The most vivid memory etched in Jesús Padilla’s mind while covering the 1994 World Cup in Dallas has nothing to do with soccer.
Padilla, who was then the sports director for radio station 1270 AM, was at the International Broadcast Center at the Texas State Fairgrounds covering the World Cup opening match between and Bolivia.
Suddenly, the TV monitors at the venue, which held thousands of journalists, producers, and technicians from around the world, began broadcasting the infamous slow-speed highway pursuit O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco.
“We couldn’t believe it, instead of showing us images of the World Cup opening match, they showed us the chase of O.J. Simpson. We were actually mad, we all protested,” Padilla recently told The Dallas Morning News.
With just one year to go until the 2026 World Cup takes place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Padilla believes something like that wouldn’t happen today.
“In 1994, the knowledge and ion for soccer didn’t exist in the United States. Thirty-one years ago, O.J. Simpson was the story. The opening game of the World Cup took a back seat,” said Padilla, 65.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first in history to feature 48 teams, and AT&T Stadium — home of the Dallas Cowboys — will host the most games, nine in total, including a semifinal.
Witness to History
Padilla, a Little Elm resident, is one of Dallas’ deans of Hispanic sports journalism.
Originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, where he developed his ion for journalism, Padilla arrived in North Texas in 1988 to knock on doors and ask for an opportunity in local media.
His tenacity led him to work for various radio, television, and print media outlets, and in 1994, one of his biggest professional goals became a reality.
“Covering the World Cup was one of my biggest dreams. From the day they announced it would be in the United States, I dreamed of being there every day,” Padilla said.
Padilla’s professional career led him to work at local Univision and ESPN Radio stations and newspapers such as El Heraldo News.
His most recent work in a traditional media outlet was covering the Copa América for Estrella TV last year.
“Jesús is an outstanding reporter and sports commentator,” said Gonzalo Aguilera, who, as news director of Univision Dallas, hired Padilla in 1989.
When Aguilera left Univision to work as the news director of radio station 1270 AM, he took Padilla with him.
“When you interview someone for a job opening, you immediately know if that’s really who they say they are, and that was the case with Jesús. From day one, he showed that he was cut out to be a sports journalist. Jesús never missed an assignment, was very responsible, never called in sick, and was ionate about his work,” Aguilera said.
The 1994 World Cup is ed as the setting for FIFA’s suspension of Argentine star Diego Maradona in a tumultuous press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Colinas, which Padilla was assigned to cover.
“It was shocking; when we heard Maradona’s name, all the reporters stared at each other in astonishment,” Padilla said.
FIFA suspended Maradona for alleged substance abuse on the same day Argentina was scheduled to play its third group stage game against Bulgaria.
Argentina needed a win to advance to the next round, but demoralized by the situation of its star player, it fell 2-0 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
“The stadium was sold out, and the stands were dressed in the blue and white of Argentina. It felt like you were at La Bombonera, back in Argentina, but people were already very sad about the news of Maradona,” Padilla said.
Maradona appeared in Argentina’s first two matches of the 1994 World Cup. Those were his last appearances as a player in a World Cup.
Although Maradona’s story went around the world, Padilla’s brightest moment of the 1994 World Cup was the quarterfinal match between Brazil and the Netherlands at the Cotton Bowl.
“It was a great game, perhaps one of the best in World Cup history,” Padilla said of the match, which Brazil won 3-2 and propelled it to a penalty shootout victory over Italy in the final.
Hopes for another highlight
Inside a pristine black box, Padilla keeps 1994 World Cup souvenirs in perfect condition.
Among the priceless items are the press credentials that allowed him to cover the tournament, press releases, media guides, sponsors’ gifts, and a list of the official ticket prices for World Cup games.
“The ticket prices back then were ridiculous compared to what they are charging today,” said Padilla, showing a list of 1994 World Cup prices that ranged from $50 to $75 per game.
ing the 1994 World Cup brings Padilla pride and joy, but his expression turned sad at one point during the conversation, and his words evoked uncertainty and nostalgia.
Padilla itted he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to obtain a press credential to cover the 2026 World Cup because he doesn’t currently work for an established outlet, although he has his own YouTube channel where he publishes his independent reports.
“I don’t know what situation I’ll be in because I don’t work for an established news network,” said Padilla, who is even considering g up as a volunteer at the Dallas headquarters to be present at the World Cup.
Those familiar with Padilla’s career agree that there must be a way for him to cover the 2026 World Cup.
“I think both FIFA and the Dallas World Cup organizing committee should recognize the career and talent of those like Jesús who were pioneers of Spanish-language sports reporting in Dallas,” said Pedro Gasc, the manager of radio station 1270 AM when Padilla worked there.
“Jesús has dedicated his life to sports journalism, and there must be a way for him to obtain accreditation to cover the 2026 World Cup,” said Gasc.
Gasc, a Chilean who arrived in Dallas in 1978 and spent 45 years managing local Hispanic media outlets, said that social media has displaced traditional journalists who used to cover large-scale events like the World Cup.
“Reporters used to spend the entire day on the street reporting and interviewing. It was an intense, physically demanding job, starting very early in the morning and finishing very late at night. Today, those who work on social media do their reports comfortably sitting at home”, Gasca said. “Nowadays, a short message or video on social media is enough to satisfy audiences. For better or worse, depending on how each person views it, the journalism our generation knew no longer exists.”
Padilla hopes the 2026 World Cup will be another highlight in his longstanding career.
“Of the local journalists who covered the 1994 World Cup, very few of us are left”, Padilla said.
“I hope someone can do something for us, the veteran local journalists, who want to cover the 2026 World Cup.”
Find more World Cup coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.