Balakov: We Played the USA Semi-Final as a Joke

Bulgarian football legend Krassimir Balakov shared his experiences from the unforgettable 1994 World Cup in the USA with guests at his restaurant, CASA BALA.

Balakov recounted the excitement and pressure of a World Cup semi-final match, as the thrilling England vs. Argentina game played on during a break.

“For us, there was no pressure in the USA because we played the semi-final almost as a joke. Everyone had written us off and tore us apart after the first match against Nigeria. Back then, there were no social media, and they had forbidden us from buying newspapers so that the negativity wouldn't affect us. We went there aiming for one victory, and once we achieved it, there was no longer any pressure for the subsequent matches.

Everyone knows what happened afterward, but in the semi-final, we were practically joking around, completely free of pressure. Then FIFA made the strange decision to announce that there would be bronze medals for both teams, regardless of the outcome of the third-place playoff.

We wondered, what were we even playing for then? Some decided to play for Hristo Stoichkov, so he could become the sole top scorer. Others wanted to help Bobby Mihaylov win the award for best goalkeeper. And in the middle, there was no one, which led to that disappointment against Sweden,” Balakov told Sportal.bg.