Eric Wynalda
A fiery American soccer pioneer whose record-breaking goals for the national team paved the way for the sport's growth in the 1990s.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American soccer player·Birthday: June 9·Generation X
Biography
Eric Wynalda's career is a story of American soccer's awkward, passionate adolescence. With a blistering shot and a temperament to match, he became the first true scoring star for a U.S. Men's National Team that was just beginning to believe it belonged on the world stage. His iconic, bending free-kick against Switzerland in the 1994 World Cup—the first goal scored in that tournament on U.S. soil—is etched in national team lore. Wynalda played in Germany's Bundesliga when few Americans dared, facing down challenges both on and off the pitch. His post-playing career has been equally combative and colorful, spanning television commentary known for its unfiltered opinions, coaching stints, and podcasting. He remains a polarizing but undeniable figure who helped force soccer into the American sports conversation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Eric was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored the first goal for the U.S. in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a famous free-kick against Switzerland.
- Became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. Men's National Team upon his retirement (a record later broken).
- Played professionally in Germany's Bundesliga for FC Saarbrücken and VfL Bochum.
- Earned over 100 caps for the United States national team.
Did You Know?
He was famously sent off in his MLS debut for the San Jose Clash after a confrontation with a fan.
He voiced himself in the popular video game "FIFA: Road to World Cup 98".
His father, Bob Wynalda, was a professional soccer player in the original NASL.
He hosted a soccer talk show called "Wynalda Talks Football" on SiriusXM.
“That goal wasn't for me; it was for every kid told soccer wasn't American.”
