1994

Host nation: USA Games: 52 Goals: 141 (2.71 per match) Dismissals: 15 Venues: 9 Winners: Brazil Top scorers: Oleg Salenko, Hristo Stoichkov (6 goals each)

Roberto Baggio’s fate was sealed as soon as Diana Ross stepped up for that penalty during the opening ceremony and scuffed it wide from four yards. The goal broke in two anyway, destroyed by the sheer weight of air driven towards it by Diana’s supreme kicking power. The finals started with a missed penalty and ended with one: exactly the sort of narrative that American TV channels could really get behind. All it was missing was the Fonz jumping a shark midway through the tournament and some sort of will-they-won’t-they love interest involving two trendy young New Yorkers. Or failing that, Roger Milla’s dancing. Again.

STAR FACTOR

Romario! Baggio!! Stoichkov!!! Hagi !!!! Hodgson !!!!! Plus a completely unhinged Diego Maradona, who was ready to eyeball any TV camera within a five-mile radius.

WONDER GOALS

Saeed Al-owairan’s slalom from the halfway line in Saudi Arabia’s 1-0 group-stage victory against Belgium – an astonishing feat of brilliance that the Green Falcons have shown absolutely no sign of ever since. They haven’t won another World Cup match.

AGGRO

An apoplectic John Aldridge telling an official to, “f**k off, you t**t, you d**khead” during a glorious touchline row (above right) when he was delayed from coming on as a substitute in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 defeat to Mexico. Calm down, Aldo, you’ll be on in a minute! Also, elbows ahoy: Brazil’s Leonardo received a four-game suspension for smashing the USA’S Tab Ramos in the last 16 – soon to be outdone by Italy’s Mauro Tassotti, banned for eight matches retrospectively after breaking Luis Enrique’s nose in the quarter-finals.

THE THRILLERS

Brazil’s 3-2 last-eight win against the Netherlands, featuring Bebeto’s rocking baby celebration (that baby now plays for Sporting). Plus the shocks: Ray Houghton giving Ireland a 1-0 victory over Italy, Romania surprising Argentina and random middle-aged man Yordan Letchkov heading the winner against Germany.

THE FINAL

It’s probably best to forget the 120 minutes of football that preceded it, but Bobby Baggio’s ballooned spot-kick at the Rose Bowl (right) was one for the ages – 24 years since being launched into space, the ball is out near Neptune now.

LEGACY

The revival of ‘soccer’ in the United States. The MLS started two years later: it’s fared rather better than the ill-fated North American Soccer League, which folded in 1984.