to get started. That's growthherapy.com acast growtherapy.com acast availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Futuro Studios Host]

Hey suave listener, we are coming to your feed to bring you something special ahead of the Men's World Cup. Futuro Studios has been working on a podcast about soccer culture in the US and its underdog roots. It's called American Football and I think you're gonna love it. Here is episode.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I love the sounds. The constant buzzing from the stadium, the melodic yet off key chanting from the fans, the whistles, the rhythmic cadence of announcers calling the place. I feel at home with this in the background. Add to that la botana. I love to see a table with spicy snacks and an extra cold beer that spent the last five minutes in the freezer. El quesito, las papitas con tapatio, limoni. La cheve bien la. All of this is football to me. Soccer. And not just any soccer. It's the World Cup. Most of my World cup memories are tied to my dad. If I go back to the foggy burst of memories of my very early years growing up in Mexico, I can see him sitting cross legged on the carpet, close to the foxy tv, the sound of a soccer match in the background and the smell of his cigarette. It was the 80s, okay? After my parents split, my dad moved to the United States, to Arizona. My little sister and I would visit, and in the summer of 1998, I remember watching France win the final with Sinedin Cidane, hearing my dad say his name just like that. By the last World cup in 2022, I was living in Arizona with a child of my own, a toddler. I dressed her up in this cute bootleg Mexico jersey so we could match. I taught her how to cheer for Mexico. Ra ra ra ra ra. She was into it. I remember my dad letting out one of his squinty eye laughs when he watched his granddaughter in uneven pigtails, copying us. My dad, always a sports guy through and through. A sports watcher, I should say. I'm talking ESPN and Univision de Portes, always on tv, knowing all the stats, the rankings of tennis players, how the top golfers were trained, which baseball team would win it all. And of course, all things soccer, from small leagues to the national teams. I am not that at all,

[Futuro Studios Host]

but

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I kind of go nuts. Every four years when the FIFA Men's World cup erupts, I yell at the TV like a backseat coach. I make side comments about the hot players. I constantly get up. I pace a little. I get real close to the screen during peak moments. My dad much quieter with some aye yai yais here and There and single claps for at least 90 minutes in a game. The stakes feel so damn high. I love the drama under this dull roar from the stadium coming through the screen. And those sounds, if I close my eyes, I can hear them. Up until now, they've given me a sense of home, of fun, of spending time with my dad. But if I'm really honest, I feel uneasy about what they might bring up this summer. This will be the first time I'm going to hear those sounds without my dad. His void of canyon proportions hits me as I prepare to watch the first World cup since his passing. Will it make me miss him more? Feel his presence closer? I have no idea. What I do know is that for so many of us, the World cup and soccer in general is tied to the beautiful and sometimes bittersweet memories of home. To me, football means family.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I think my first soccer game I went to, I was still in my mom's womb.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I love watching it with my mom and my sister. It brought me and my little sister closer together in a way. I like watching it with my dad.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I'm a grandpa now, so I'm getting them into soccer, training them. Now.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

That's a little of what we heard when we took our mics to the street. And see, when you're a soccer lover here in the United States, many times that connection is also to another country, like it was for me and my dad. We weren't in Mexico with other family members when the games were on, but we put on our green jerseys and tried to make it feel like it because this is a place made up of immigrants. And so many times soccer is that tie to our roots, to our homelands. As I grew up back in Lebanon, it was the center of everything. I'm from Colombia and I feel like it's part of my culture. And growing up, I grew up in

[Jonathan Wilson]

Morocco watching soccer, and it's beautiful. When I say soccer, I mean football, so nobody gets that confused.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

And it's also our connection to people from other places in the world. Whether it's playing a game of pickup soccer or watching a match, it's a connecting force.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Being able to learn about, let's say, Cameroonians, you know, Nigerians playing with Iraqis, Afghanis.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I'm Ecuadorian. My friends being Brazilians, my friend being Colombian, my friend. Like, everybody just collabs.

[Futuro Studios Host]

We all come together and we watch

[Jonathan Wilson]

the same thing, which is football.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I think Pele, the Brazilian soccer idol, has said it best. Football is the beautiful game.

