More than three decades have passed since Branco's free kick sealed Brazil's quarter-final victory over the Netherlands at Dallas's Cotton Bowl, one of the defining moments of the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. Now, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has returned to North Texas — and it has brought with it a wave of nostalgia, community spirit, and full-circle stories for the people who lived it the first time.

A city transformed

Dallas and the broader Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex look nothing like they did in 1994. The region's population has more than doubled to over 8 million, and football has grown alongside it. Youth, amateur, and professional clubs thrive across the area, and several players on the current United States squad have ties to FC Dallas, the MLS side that launched in the wake of that landmark 1994 tournament.

The Cotton Bowl, which opened in 1930, hosted six matches in 1994. Its replacement as the Host City's centrepiece is the modern, state-of-the-art Dallas Stadium, situated roughly 30 kilometres to the west. By the time the tournament concludes, it will have staged nine FIFA World Cup 2026 matches — including the Portugal versus Spain round of 16 tie on 6 July and a semi-final eight days later.

Those who planted the seeds

Cecilia Nipp served as a media operations volunteer at the Cotton Bowl in 1994. She is back this summer, helping at the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park.