It was the start a multi-day celebration. While locals may not mastered finer points of the sport, they were charmed by passionate visitors who ate, drank, danced and cheered for days as they ventured to and from what was then known as the Citrus Bowl.
During the first Orlando match, Belgium defeated Morocco 1-0 in front of an announced crowd of 61,219. The city went on to host four more matches, including a Round of 16 contest between Ireland and the Netherlands.
During one of the matches, Altamonte Springs native Graham Zusi was among the youth players who walked onto the pitch alongside star soccer players for the national anthems.