From left to right: Tony Lopez, Univisión -The Great Pelé– Amaury Pi-González, Telemundo (Photo TV Globo, Brazil)
From My Notebook:” Pelé, the World’s Best Fútbol player, FIFA US ’94 World Cup. —
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury PI-González
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by three countries Canada, México, and the United States. This marks the first time three nations have jointly hosted the tournament, which will feature 48 teams competing across 16 cities from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will host six matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including five group stage games and one Round of 32 knockout match on July 1, 2026
. The Bay Area is a premier host city, welcoming teams like Australia, Switzerland, Qatar, and Algeria for a tournament running from June 11 to July 19, 2026. This will be the second time the US has hosted the FIFA World Cup. The U.S. previously hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which holds the record for the highest total attendance in World Cup history.
As the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Bay Area welcomed the great Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé. The 1994 FIFA World Cup in the Bay Area was anchored by Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, which hosted six matches, including a memorable July fourth Round of the 16th game where Brazil defeated the U.S.1-0.
The Bay Area served as a key venue for the tournament, with Brazil based in the South Bay, turning Los Gatos into a party headquarters. The Brazilians were a class act, as I remember, and I had the pleasure of interviewing many of their great players in 1994 while working for Telemundo CH 48 San José.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup-winning Brazilian team, which competed in the USA, was managed by Carlos Alberto Parreira and featured star players Romário, Bebeto, Dunga (captain), and Claudio Taffarel. They defeated Italy in the final to win their fourth title, with a strong core also including Jorginho, Aldair, Marcio Santos, Mauro Silva, and Zinho.
Among the personalities present was perhaps the best player ever, the great “Pelé,” who decades earlier played in New York for the Cosmos. He was the guy who invigorated Soccer in the US and one of the guys responsible for the US hosting the ’94 World Cup for the first time.
Pelé played in four World Cup tournaments (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and scored 12 goals in his World Cup career. 1958, 1962, and 1970. He is the only player in history to win three World Cups. Today’s greatest Fútbol star is Lionel Mesi, who won the 2022 World Cup for Argentina. Who is the GOAT?
Although it is very subjective, I pick Pelé. who received his famous nickname as a child in school because he struggled to correctly pronounce the name of his favorite player, Bilé a goalkeeper for the team his father played on.
Pelé gave two television exclusive interviews in Spanish during the ’94 USA World Cup,one to my friend and colleague Tony López ,Sports Anchor for Univisión CH 14,San Francsico, the other one to this reporter,Telemundo Sports Anchor for CH 48 San José. Pelé was proficient in three languages, his native Portuguese plus English and Spanish, born in 1940 he died in 2022, recognized as a worldwide sports icon, just like Muhammad Ali, Pelé was a once in a lifetime sports icon with a great personality and vision for his sport.
At the time the sport (Soccer in the US) was not as popular as today and I truly believe our coverages on Spanish television between Tony at Univisión and me at Telmundo was much comprehensive than all the English format TV stations in the Bay Area, they truly could not compete with us because we were the only two TV station in Northern California that covered this sport year ’round not only during the World Cup.
The ABC,CBS,NBC affilaited stations here in the Bay Area really never covered this sport, unitl the 1994 World Cup took place here. It was like the US media just discovered Soccer.
The FIFA World Cup is widely considered the greatest team sporting event in the world, boasting the highest viewership and global popularity due to soccer’s immense reach. Held every four years, it attracts over 3.5 billion viewers and offers unparalleled intensity, cultural spectacle, and passion.
Quote: “The World Cup is a very important way to measure the good players, and the great ones. It is a test of a great player,” -Pelé
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
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