Al Jazeera reports: “For the US Organizing Committee, it was a big concern if we could sell all the tickets.’’In the end, the 1994 tournament was successful. The most visible thing is the development of professional leagues, MLS and the women’s league [NWSL]. We had no first division league.
And now there is [also] USL Division 2 and 3. The number of teams has increased dramatically.” Today, the US Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as US Soccer, sanctions 127 professional teams – 102 men’s and 25 women’s. Advertisement “Eighteen of the top 50 [valued] teams in the world are in MLS,” Gulati said.
Background
“That’s an extraordinary statistic. The women’s team in Columbus just sold for $205m. Commercial interest in soccer and soccer leagues is at an all-time high.”Credit Joao Havelange for seeing the future.
Key facts
- “For the US Organizing Committee, it was a big concern if we could sell all the tickets.’’In the end, the 1994 tournament was successful.
- The most visible thing is the development of professional leagues, MLS and the women’s league [NWSL].
- And now there is [also] USL Division 2 and 3.
- The number of teams has increased dramatically.” Today, the US Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as US Soccer, sanctions 127 professional teams – 102 men’s and 25 women’s.
What this means
During his reign as FIFA president, Havelange usually got what he wanted, and he wanted the 1994 World Cup in the US, along with a professional league.Easier said than done, though. Organised football has been played in the US since the late 19th century, with the American Cup inaugurated in 1884. But over the following decades, several professional leagues collapsed, and after the North American Soccer League (NASL) folded in 1984, there appeared to be little future for the game.
Enter Havelange and FIFA.“FIFA recognised a long time ago that, for the sport to grow internationally, it had to be successful in the US,” Farrukh Quraishi, a Tampa, Florida-based administrator who played in the NASL, told Al Jazeera.“For me, it was purely a matter of time. This is a huge and wealthy market. Now, you look at who is buying clubs in MLS, and it’s a who’s who of NFL owners.”Looking back, it’s remarkable that the US actually competed in World Cups and played host to one at all, without a nationwide professional league.Brazil celebrates winning the 1994 World Cup after defeating Italy 3-2 in a penalty shootout [Ben Radford/Getty Images]For years, football’s foundation in the country was built on amateur and youth participation.
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
