Sports
Roberto Baggio & the Infamous 1994 World Cup final Penalty Miss
Roberto Baggio enjoyed a spectacular career, yet there is one single moment that has become a definitive image of his time in the game, as an entire nation’s World Cup heartbreak bore down heavily on his shoulders.
A head bowed, ponytail drooping, standing frozen over the penalty spot as the ball sails into the Pasadena sky.
It is one of football’s most devastating photographs, a man alone in front of 94,000 people, carrying the weight of a country and watching it all fall apart in a single second.
On July 17 1994, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the player widely regarded as the greatest in the world at the time, missed the penalty that handed Brazil a fourth World Cup title. It was cruel, it was sudden, and for Baggio himself, it was almost unbearable.
Italy’s Route to the Rose Bowl Final
Italy’s journey to the final was far from the march of champions. Drawn in Group E alongside the Republic of Ireland, Mexico and Norway, the Azzurri stumbled immediately, losing their opener to Ireland, courtesy of Ray Houghton’s audacious early lob.
A 1-0 win over Norway and a 1-1 draw with Mexico followed, and Italy squeaked through to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams, finishing level on points with all three other sides in the most chaotic group of the tournament.
Italy’s Route to the Final
|
Round |
Opponent |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
Group E |
Republic of Ireland |
0-1 (L) |
|
Group E |
Norway |
1-0 (W) |
|
Group E |
Mexico |
1-1 (D) |
|
Round of 16 |
Nigeria |
2-1 AET (W) |
|
Quarter-Final |
Spain |
2-1 (W) |
|
Semi-Final |
Bulgaria |
2-1 (W) |
What kept Italy alive through every one of those knockout games was one man. Against Nigeria, with 10 men, Baggio equalised in the 88th minute and then converted the winner in extra time. Against Spain, it was the same story, with Baggio scoring with just two minutes left. He then scored twice in the first half hour against Bulgaria.
Italy had no right to be in the final without him. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner had carried a creaking, cautious side to the game’s biggest stage almost entirely on his own.
120 Unbearable Minutes in the California Heat
If the route to the final was grinding, the final itself was suffocating, in every sense. The Rose Bowl on July 17, 1994 baked under a scorching Pasadena summer, with temperatures at field level reaching close to 100 degrees farenheit (just under 38 degrees celsius).
Baggio told The Athletic, “The entire World Cup, not just our matches, was affected by the heat. It was mind-boggling.
“We had to exert ourselves beyond limits of what was humanely possible to be able to play. But despite everything, we were driven by passion and the desire to achieve results.”
The match between Brazil and Italy, a repeat of the 1970 final, was the most anticipated in years. Two nations with three World Cup titles each, the winner claiming a record-breaking fourth. But what unfolded over 120 minutes was a stalemate of almost drabness, a goalless final that remains the only one in history.
The heat had killed the football. Both teams had their moments; Marcio Santos was denied a winner for Brazil after he struck the post, and Baggio occasionally threatened, but for all the tournament’s colour and drama, the final offered almost none.
After 120 minutes, the World Cup final was going to be decided by a penalty shootout for the very first time.
Baggio: ‘If I had a knife, I would have stabbed myself’
The shootout began catastrophically for Italy, as captain Franco Baresi, who had played every minute of that final just 22 days after surgery, blazed his penalty over the bar. Daniele Massaro had his effort saved by Claudio Taffarel. Demetrio Albertini and Alberico Evani converted, but Brazil’s Romario, Branco and Dunga all scored.
It came down to Baggio. He needed to score to keep Italy alive, though even a converted penalty would only extend the shootout, requiring Brazil to then miss. The odds were stacked, the burden was enormous.
He had a plan. He would shoot down the middle, knowing Taffarel always dived. It was the right call, Taffarel did dive. But the ball rose three meters and cleared the crossbar. Italy had lost.
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Baggio stood statue-still at the spot, staring at the ground as Brazil’s players erupted behind him. The image became one of the most reproduced in sporting history. In his autobiography, he described what he felt in those seconds: “I felt myself dying inside.”
In an interview with The Athletic, he said, “If I had a knife at that moment, I would have stabbed myself. If I had a gun, I would have shot myself. At that moment, I wanted to die. That’s how it was.”
He still dreamed about it years later. He had scored five goals to earn the silver ball as the tournament’s second-best player. He had single-handedly dragged Italy to the final. And yet sport has a ruthless memory, and a single miss in a shootout can compress an entire career into one frozen frame.
Manchester United are currently in the midst of a major squad rebuild after securing their return to the Champions League, and they are on the lookout for market opportunities.
The Red Devils have already signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50m, while they triggered the £35m release clause in Youri Tielemans’ contract to seal a surprise swoop for the Belgium international. Karl Darlow has also arrived on a free transfer after his Leeds contract expired.
The club are continuing to look at options to strengthen the squad, with a forward, left-back and another midfielder seen as ideal additions in the summer transfer window, and it has now emerged that they could be the only horse in a potential race to sign one of the top stars in the world.
Man Utd Only Club Who Can Sign Vini Jr
According to journalist Romain Molina, via UtdReport, the future of Vinicius Jr at Real Madrid is far from secure, as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at the Bernabeu.
The Brazil superstar, who has been described as ‘the best player in the world’, is yet to find an agreement with the Spanish giants over a new contract, and it’s reported that he has been told by the club’s board that he must sign a new contract or be sold this summer, as they will not risk losing him for nothing next year.
However, Molina reports that the finances behind any potential transfer means that Manchester United would be the only club capable of pulling off a surprise swoop to take him out of Spain.
