The U.S. men’s national soccer team’s historic 1994 World Cup journey is the subject of an upcoming film from Imagine Documentaries.
Titled “Summer of 94,” the documentary will be directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker of Copper Pot Pictures. The goal is to sell and release the feature film ahead of the 2026 World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In the lead-up to the 1994 World Cup, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) was the underdog, but against all odds the team came together and advanced to the round of 16 of the World Cup 1994, which was the most successful event in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) history. The event’s cumulative attendance of 3.6 million broke the previous record by more than one million. The ultimate success of the USMNT helped transform the way soccer was played and viewed across America.
“These players laid the foundation for US soccer as we know it, and they did it with very few resources,” LaMattina and Walker said in a joint statement. “During the two-year training camp, they were changing in a Wienerschnitzel bathroom because there wasn’t even a locker room. They are true pioneers, and we are thrilled to hopefully inspire a new generation of players who will be blown away by the trailblazers they were.”
The documentary, which is currently in production, will feature never-before-seen archival footage shot by the players, coaches, and training staff as well as exclusive interviews with the icons who made up the 1994 United States men’s national team (USMNT).
“I remember watching the 1994 US Men’s National Team live and feeling the electricity in the crowd,” says Marc Gilbar, president of Imagine Brands and Partnerships, “Not only is their story powerful and long overdue, but it’s also really fun.”
Imagine Documentaries will produce “Summer of 94” alongside Rafael Marmor and Christopher Leggett’s Delirio Films.
“Everything about this story drew us in – the larger-than-life characters, the unbelievable treasure trove of personal and behind-the-scenes archive, and the sheer improbability of what this group achieved,” Marmor and Leggett said in a joint statement. “It’s one of those rare, uniquely American sports stories that transcends the game itself and has you cheering from your couch. We really think this is the type of story that unites us all as Americans.”
“Summer of 94″ is produced by Christopher Leggett and Rafael Marmor for Delirio Films and executive produced by Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, and Marc Gilbar for Imagine Documentaries. The documentary marks the third nonfiction collaboration for Delirio and Imagine after “Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker” and “Behind the Mac: Skywalker Sound.” The film is in part financed by Stand Together, a philanthropic community that “tackles the root causes of our country’s biggest problems.”
