The event was historical in many ways. For the first time since 1938 final was decided on penalty shoot-outs; as Brazil scored 3 versus Italy's 2 after drawing 0-0 in the extra time of 15 minutes after the regular ninety minutes' play.
Also, the audience for final and average presence fr all matches surpassed all the pervious recordss that were in the range of 69,000. This time it was 3.6 million.
Greece, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia qualified for the first time while Russia played its first match as a split faction of the USSR. So did Germany on a different footing than Russia playing as a Unified NAtion as na after effect of the Fall of Berlin Wall.
For the first time since 1938 neither England nor Scotland or for that purpose neiyther of the British home teams qualified.
Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga ) a Colombian footballer was shot and killed in Medellín. It is widely believed that he was murdered due to his own goal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which supposedly would have caused gambling losses to several powerful drug lords. Andrés Escobar is still held in the highest regard by Colombian fans, and is especially mourned and remembered by Atlético Nacional's fans. His brother, Santiago, has managed many Colombian teams.
Also, the superstar soccer player; OJ Simpson was seen being chased live while a match was on as he had allegedly murdered his wife and was on his way to meet his mother before surrendering to police. A chopper and a fleet of motorcades were seen shadowing Simpson. Eventually he got acquitted in that case. For the first time a police chase was happening alongside the ground where World Cup match was being played and that too the chase involving a soccer champ.