Part of the home squad that featured at USA 1994, Frank Klopas reflects on the rapid transformation of the game Stateside and why visitors to World Cup 26 will have an amazing experience.
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Klopas started his professional career playing indoor football
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He is currently Vice President of Football at the Chicago Fire
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Klopas spoke to FIFA about football’s evolution in the USA
It isn’t uncommon to see footballers start their journeys from humble beginnings before achieving their ultimate childhood dream of playing at the FIFA World Cup™. The path for former USA international Frank Klopas was far from traditional, however, going from playing indoor football to appearing at a World Cup just a few years later.
Klopas, who is currently the Vice President of Football at Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer (MLS), immigrated to the States at age nine with his family from Greece in the 1970s. He was soon touted as a bright football prospect while playing for Mather High School in Chicago.
Having joined the Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League (NASL) only to see the league fold shortly after, the teenage forward then spent the next four years for the club’s indoor side in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), like many of his peers at the time.
During an era in which the USA didn’t have a recognised professional football league, Klopas was soon selected to play for his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
That same summer, Klopas returned to Greece to play professional football. Playing six seasons at AEK Athens, he won the Greek league four times and eventually earned his place in Bora Milutinovic’s USA squad for the 1994 World Cup™. Although Klopas didn’t feature in any of the USA’s four matches, he was a part of a historic squad that advanced from the group stage to face Brazil in the last 16 of a home World Cup.
FIFA recently met with Klopas, who in the late 1990s returned to the USA to play in MLS for the Kansas City Wizards and the Fire. The 58-year-old, who has previously coached Chicago and Montreal Impact, spoke candidly about just how much the game has evolved in his adopted home country.
FIFA: You started playing indoor soccer in the USA four decades ago before experiencing a home World Cup in 1994. How much has the game changed in the country since?
Frank Klopas: The difference has been night and day. I came to this country when I was a nine-year-old from Greece, but when I think back, soccer in this country at the time was non-existent, especially if you compare it to what it is now. I signed a professional contract to play outdoors, but the league unfortunately folded, and I had to play indoor soccer for a couple of years! Then I went to Europe and came back later. I think what really changed things was the 1994 World Cup. The impact that tournament had on the US with the investments, especially with starting Major League Soccer, helped us come a long way in a short time. It’s exciting.
What was it like for you to be at a World Cup hosted in the US? What did that do for your career?
It was a dream come true, first of all. Just to be there at a World Cup as a young player was something that you’ve been dreaming of. As a player, you dream of being at a tournament like that, playing against the best players in the world. The World Cup itself was something special to begin with, but to have it here in the US at the time was incredible just to see the turnout, the fan support. Our team at that time in ’94, no one gave us a chance, because we were in a really tough group. We still advanced and then lost to Brazil, 1-0. It was incredible. At that moment, when it all came to an end, I didn’t really understand what it meant. Many, many years later, I reflected back and realised that it was a dream-come-true moment for me. It was amazing to see how the game has evolved in this country since.
For fans who have memories of that 1994 World Cup, how do you think their experience will change at the 2026 tournament?
Probably the US national team doing a little bit better than we did in 1994. There’s different pressure for the US now. Look at how many of the top US players are playing in Europe. Also, MLS really has grown a lot. MLS has been able to produce a lot of quality players, so we have different expectations now. Back then, no one really expected us to do anything, but now, the expectations are actually high. So, dealing with those pressures is going to be an interesting thing to see. I think that’s the biggest difference.
As a former USA player who experienced a home World Cup, what legacy do you think you and your teammates left on the game in the country?
For us, the most important thing is always to have big dreams. You also have to understand what it takes every day to reach those dreams. That was the most important thing for me as a player. It’s about always trying to give back to the game that’s given so much to me. That’s what it’s all about.
You played in Kansas City, which is one of the host cities at FIFA World Cup 26. What can the fans visiting the US expect?
Not just Kansas City, the fans visiting this country can expect great cities and great venues. When it comes to hosting a big event like the World Cup, no one can do it better than the US can. It’ll be exciting. Every game will be packed. I’m just looking forward to great games and for the US to go very deep in the tournament.
