{"podcast":{"title":"The World Cup Files","slug":"the-world-cup-files-7854774","podcast_index_feed_id":7854774,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/11139a58c/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ails-and-the-cheeks","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/45739579/45739579-1777767991964-b8a8291ad42c2.jpg","author":"Aileen Summers","episode_count":16,"summary":"The greatest show on earth has a history as dramatic as the matches themselves. The World Cup Files takes you back to where it all began, uncovering the untold stories, unforgettable moments, and wild facts behind every World Cup tournament. From heroes and villains to shocking upsets, controversial decisions, and moments no one saw coming — this is football history as you’ve never heard it before. Strap in. History never played it safe.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-28T06:22:17.485059+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774"},"episode":{"title":"File 15: USA, 1994","slug":"file-15-usa-1994","published_at":"2026-06-24T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774/file-15-usa-1994","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ails-and-the-cheeks/episodes/File-15-USA--1994-e3l4d4g","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/11139a58c/podcast/play/121827920/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-22%2Fc35884e5-ee9f-b152-e9ed-508a1618c3e2.mp3","summary":"In our fifteenth file, we travel to the United States, 1994 — where the World Cup arrived in a country still learning to love the game. Many doubted whether football could capture America’s attention, but the tournament delivered packed stadiums, record-breaking crowds, unforgettable goals, and drama at every turn. Maradona’s World Cup ended in controversy, Romania and Bulgaria became surprise heroes, and Brazil returned to the final after 24 years away. In Episode 15: USA 1994 , we uncover how America staged the biggest World Cup yet, how the underdogs shook up the tournament, and how one heartbreaking penalty decided the world champion for the very first time. Strap in. History never played it safe.","meta_description":"In our fifteenth file, we travel to the United States, 1994 — where the World Cup arrived in a country still learning to love the game. Many doubted wheth…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1227,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-world-cup-files-7854774/episodes/file-15-usa-1994/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-world-cup-files-7854774/file-15-usa-1994.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}