[Jonathan Wilson]

The jogo bonito is soccer.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Soccer Is jogo bonito el juego bonito. The beautiful game that is soccer. And this summer, the best male players in the world will be entertaining us from the biggest stage at the feet FIFA Men's World Cup. I'll be wearing the Mexico jersey, of course, but as I have in the past, I'm also going to root for my other favorites if my Mexico lindo querido is out. Last World Cup, I went to the mall to buy an Argentinian jersey. A child's large was actually cheaper, and since it fit, I went with that. I mean, how could I not root for Messi back then? Come on. But I also love an underdog, and we get plenty of that in this World Championship. Every four years, we watch as tiny countries can go toe to toe with economic superpowers. Uruguay has consistently punched above its weight, even though it has a population the size of the state of Iowa. In 2018, I remember rooting for Croatia when they won the semifinal. Their small frame superstar, Modric, had me Googling facts about the Slavic country.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Croatia, the second smallest nation in history to make a World cup final.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

That same year, Senegal, a relatively poor nation, made it to the World cup, while the US Didn't.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Senegal, only the third African team to ever reach the quarterfinals of a World cup. Cameroon in 1990, Ghana in 2010 with the others.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

And even the US team itself is an underdog. It's like the one thing that the US Is a true underdog at, which is part of the fun of rooting for them. Getting to watch these teams compete every four years, the giants, the little guys, and those in between. It provides an escape from an increasingly tumultuous world for me and for many of you. Why do I watch the World Cup? That's like asking me, why do I breed? Soccer means fun.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I just love the spirit behind it.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

The guys are young and cute and fit. I learn about celebrations, learn about players, names, songs from the crowd. And listen. I'm not blind to the many, many, many flaws behind this whole event. The politics, the corruption, the human rights violations, the insanely expensive tickets, the. The scams, all the things happening outside of the field. I'm not discounting any of that. But once the whistle blows and the game starts, none of that can stop me from loving what's at the core of the World Cup. The heart, the passion for rooting for your team. The soccer. Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important. A version of this quote has been attributed to everyone from Pope John Paul II to. To soccer players and coaches, but the sentiment is the same regardless of who says it. This thing we love is important simply because we love it. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda El Chavarri, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the US and its underdog roots. The men's World cup is coming to our continent and to this country, so we're using this huge event to dive deep into what soccer means in the United States. We look into its history as an immigrant sport, and the details are surprising. It is an American game.

[Jonathan Wilson]

American.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

The Brazilians don't like hearing that, though.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

We talked to players, the women and men who've been fighting to bring US soccer into the limelight.

[Jonathan Wilson]

We were tied 00 with Brazil in the second round, and I took an elbow to my head, which cracked my skull.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

We'll hear from immigrants all across the country for whom soccer is a touchstone, but who've also woven the sport into American culture and life. And of course, we're also gonna talk big cultural moments. And of this 2026 World cup, the surprises, the fans, the songs, the memes, the beautiful game. But first, we're gonna start with a little history. We're going back to the 90s, to the very first time that the World cup came to the United States. There was Oprah, there was OJ and it changed soccer here forever. We'll be.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Insurance isn't one size fits all. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's name your price tool for years now. With the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay, and they'll show you options that fit your budget. So whether you're picking out your first policy or just looking for something that works better for you and your family, they make it easy to see your options. Visit progressive.com find a rate that works for you with the name your price tool. Progressive Casualty Insurance company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law.

[Grow Therapy / Aura Advertiser]

The to do list doesn't stop, and neither does the pressure to keep up with it. If you've been running on fumes, Growth therapy makes it easier to find care that's covered by insurance and actually built around you, whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th. Grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters like insurance, specialty, identity or availability and get started in as little as two days. And if something comes up, you can Cancel up to 24 hours in advance at no cost. Grow helps you Find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0, depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com acast today to get started. That's growthherapy.com acast growtherapy.com acast availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

This is American Football. I'm Fernando Chavari. This summer will be the second time the United States gets to host a World Cup. So it's worth talking about the first time that happened to understand just how far the US has come. Back in the late 80s, the US didn't even have a soccer league. So it's wild that in the summer of 1988, FIFA, the governing body of soccer, announced that the 1994 World cup would be hosted and the United States, a country where soccer wasn't really that big at the time. I mean, it makes sense that the reaction from the world of soccer was, shall we say, mixed.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I think opinion was divided. I think some people saw this as this is the next frontier. There's clearly tremendous marketing opportunities, revenues to be derived from this and that. Really, if we are to be the global sport, we need the US on board. But equally, there were people who were thinking, well, what are they going to do to it?

