Description

The 1994 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States from June 17 to July 17, marked the 15th edition of the tournament. Despite soccer's limited popularity in the US, it became the most financially successful World Cup in history, boasting record attendance figures. Brazil emerged victorious, defeating Italy 3–2 in a penalty shoot-out at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The tournament introduced new teams like Greece, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, as well as a unified Germany and a separate Russian team for the first time. It also implemented changes such as awarding three points for a win and introducing the back-pass rule to promote more attacking play, resulting in a higher average of 2.71 goals per match.

The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), later renamed the Republic of Afghanistan in 1987, was the official name of Afghanistan during the one-party rule of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) from 1978 to 1992. Throughout its existence, and particularly during the Soviet–Afghan War, the DRA depended significantly on support from the Soviet Union.