Group E of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 18, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 28, 1994.

The group consisted of Italy, Republic of Ireland, Mexico, and Norway. Mexico won the group on goals scored. Ireland and Italy also progressed to the knockout rounds, having finished with identical records and the Irish team qualifying in second place as a result of their victory against the Italians. The Italians qualified as one of the best-scoring third place teams. Norway's shortcomings in attack ultimately let them down, and they exited the tournament with only one goal. It is the only group in World Cup history in which all four teams finished with the same number of points, and all the teams even had the same goal difference.

It is also the most difficult group in World Cup since FIFA ranking debuted in 1992, measured in terms of average FIFA ranking. The average FIFA ranking of the four teams was 10 (Italy 4, Norway 6, Ireland 14 and Mexico 16).Fox Sports: Hardest group in each FIFA World Cup by FIFA rank

Standings

Matches All times local (EDT/UTC–4, CDT/UTC–5, PDT/UTC–7)

Italy vs Republic of Ireland Ray Houghton's early goal proved the only one of the match where Ireland's defense prevailed over Italy's attack.The Observer: One giant step for the IrishRep of Ireland v Italy 1994 Full Game During the game, members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, burst into a pub in Northern Ireland with assault rifles and fired on the customers,"The UVF's catalogue of atrocities" . BBC News. June 18, 2009. killing six civilians and wounding five. The pub was targeted because it was frequented mainly by Catholics,The Economist newspaper. June 25, 1994. pp. 25–26. "For the 24 fans gathered in Heights Bar in the quiet village of Loughinisland in County Down, the cheering was followed by carnage. Two men walked into the pub and sprayed the room with bullets, killing six and wounding five, and then fled laughing. The Ulster Volunteer Force, a Protestant terrorist group, later claimed it had carried out the attack. It chose the pub only because it knew that those gathered to support Ireland's team would be Catholic". and was crowded with supporters watching the Republic of Ireland. It is thus sometimes called the "World Cup massacre" or the Loughinisland massacre."Six shot dead in Ulster World Cup massacre" . The Independent. June 19, 1994."1994 World Cup massacre of Irish fans by Loyalists will be major ESPN movie" . IrishCentral. January 12, 2014.

GK 1Gianluca PagliucaRB 9 Mauro TassottiCB 4 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 6 Franco Baresi (c)LB 5 Paolo MaldiniRM 16Roberto DonadoniCM 11 Demetrio AlbertiniCM 13 Dino BaggioLM 17Alberico Evani RF 10 Roberto BaggioLF 20Giuseppe Signori Substitutions:RF 19Daniele Massaro LM 14Nicola Berti Manager:Arrigo Sacchi GK 1 Packie BonnerRB 2 Denis Irwin CB 5 Paul McGrathCB 14Phil BabbLB 3 Terry Phelan RM 8 Ray Houghton CM 6 Roy KeaneCM 10John SheridanCM 7 Andy Townsend (c)LM 11Steve StauntonCF 15Tommy Coyne Substitutions:MF 21Jason McAteer FW 9 John Aldridge Manager: Jack Charlton

Assistant referees: Jan Dolstra (Netherlands) Park Hae-Yong (Korean Republic) Fourth official: Arturo Angeles (United States)

Norway vs Mexico

The only goal of the game (in what was Norway's first World Cup victory) was scored by Kjetil Rekdal in the 85th minute when the referee let the game continue after a foul on Jan Åge Fjørtoft close to the Mexican penalty area. The goalscorer entered the game minutes before the decisive strike.Norway efficient, effective in 1-0 victory WORLD CUP 1994

GK 1Erik ThorstvedtRB 18Alf-Inge Haaland CB 20Henning BergCB 4 Rune Bratseth (c)LB 5 Stig Inge BjørnebyeRM 6 Jostein FloCM 22Lars BohinenCM 7 Erik Mykland CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen LM 11 Mini Jakobsen CF 9 Jan Åge FjørtoftSubstitutions:DF 2Gunnar Halle MF 10Kjetil Rekdal Manager:Egil Olsen GK 1 Jorge CamposRB 21Raúl Gutiérrez CB 2 Claudio Suárez CB 3 Juan de Dios Ramírez PeralesLB 5Ramón RamírezCM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c)CM 14 Joaquín del OlmoRW 16Luis Antonio Valdéz AM 10 Luis GarcíaLW 11Luís Roberto AlvesCF 9 Hugo SánchezSubstitutions:LM 17Benjamín Galindo RM 6 Marcelino Bernal Manager:Miguel Mejía Barón

Assistant referees: Sándor Márton (Hungary) Valentin Ivanov (Russia) Fourth official: Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain)

Italy vs Norway Gianluca Pagliuca of Italy became the first goalkeeper to be sent off in a World Cup game, dismissed for handling outside his area against Norway.