[Fernanda Echavarri]

This is Jonathan Wilson. Jonathan is a columnist for the Guardian and an all around soccer expert.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I'm a football historian. I've written 13 books of football history, including the Power and the Glory, A History of the World Cup.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

He grew up in Sunderland, a shipbuilding town in the northeast of England. And like everyone else he knew, Jonathan was obsessed with soccer from a very young age.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah, I went to my first game 10-82- when I was 6. So that's the first World Cup I remember. So I turned six during that tournament and you could say that's one of the real formative experiences of my life, this recognition of football as this vehicle for accessing the world, or at least

[Fernanda Echavarri]

a good chunk of the world. Because back in the 80s and early 90s, the US really wasn't part of that global family of soccer players and lovers. It hadn't competed in the World cup since the 50s and the country had tried and failed to build a successful national soccer league. This was the country FIFA wanted for the World Cup. People were worried that the US Would sort of ruin the game for everyone else.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I mean, I remember there was all these rumors and you never quite knew how seriously to take Them that, oh, it's not going to be too hard, it's going to be four quarters because they have to fit in the ad breaks.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Oh, my God, can you imagine a soccer game with ad breaks every 10 minutes? And that criticism wasn't just happening outside of the country. Tom Weir, a columnist for USA Today, wrote at the time, hating soccer is more American than apple pie driving a pickup or spending Saturday afternoons channel surfing with the remote control. End quote.

[Jonathan Wilson]

And I think to an extent it's understandable that if you're a fan of American football or basketball or baseball or ice hockey, you don't want this other sport coming in and stealing your market share. Of course you're going to be opposed to it.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

So what is happening in the U.S. is there an effort or a push to get more buy in from the public before the World Cup? How does the US Sort of make soccer be more exciting for people?

[Jonathan Wilson]

There was, but what they did wasn't to try and sort of sell the game, they were selling the event. And I think that was exactly the right thing to do. They're saying, look, this is this enormous world event. I mean, we've seen Gianni and Fatinho this time saying, this is 104 Super Bowls.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

One hundred and four Super Bowls.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I mean, that wasn't language used then, but it was similar of this is this enormous global event. It's coming to your country. Go and watch it. Even if you're not interested in soccer, go and watch the fans. Go and watch the sort of the passion of other people.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

So maybe people here were still on the fence about soccer as a sport, but an event, a show. Now that is US of A. Up until then, Jonathan says World cup opening ceremonies were kind of not so flashy.

[Jonathan Wilson]

There's something endearingly amateurish about quite a lot of it. There's this sort of school sports day atmosphere to it.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

So the US Said, hold my beer, we're gonna turn this into a production. And listen, you can't make this up. That day, the day of the opening ceremony, June 17, 1994, will also go down in history as one of the juiciest moments of the 90s in the US for something else.

[Jonathan Wilson]

That's the day of the O.J. simpson car chase through Los Angeles. The vehicle is registered to Al Cowling, a former teammate, close friend of O.J. simpson's, who has been a fugitive from justice now almost 12 hours.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

The other day I was watching a documentary called Soccer Town usa and the players were talking about how they were literally distracted by the O.J. chase that night when they should have been trying to get in the zone.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I'm hearing the TV in the background. I'm thinking, yo, Tones, what are you doing? I couldn't believe this was happening. And he kept yelling at me. And we got a World cup game and it's early tomorrow, so it's an absurd day of Americana. The opening ceremonies are underway. Let's go now to Soldier Field.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

It's a sweltering afternoon at Soldiers. Soldier Field, the largest sports stadium in Chicago, packed to the gills, more than 60,000 spectators on the stands and millions more watching at home. The emcee of the event, none other than Oprah. The United States of America warmly welcomes

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

you to World Cup USA 1994.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Diana Ross sashays into the field in a bright red 90s suit, her hair flowing. She's surrounded by hundreds of dancers dressed in white who part like the Red Sea as she sprints down the middle towards the goalkeeper. There's a soccer ball waiting for her. All she has to do is kick it into the goal.

