24 Years After Brandi Chastain's Iconic World Cup Goal, She Says This Year's Team Is 'Ready' (Exclusive)
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On the eve of World Cup action, the retired soccer legend reflects on the 24 years since her jersey came off
It’s been almost a quarter of a century since Brandi Chastain — and her sports bra — grabbed headlines worldwide, when the soccer star shed her jersey in elation after scoring the championship-clinching goal at the FIFA World Cup final.
And Chastain, 54, can’t believe it either.
“The more I think about it, the more I am befuddled by the fact that it's been 24 years, to be honest with you,” Chastain tells PEOPLE. “Time has surely flown by. I think [about what] that moment evokes for a lot of people. This idea of just going out there and challenging yourself and celebrating your great moments and not feeling prohibited from doing that.”
Now, one of the most iconic figures in the history of women’s sports is hoping to inspire a new generation of talent — all on the eve of the World Cup tournament, which begins on Thursday.
“I think the way that we see women participating and celebrating the good things that they do is going to be uplifted in this World Cup,” the California native says.
Chastain played 12 years on the US Women’s National Team, won an Olympic gold medal in 1996, and was a member of two FIFA World Cups in 1991 and 1999.
If anyone has perspective on how best to compete on the world stage, it would be the Santa Clara University alum. On the cusp of another World Cup, she has plenty of advice — but acknowledges the national team is well equipped without her input to win its third consecutive and fifth overall title.
“You have to be able to appreciate it,” she says. “You have to be able to be in control and have the composure to understand where you are. And I remember my first World Cup being very excited and probably being overly excited.”
She adds, “And so now I think with all of the staff that all of these teams have, they have someone that will help you with your nutrition, with your physical side, with your mental state, with any kind of training that you need.”
Another place where the team can count on support is from Frito-Lay, “the Official USA Snack of the FIFA Women's World Cup," Chastain says.
The former athlete and many of her other fellow soccer standouts — including Mia Hamm, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach, Briana Scurry, Marta Vieira da Silva, Christine Sinclair, Julie Ertz, Mallory Swanson and Crystal Dunn — all make cameos in a new TV spot called “The Greatest Game Never Played.”
Mixing animation and reality, the commercial features a mom teaching her daughter about the sport. Before their eyes, the players spring into action as animated avatars — created using 3D-body scanning technology — and face off in a game on a coffee table strewn with chips, salsa and queso.
“This is a monumental opportunity that we have, to show that women love sports,” Chastain says. “We love talking about it. We love playing it, we love being involved. And I'm just very grateful that Frito-Lay is taking this leap of faith with women's soccer.”
Chastain plays a Flamin' Hot Cheeto who has a pivotal role in the spot, helping the team win the fictional game.
“The fact that I get to score on a bicycle kick is a dream come true,” she says, laughing. “I wanted to do that in real life.”
These days, when she’s not assuming a spicy alter ego, the soccer legend is working hard to bring a new National Women’s Soccer League franchise, Bay FC, to Northern California.
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“Obviously women's soccer has just grown exponentially,” she says. “And to find ourselves here at this place with women's professional soccer around the world being so impactful for so many young girls and women, I'm so proud and grateful to be a part of it, to be a part of a team that will be participating next year as an expansion team in the NWSL in 2024.”
But first, Chastain will make another World Cup appearance. Over the next weeks, she’ll travel to Australia to work as a sports envoy with the U.S. State Department, she says, and plans to attend the semifinal and final games.
“I think they're ready. I think they're excited,” Chastain says about the women’s team. “It's a long runway up to the Women's World Cup, and there's a lot of talk that goes on about it. So I think for the players, it's like, get there, get your feet on the ground, get ready, and let's kick this thing off.”
The FIFA Women's World Cup begins July 20 and runs through Aug. 20.
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