The success of the ’94 World Cup led to the start of Major League Soccer two years later. Kraft retains strong emotions regarding the Revolution, a team that has provided him with as much frustration as satisfaction.

“And you saw all the people in the squares in Amsterdam and Madrid, hundreds of thousands of people all coming together. Sort of like our first Super Bowl, the coldest day of the year and we have 1 1/2 million people on the streets of Boston, a city of 600,000 people. This is the global sport. You have all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds, all together. It’s great for Spain, given their economic problems, it binds people together, helps the social fabric of the community. In the world we live in, the more ways we can build bridges and find ways for different cultures and backgrounds to learn to live together — this brings people together like no other sport.’’

“I just wish it was a little more exciting. The US-Ghana game got 19.5 million viewers and that was more than watched the NBA Finals and three times the Stanley Cup finals, so think about what that means, vs. four years ago — ratings are up 30 percent, and I think there are a lot of viewers not reported, to be honest.

“Our family loves sports, sports are part of the global community and the fabric of life,’’ Kraft said. “And the World Cup is unique. I was a little disappointed, the game was not as thrilling — I know how the American fan base thinks, and it was not the kind of game most Americans want to see.

The Kraft family viewed Sunday’s final on Cape Cod. A couple decades ago, they might have been in the minority among US families in terms of interest in the World Cup.

“We were the last stadium to be chosen,’’ Kraft said yesterday. “If you think about it, six games were held in the old stadium — out of 52 games, 10 percent of the World Cup was played here — that was a great sales job.’’

When Kraft invested in the stadium in 1988, one of his first directives was to secure approval as a venue for the World Cup. It was an uphill battle. Former stadium manager Brian O’Donovan had acted unilaterally to nominate Foxboro Stadium, but it had been crossed off the preliminary list, partly because of the artificial turf surface. Kraft’s commitment revived the bid.

While viewing Spain’s victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup final Sunday, Robert Kraft’s thoughts went back to July 9, 1994. That was the last of six World Cup games held at Foxboro Stadium, Italy taking a 2-1 victory over Spain.

After the Revolution’s 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy before 20,000-plus fans Saturday night, Kraft felt a sense of relief, and also a validation of his belief in professional soccer.

“Here’s the deal,’’ said Kraft after the struggling Revolution knocked off the MLS-leading Galaxy. “Take our record over the last 10 years, wins and losses, we are in the top two or three teams. I’m not happy with how this team is performing [this season], but getting three points Saturday night was really good. We have some bad circumstances — Taylor Twellman and other injuries, we had Shalrie Joseph out for a while.

“We don’t think we’re out of the playoff picture. [Sainey] Nyassi, the way he played — they played their hearts out Saturday night. Believe me, we’re on top of it. Our cap space is tight but I think you will see a signing here in the next week or two.’’

Whoever the newcomer is, he will not likely be of designated player caliber, someone who would be paid outside the salary cap limits.

“There is a time and place for that,’’ Kraft said. “In the end, we want to win — we’re not trying to just get headlines. I learned from the NFL, there are ownership groups who want to make headlines, but we need guys who can help us win. It’s like anything else, it’s chemistry — football and soccer are the same, you need to play together as a team. Look at Sunday’s game, the score was 1-nil, but look at how many small things made a difference.’’

Kraft is committed to finding a location for a soccer-specific stadium.

“We know eventually we will have a soccer-specific stadium,’’ Kraft said. “There are a lot of different alternatives we are considering. It’s timing and location. Probably an urban setting is where it belongs. Believe it or not, people are coming to us from all over the New England region, from different urban settings, and we’re just trying to figure out where the best location is. Good public transportation is important. Financing is not the problem. I think it’s finding the right location. This is a permanent decision. I have a saying, that you measure nine times and cut once. You have the material to make a dress or suit, this is a custom-tailored operation, and when you cut the cloth it’s going to be something that will fit. We are not under the gun, so we are going to do the right thing.’’

Kraft is on the US bid committee trying to win the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.