[Jonathan Wilson]

And the idea is she kicks a ball into this goal which then will split open. And that introduces the next phase of the opening ceremony.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

But instead of that triumphant moment, Diana Raz hedges and then kicks the ball way to the left, missing the goal completely.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Not sure that was supposed to happen. And okay, yeah, she's not a professional athlete. I think if she just sort of poked it, it would have been fine. But she takes a huge swing at it and sort of drags it wide. The goal still splits, everything goes off, but it just looks farcical. I mean, I think Oprah fell off the stage and damaged her ankle as well.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

That wasn't on camera.

[Jonathan Wilson]

So it's sort of shambolic. It's ill omened. It's very funny for those of us watching on. And then the game itself, the first game of the World cup, which is Germany against Bolivia, is a terrible, terrible game.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Germany floundered, but ultimately beat Bolivia 1 nil. It wasn't the best display of skill.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I'm watching it now, thinking, God, I wish I'd been there to write about it. This would have been such an easy, funny piece to write.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

But this embarrassing star didn't actually doom the whole tournament. For one, it had record attendance.

[Jonathan Wilson]

The highest average attendance of any World cup was in 1994.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Oh, wow.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Because the US has enormous stadiums, I think probably there's a lot of immigrant communities who were going to games. There was a lot of travelling support. But ordinary Americans who had not previously Watched soccer, were clearly going because they wanted to witness the event.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

But how did it end overall? Was it a good World Cup? And what would make it a good World cup if it was?

[Jonathan Wilson]

I mean, what makes a good World cup is a great question. And I think it's only partly about the quality of football played. I think it's more about the storylines.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

It's about the storylines. And the 1994 World cup here in the US also had some good drama. Argentinian superstar Diego Maradona had just returned from a drug ban to play that tournament.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Then the second game is against Nigeria. He's taken off for the random drugs test at the end.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Once the game was over, a nurse walked into the field and escorted Maradona out to get a doping test.

[Jonathan Wilson]

And it's a really poignant image. They walk off hand in hand, and she's wearing this sort of white uniform with sort of green crosses on it. And of course, he fails the drugs test. Both analysis of the urine sample have proved to be positive, and he never plays for Argentina again.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Another example of the drama of this World cup was the tragic victory of the US Over Colombia after Colombian defender Andres Escobar kicked the ball into his own team's net.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Gets the score. Escobar on the own goal, and the United States leads Colombia one to nothing.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Shortly after he returned to Colombia, he was shot to death. And there's still dispute over whether it was really about this mistake, but there were moments of triumph as well. Nigeria played their first ever World cup, and even though they didn't make it far, Jonathan says it was a debut to remember.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yakini's in the middle and has to score 1 nil to Nigeria. The first goal that Rashida Yekini scores against Bulgaria in the group. And his celebration, sort of clutching the net to his face. One of the great iconic celebrations. And that was a great Nigeria team to watch. And they went on to win the Olympic gold two years later. So there was loads of great stories. There was loads of great football played. The beginning and the end weren't great, but the stuff in between was really good.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

That's my thing right there. The stories, the drama, the in between. I love hearing Jonathan say that. That's what makes a World cup great. And it makes me wonder what the story of this summer's World cup will be. More after the. This is American football. I'm Fernanda Echabarri. By and large, the 1994 World cup is credited with bringing back soccer to the United States. Two years after the tournament in 1996, the US gave birth to Major League Soccer. Obviously we know that the US Women's team has the most wins since the Women's World cup started in 1991. They are the winning team.

[Jonathan Wilson]

And a goal, the woman they feared most in the air has given the USA the lead.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

And this year, with the World cup at home, the men, they'll have another chance to prove themselves on their home turf. And the home audience is watching.

