Who is Roberto Baggio?

Roberto Baggio , born in Caldogno, Italy, on February 18, 1967, is celebrated as one of Italy's greatest football forwards. In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year. Baggio began his professional career with Vicenza in 1982 before joining Fiorentina in 1985, where he rose to stardom. In 1990, he moved to Juventus for a record fee. After Juventus, he played for AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia. Baggio debuted for Italy's national team in 1988 and played in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, becoming the first Italian to score in three World Cups. After retiring in 2004, Baggio became a global ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2005 and served as the technical director of the Italian Football Federation from 2010 to 2013.

Which country did Roberto Baggio play football for?

Roberto Baggio played football for Italy, making his international debut in 1988. Widely regarded as one of Italy's greatest forwards, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1993. Baggio is also remembered for missing the penalty kick that gave Brazil victory in the 1994 World Cup final. He scored twice in the 1998 World Cup, becoming the first Italian player to score in three World Cups. He retired from the game in 2004 and was celebrated for his charitable work, including becoming a global ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2005.

What position did Roberto Baggio usually play on the field?

Roberto Baggio is widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in Italian football history. He began his professional career with Vicenza in 1982 before joining Fiorentina in 1985, where he rose to stardom. In 1990, he moved to Juventus for a record fee and later played for AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia. Baggio made his international debut for Italy in 1988 and played in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups. After retiring in 2004, he became a global ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2005 and served as the technical director of the Italian Football Federation from 2010 to 2013.

What is Roberto Baggio famous for in football history?

Roberto Baggio , born in Caldogno, Italy, on February 18, 1967, is celebrated as one of Italy's greatest football forwards. In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year. Baggio is also remembered for missing the penalty kick in the 1994 World Cup final, handing Brazil the victory. He played for Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia. Internationally, Baggio debuted for Italy in 1988 and scored in three World Cups. After retiring in 2004, he became a global ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2005 and served as the Italian Football Federation's technical director from 2010 to 2013.

Which major clubs did Roberto Baggio play for during his career?

During his career, Roberto Baggio played for several major clubs in Italy. He began his professional career with Vicenza in 1982 before joining Fiorentina in 1985, where he rose to stardom. In 1990, he transferred to Juventus for a record fee, winning a UEFA Cup title in 1993 and a Serie A championship in 1995. Following this, he moved to AC Milan, contributing to their Serie A title win in his first year. After a less successful period with Milan, he joined Bologna in 1997, reviving his career with a career-high 22 goals. He then spent two seasons with Inter Milan before finishing his domestic career with Brescia.

What happened to Roberto Baggio in the 1994 FIFA World Cup?

Roberto Baggio , a celebrated Italian forward, is remembered by football fans for his critical miss in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil. Despite starring for Italy throughout the tournament, which saw them advance to the final, the match concluded in a scoreless tie, leading to a penalty kick shoot-out. With Italy trailing 3–2, Baggio shot the final shot over the crossbar, handing Brazil the victory. Earlier in the tournament, Baggio played as a substitute in the 1990 World Cup. He later played in the 1998 World Cup, where he scored twice and became the first Italian to score in three World Cups.

Roberto Baggio

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Roberto Baggio stands with his head down in disappointment after missing a penalty, while Brazilian players celebrate in the background during the FIFA World Cup Final.

Roberto Baggio of the Italy national football team in a blue jersey runs with the ball during the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final match against the Brazil national football team at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1994.

At a Glance

Roberto Baggio summary

Quick Facts

Also called:: the Divine Ponytail

Born:: February 18, 1967, Caldogno, Italy (age 59)

Awards And Honors:: Ballon d’Or (1993)

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Roberto Baggio

Italian football (soccer) player

Also known as: the Divine Ponytail

Written by

Adam Augustyn

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Britannica Editors

History

Club career

Baggio first played professional football in 1982, with the lower-division team Vicenza. In 1985 he joined Fiorentina, in Florence, a member of Italy’s top division, Serie A. Baggio blossomed into stardom with Fiorentina, his distinctive ponytail becoming famous throughout the country. When he transferred to Juventus for a then record fee in 1990, there were riots in Florence. In his first match against Fiorentina as a member of Juventus, Baggio refused to take a penalty kick, an act that endeared him to his fans in Florence but alienated supporters of his new team. His rocky relationship with Juventus fans was smoothed over in the following years as Baggio led the team to a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup (now UEFA Europa League) title in 1993 and a Serie A championship in 1994–95.

Soon after that championship, he was transferred to AC Milan, where he played a supporting role as his new team won the Serie A title in his first year there. The rest of Baggio’s tenure with Milan was not particularly successful, however, and he signed with Bologna in 1997 in an attempt to revive his career. He scored a career-high 22 goals during the 1997–98 season and then signed a lucrative deal with Inter Milan. Baggio spent two seasons with Inter before closing out his domestic career with four years playing for Brescia.

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International and World Cup career

Baggio had made his international debut for Italy in 1988. He played primarily as a substitute in the 1990 World Cup, helping the Italian team reach the semifinal and beat England in the third-place playoff. His most memorable performance was in the match against Czechoslovakia, during which he scored one of the goals of the tournament. After gaining possession of the ball near the halfway line, Baggio dribbled past several defenders with some help from teammate Giuseppe Giannini and by demonstrating excellent close control of the ball, and slotted it past the Czech goalkeeper into the net.

During the 1994 World Cup Baggio scored five goals as Italy advanced to the final against Brazil. Neither team scored during regulation play and extra time in the decisive match, which went to a penalty k shoot-out tiebreaker. With Italy trailing in the shoot-out 3–2, Baggio sent his side’s final shot over the crossbar, and Brazil won the World Cup.

Baggio’s playing time was limited during the 1998 World Cup, but he scored twice during the tournament and became the first Italian with goals in three world cups.

After he retired from the game in 2004, Baggio was much celebrated for his charitable endeavors, which included becoming a global ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2005. He served as the technical director of the Italian Football Federation from 2010 to 2013. His autobiography, Una porta nel cielo (“A Goal in the Sky”), was published in 2002.

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