The 1994 FIFA World Cup was staged at nine venues across the United States from June 17, 1994 onwards, with the final, between Brazil and Italy, taking place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on July 17, 1994. The tournament format consisted of six groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group, plus the four highest-ranked third-place teams, advancing to the knockout stage.
Eventual World Cup winners Brazil were drawn in Group B, alongside Russia, Cameroon and Sweden. Under the stewardship of head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, the Seleção made serene progress through the group stage, winning their first two games without conceding a goal and drawing the third to top Group B with seven points. Prolific striker Romário de Souza Faria, usually known simply as Romário, scored in all three group games.
In the round of 16, Brazil faced hosts the United States, who had finished third in Group A behind Romania and Switzerland, but nonetheless progressed to the knockout stage. On the stroke of half-time at the Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, Brazilian left-back Leonardo was dismissed for elbowing US midfielder Tab Ramos in the face, fracturing a bone in his skull in the process. Nevetheless, Brazil progressed to the quarter-finals courtesy of the only goal of the game, a neat finish from José Roberto Gama de Oliveira, a.k.a. Bebeto, after 72 minutes.
Romario and Bebeto were once again on the scoresheet, along with left-back Cláudio Ibrahim Vaz Leal, better known as Branco, during a 3-2 quarter-final victory over the Netherlands, while Romario scored the only goal in a 1-0 semi-final victory over Sweden. In the opposite half of the draw, Italy had only qualified for the knockout stage as the fourth highest-ranked third-place team, but went on to beat Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria to set up a final meeting with Brazil.
The World Cup final was goalless after 90 minutes and still goalless after extra-time, and hence became the first to be decided by penalty shoot-out. Italian captain Franco Baresi, Daniele Massaro and, crucially, Roberto Baggio all missed their spot-kicks, giving Brazil victory, and their fourth World Cup, by a score of 3-2.