GK 1Gianluca Pagliuca RB 3 Antonio BenarrivoCB 4 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 6 Franco Baresi (c) LB 5 Paolo MaldiniRM 13 Dino BaggioCM 11 Demetrio AlbertiniLM 14Nicola BertiRF 18Pierluigi Casiraghi CF 20Giuseppe SignoriLF 10 Roberto Baggio Substitutions:GK 12Luca Marchegiani DF 2Luigi Apolloni FW 19Daniele Massaro Manager:Arrigo Sacchi GK 1 Erik ThorstvedtRB 18Alf-Inge Haaland CB 20Henning BergCB 4 Rune Bratseth (c)LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 6 Jostein FloCM 22Lars BohinenCM 7 Erik Mykland CM 8 Øyvind LeonhardsenLM 21Sigurd Rushfeldt CF 9 Jan Åge FjørtoftSubstitutions:MF 11Mini Jakobsen MF 10 Kjetil Rekdal Manager:Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Tapio Yli-Karro (Finland) Roy Pearson (England) Fourth official: Philip Don (England)

Mexico vs Republic of Ireland

GK 1Jorge Campos RB 20Jorge Rodríguez CB 2 Claudio SuárezCB 3 Juan de Dios Ramírez PeralesLB 14Joaquín del Olmo RM 6 Marcelino BernalCM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c)LM 8 Alberto García AspeRF 10 Luis GarcíaCF 7 Carlos Hermosillo LF 11Luís Roberto AlvesSubstitutions:CF 19Luis Miguel Salvador LB 21Raúl Gutiérrez Manager:Miguel Mejía Barón GK 1 Packie BonnerRB 2 Denis Irwin CB 5 Paul McGrathCB 14Phil BabbLB 3 Terry Phelan RM 8 Ray HoughtonCM 6 Roy KeaneCM 10John SheridanCM 7 Andy Townsend (c)LM 11Steve Staunton CF 15Tommy Coyne Substitutions:MF 21Jason McAteer FW 9 John Aldridge Manager: Jack Charlton

Assistant referees: Michał Listkiewicz (Poland) Paulo Jorge Alves (Brazil) Fourth official: Renato Marsiglia (Brazil)

Italy vs Mexico

GK 12Luca MarchegianiRB 3 Antonio BenarrivoCB 4 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 2 Luigi ApolloniLB 5 Paolo Maldini (c)RM 13 Dino Baggio CM 11 Demetrio Albertini LM 14Nicola BertiRF 18Pierluigi Casiraghi CF 20Giuseppe SignoriLF 10 Roberto BaggioSubstitutions:CF 19Daniele Massaro LM 16Roberto Donadoni Manager:Arrigo Sacchi GK 1 Jorge CamposRB 20Jorge RodríguezCB 2 Claudio SuárezCB 3 Juan RamírezLB 14Joaquín del Olmo RM 6 Marcelino BernalCM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c)LM 8 Alberto García Aspe RF 10 Luis García CF 7 Carlos HermosilloLF 11Luís Roberto AlvesSubstitutions:CM 13Juan Carlos Chávez Manager:Miguel Mejía Barón

Assistant referees: Ernesto Taibi (Argentina) Eugene Brazzale (Australia) Fourth official: Hellmut Krug (Germany)

Republic of Ireland vs Norway

GK 1 Packie BonnerRB 12Gary Kelly CB 5 Paul McGrathCB 14Phil BabbLB 11Steve StauntonRM 21Jason McAteerCM 6 Roy Keane CM 10John SheridanCM 7 Andy Townsend (c) LM 8 Ray Houghton CF 9 John Aldridge Substitutions:MF 20David Kelly MF 18 Ronnie Whelan Manager: Maurice Setters GK 1 Erik ThorstvedtRB 20Henning BergCB 3 Erland Johnsen CB 4 Rune Bratseth (c)LB 5 Stig Inge BjørnebyeRM 6 Jostein FloCM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen CM 10Kjetil RekdalCM 7 Erik MyklandLM 2 Gunnar Halle CF 16Gøran Sørloth Substitutions:MF 11Mini Jakobsen MF 22Lars Bohinen Manager:Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Paulo Jorge Alves (Brazil) Park Hae-Yong (Korea Republic) Fourth official: Leslie Mottram (Scotland)

See also Loughinisland massacre, that occurred in The Heights Bar in Northern Ireland while patrons were watching the Republic of Ireland vs Italy match Republic of Ireland at the FIFA World Cup Italy at the FIFA World Cup Mexico at the FIFA World Cup Norway at the FIFA World Cup 2000 Africa Cup of Nations Group A – another group with a similar situation of all four teams scoring the exact same points at the end of group stage UEFA Euro 2024 Group E – another example of a group with this outcome

Notes

References

Match reports