How the 1994 USMNT changed soccer in America

American soccer had never had a true superstar. After that summer, there were 22. Almost instantly, the members of that 1994 World Cup team had earned celebrity status after being relatively anonymous leading up to the tournament. In just a few short weeks, everyone wanted to be the USMNT.

Everyone wanted to look like them, too. "They love the uniform, let's be honest," Balboa says of the iconic denim kit that, to this day, is one of the game's most beloved. "That jean shirt? Everybody seems to be dying to get it." Lalas, with his red hair and goatee, became iconic.

Jones' stardom on the field led to stardom off of it. Captain Meola started a legacy at the goalkeeper position. Every player in the squad seemingly brought something different to the table, and each developed their own cult followings. "As Alexi loves to point out, I had a lot of the teen girls screaming for me," Jones says with a laugh.

United States

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