The signing bonus, transfer fee, salary and commissions are all considered to be key factors for a potential move, but United have enough cash that they would be able to put together a package nobody else can.
United have been linked with a move for the winger, as they look to strengthen that position in this window, but it’s unclear if they would be willing to go all-in to get a deal done, even though they would be able to.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Man Utd Move for Vini Jr Would Be Gamechanging
Man Utd need a left-winger, and there are very few options, if any, better than Vinicius Jr when he is on the top of his game.
The Brazil star has regularly been among the top performers for Real Madrid in recent seasons, but he has been overshadowed since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu, and the Spanish side are not looking to put him above or even on a par with the Frenchman.
That has led to some unease behind-the-scenes, and Man Utd could pounce on that uncertainty to bring him to the Premier League. But he also brings a lot of commitment financially, some question marks over his attitude, and whether he would fit into Carrick’s plans and style.
There’s no doubting his ability, and if United were to pull off a deal they would have a superstar of the highest order, capable of winning them games on his own.
Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have reached a verbal agreement with a club to finalise their seventh summer signing.
Tottenham and ENIC have gone into overdrive with the summer transfer business as they look to avoid being involved in a Premier League relegation battle for a third successive season.
That is already looking like an unlikely possibility with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm for a full season and with the quality of signings they have already made this summer, with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Martin Dubravka, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali all joining – the latter two in club-record transfers.
With the defence and midfield transformed from last season, attention now turns to getting players out the door and strengthening De Zerbi’s attack as Spurs look to return to the top six next term.
Luka Vuskovic has already left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a big-money deal to Brighton and Hove Albion, and he is unlikely to be the last with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison among those heavily linked with an exit away from the club.
Tottenham could also be closing in on their next summer addition of a window they appear to be winning right now.
Tottenham Reach Verbal Agreement With Man City to Sign Savinho
Tottenham’s next transfer priority has been to land a new left-winger, with Manchester City star Savinho emerging as their number one target for the position.
Spurs wanted to sign the Brazil international 12 months ago but were unable to find an agreement with City over a deal, but now it appears as though they have reached a breakthrough.
According to a reliable Tottenham source on X, the north Londoners have now reached a verbal agreement with City to sign the 22-year-old.
A separate report has claimed that a deal could be finalised for £65m, as Spurs look to get another big summer deal over the line.
Tottenham Still Targeting Eli Junior Kroupi
There may have been some concerns that once Tottenham decided that Savinho was their top left-wing target, that it reduced their chances of moving for Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi too.
However, it is claimed that even if Spurs do secure a deal for Savinho, they will still target a move for the highly-rated French attacker too following an outstanding breakthrough campaign in the Premier League.
While Harry Kane continues to break new ground, proving himself as one of the greatest strikers in world football, the same certainly cannot be said for one of his former England partners. That comes in spite of the fact he was once tipped to be Manchester United’s primary number one and be a regular part of the national team.
Indeed, nobody needs reminding of Kane’s success on the international stage. No one has captained the Three Lions to more major international tournament semi-finals than him, and his goalscoring tally is way beyond that of his predecessors, having managed an incredible 85 goals in 120 caps.
Over the course of that time, though, he’s never found a reliable strike partner. He’s come closest to finally discovering one at this year’s World Cup, with Jude Bellingham netting six times to prove himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. But as for out-and-out number 9s, Kane hasn’t been blessed with right-hand men.
Harry Kane’s Former England Strike Partner Now 32 and Unemployed
Having started alongside Kane in an England Under-19s friendly against Switzerland in 2012, Will Keane is spending the next few weeks in a PFA pre-season camp laid on to help unemployed players find new clubs.
His downfall started just days after playing up top with Kane, as he suffered a serious knee injury which sidelined him for 16 months. He told BBC Sport recently:
“I made my senior debut [for United]. We won the Youth Cup. I was doing well for England. Everything was taking off. That first injury was at a crucial time. I had my foot in the door.
“The feeling was I would probably have been around the first team. If the injury had happened a couple of years later, I might have been an established squad player.”
Keane grafted his way back to fitness, gained experience out on loan and was once again knocking on the door of the United first team by early 2016. But, by then, another Englishman had already taken his place, slumming the door shut on his chances of getting enough playing time to prove himself.
Keane tore his groin, allowing Marcus Rashford to get a run in the senior side. The Carrington Academy graduate scored four goals in his first two Red Devils’ games, which he admits was like a dagger to the heart. He recalled: “I went to America for an operation, landed in Philadelphia, turned my phone on and saw he scored two more. It was hard to take, but I had to move on.”
The 32-year-old did move on, bouncing around the second and third tiers before finding a safe haven at Wigan Athletic, where he played the best football of his career between 2020 and 2023.
The Stockport-born striker, whose twin brother is Everton defender Michael Keane, also spent part of last season on loan at League One Reading before his Preston contract expired. He is now having “a few chats” with interested clubs and hopes things will “open up” once the season starts.
Keane Always Knew His Compatriot Was Special
The past few weeks have given Keane the perfect opportunity to watch his former partner in crime at the World Cup and reflect on what has made him so successful. He said, as per The Sun: “I remember when we were young, people said he wasn’t mobile, but technically, the time he put into his finishing and his obsessiveness to be the best in terms of shooting, you see it don’t you?
“He’s so sure of himself, because he’s put the work in. He knows he’s a complete striker. He’s obviously got that belief in himself. If he didn’t have certainty in his mind, he wouldn’t be as prolific.”
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World Cup History Quiz
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