The Super Bowl-style half-time show curated by Chris Martin for the World Cup final will not be to everybody’s tastes, but one octogenarian American will have a wry smile on his face when Madonna and Shakira walk out on to the pitch at MetLife Stadium next month.
In his role as chair and chief executive of the 1994 World Cup, Alan Rothenberg wanted Whitney Houston to perform on the pitch at the final at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, only to be overruled by Fifa, who insisted that the singer stay on the sidelines.
Rothenberg had even arranged for Fifa officials to attend the 1993 Super Bowl at the same venue in California, where Michael Jackson entertained fans at half-time. But, despite the sweetener, Fifa would not budge on its decision over Houston.
The prospect of unseasonal Californian rain and potential pitch damage were cited as the reasons, which Rothenberg contests to this day, so he will take some pleasure from his vision for a World Cup final show finally being realised 32 years later.
“Prior to 1994 the World Cup was basically a soccer tournament, and there was not a lot of hoopla other than passionate fans,” Rothenberg said. “We consciously tried to make 1994 very entertaining and wanted Whitney Houston on the pitch at the final, but Fifa said no.
“All these kinds of things were brand new to Fifa and have been picked up since, but in 1994 they blocked Whitney from playing. They basically said no because if there was rain or precipitation – which was never likely to be a problem in California in July – they didn’t want a stage in the centre of the field.
“In a wonderful coincidence the previous January, the Super Bowl was at the Rose Bowl, and the half-time show was with Michael Jackson. We invited the top executives from Fifa and when they pulled the stage off midfield, we walked out to see if there was any torn up or broken down grass. There was none whatsoever, but Fifa still said no.
“In the end Whitney performed, but it was from the sidelines and with all kinds of people around her. The fans in the stadium weren’t even sure where the music was coming from. It shows we were very innovative and changed the way the World Cup is presented.”
While the opening day of the 1994 finals was overshadowed by another celebrity event - the OJ Simpson car chase - the first US World Cup was not troubled by the politics that have marred the build-up to this summer’s tournament.
Although Rothenberg has some sympathy for the difficult dance required by Fifa to keep the Trump administration onside, he has found some of Gianni Infantino’s utterances embarrassing.
“Politics has always played a part at World Cups, but not to the extent as has occurred under President Trump,” he said. “Maybe some of the things that have been said or done by Infantino are embarrassing.
“But it’s an embarrassment that’s worth taking just to keep the government on side, is the calculation. The goal is to have a great tournament, and that requires some extraordinary extracurricular activities to make that happen.
“This World Cup is unduly complicated because of some of the international geopolitical issues. They’re always there in one way or another, but I don’t think they’ve ever been quite as challenging as they presently are.”
Rothenberg is less concerned by other potential problems such as ICE raids, and expects immigration officials to be restrained.
“There was lots of talk of ICE being active at the Super Bowl this year, and around other major events, but in reality very little happened,” he said.
“I suspect that there will be a similar position at the World Cup. Remember President Trump is chair of the World Cup Committee, and I don’t think he wants to end up having the tournament overshadowed by discussions of ICE raids. I think they will be very restrained in and around the matches.”
Rothenberg got the 1994 job having served as president of US Soccer for eight years and he had been soccer commissioner for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He marvels at the sport’s transformation in the US over the last 40 years.
“When I was president in 1990, the federation’s offices were in a trailer in Colorado Springs because the US Olympic Committee provided its members with free rent. We had six, maybe eight employees.
“Now US Soccer has just opened a $300m training centre, and they have several hundred employees. Back in 1990, the federation was effectively bankrupt, and now it’s got hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. It’s quite a transformation.
“Globalization was always going to turn soccer into a major sport in America, but even I’ve been surprised at the recent growth. Hopefully the World Cup can take it to another level.”