[Futuro Studios Host]

The reason that we're decked out in this red, white and blue reppin for

[Jonathan Wilson]

USA is for this reason, the exclusive

[Futuro Studios Host]

reveal of the 2026 US Soccer World cup uniforms.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

The most watched, the most followed event worldwide is going to be played here in the US in Mexico and Canada. And this tournament is already primed for good stories. There's so many countries who've fought so hard to get here, like Haiti, deep in a humanitarian crisis with security at an all time low. Gangs rule the country and yet they qualify to play this year, making an appearance for the first time since 1974. Iraq is also competing. For the first time in 40 years, there's going to be eight Arab nations playing a record. Ivory coast and Senegal are set to compete, even though the US government put a visa ban on both of those countries. These stories also make it impossible to deny that the World cup is coming back to a very different United States 32 years later.

[Jonathan Wilson]

I think this is a World cup that people are approaching with trepidation because we don't know what's going to happen with Iran. It's the 23rd World cup, the previous 22. The attitude of hosts has always been, please come to our country, look at how great it is and go home, tell everybody. By and large, that has been the attitude of hosts. You look back, Even Mussolini in 1934 subsidized travel for foreign fans because he wanted people to come and see his Italy and how efficient and beautiful and effective it was.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

That's not the case today. The US is overly hostile to foreigners.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Well, four qualified nations are on a visa banned list, others on a soft block list. It's going to be a difficult tournament from that point of view in a way that other tournaments haven't been.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

All of this will most likely become part of this World Cup. Visa bans, ice raids, war. Still, none of that can take away from how deeply diverse of a country we are. And that diversity will be on display at this World cup as Americans wave their many flags. Even before planes arrive from abroad, there will be a base of fans from all over the world ready to cheer for their roots. Call me hopeful, but I think the US Will rally. I mean, it is football after all.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Who do I root for?

[Fernanda Echavarri]

The World Cup?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Well, usa. Always. Always usa.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I like the German team, Morocco first.

[Jonathan Wilson]

And the usa obviously second.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I would go with United States or Portugal. Oh, Mexico 100% because I'm from there. My second choice is Spain. I'm going to go ahead and say I just root for the Ecuadorian national team.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Oh, usa. Usa. Nigerian blood roots, of course, but USA all the time. I would say Haiti because I was born there.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

But I had a chance to live in Brazil shortly. And actually one of the game that

[Jonathan Wilson]

I'm absolutely going to be devastated to watch is Wizards against Haiti.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

But I would say I root a lot for England because obviously I'm half British Columbia. I like the Columbia men's team, not England, that's for sure. Hey, Root.

[Jonathan Wilson]

4.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I don't know Mexico, but truly the

[Jonathan Wilson]

US because, you know, I've been raised here. It's a complicated time to be a U.S. soccer fan.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I feel like part of me wants to to root for the United States, even though politically I have some complications here. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't root for our guys here.

[Futuro Studios Host]

I'll root for Mexico, and if Mexico

[Jonathan Wilson]

doesn't do great, then I'll root for usa. Viva Mexico.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

So join me every week for gripping and dramatic stories from past and present about the game we love and the people who love it.

[Futuro Studios Host]

That was the first episode of American Football, a new podcast about U.S. soccer culture from Futuro Studios. Go to the American Football podcast feed and subscribe. It's also linked in the show notes. In the coming weeks, you're going to hear from Tab Ramos. He's one of the players who was part of the soccer renaissance in the

[Jonathan Wilson]

U.S. it was really difficult to leave Uruguay. I do recall telling my dad, dad, out of all the countries in the world that we can move to, why do we. We have to move to the one that doesn't have soccer?

[Futuro Studios Host]

Except, dear listener, the sport might actually be more American than you think.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

It came to the US before it got to Brazil.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

We had a pro league before Spain and Italy.

[Fernanda Echavarri]

I mean, it was a game that was exported and the US Got it almost before anybody else.

[Futuro Studios Host]

This and so much more. So don't forget to subscribe to American Football

[Fernanda Echavarri]

Foreign.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states Most people

[Grow Therapy / Aura Advertiser]

don't realize how much of their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet, then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where Aura comes in. Aura actively removes your data from broker sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But Aura goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a vpn, antivirus, password manager, spam, call protection, dark web monitoring and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance, all backed by 24. 7 US based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring or even just a vp. Aura gives you all of it together at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial [e-mail] safety protect yourself [e-mail] safety.