In which year did the United States host the FIFA World Cup? The United States hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994.
The 1994 tournament was held from 17 June to 17 July across nine venues in nine American cities. FIFA awarded hosting rights to the United States on 4 July 1988, and the country’s national team qualified automatically as host. The event involved 24 teams and 52 matches.
Brazil won the tournament, defeating Italy in a final that finished 0–0 after extra time before Brazil prevailed 3–2 on penalties. Sweden defeated Bulgaria in the third-place match. Russia’s Oleg Salenko made history by scoring five goals in one game against Cameroon, still the record for a player in a single World Cup match.
USA 1994 remains one of the best-attended World Cups ever. Total attendance reached 3,587,538, while the average crowd was 68,991 per match—figures that remained unmatched even after later tournaments expanded to 32 teams. The United States also hosted the first indoor World Cup match, played at the Pontiac Silverdome.