Latest news with #RobertoBaggio
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Roberto Baggio on 1994 penalty miss: ‘If I had a knife then, I would have stabbed myself'
Three decades after the most famous (or infamous) penalty in World Cup history, the moment still haunts Roberto Baggio, who missed the spot kick that would have kept Italy in the shootout against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup. Even if he had scored, Italy would have still ended up on the losing side, as they already were a goal in deficit and had Brazil converted the next attempt, they would have won. 'If I had a knife then, I would have stabbed myself. If there had been a gun, I would have shot myself. At that moment, I just wanted to die,' Baggio told The Athletic. The moment is still replete with tragic-heroic symbolism. Baggio, standing shocked, head hung, hands over hips, the mind perhaps an absolute blank. Later, tears rolled down his cheeks. It was the tournament he had defined, and would continue to define, but not in the way he wanted it to be. 'It was the toughest moment of my career. Before I left for the finals my Buddhist spiritual master told me that I would be confronted with a lot of problems and that everything would be decided at the very last minute. At the time I didn't realise his prediction would be so accurate,' he had earlier said. Had Italy won the World Cup, he would have been placed among the legends of the game like Diego Maradona and Pele. But he has little regrets about that. 'I don't see it that way. It's hard for me to put myself alongside them. I never felt that way. I've always been just a regular person among billions on this planet. I was simply lucky to play football and do what I love. I only wanted to entertain people and bring them joy,' Baggio said. 'That's what I lived for. That was my dream. For the people to enjoy themselves. That was the mentality I had when I was 10, 15, when I was 20 until I retired,' he said. He says simple things keep him happy. 'Maybe it's best to be unaware of it. Maybe an awareness of it would change you. I don't want to change. I am the same person I was when I was 10. I'm passionate about the simple things in life.' In the United States of America for the Club World Cup, he met Lionel Messi on his 38th birthday and gifted him a jersey of the 1994 World Cup. 'When he saw it, he got emotional. He caressed it, and folded it. It was a beautiful thing to see.' 'What a wonderful visit! Thank you, Roberto, for this special and meaningful gift and for the lovely chat we shared. You are a crack and a football legend. It will always be a pleasure to welcome you whenever you want to come and see us,' Messi posted on Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baggio ‘wanted to die' after Italy 1994 World Cup penalty miss
Italy legend Roberto Baggio admits he 'wanted to die' after missing a decisive penalty kick in the 1994 World Cup Final against Brazil: 'If I had had a knife, I would have stabbed myself.' Baggio spoke about the 1994 World Cup in his latest interview with The Athletic, in which he also discussed his life after retirement. Advertisement The former striker played a key role in bringing Italy to the 1994 World Cup Final against Brazil, but his penalty shootout miss led to the Azzurri's loss in Pasadena. Baggio: 'I would have stabbed myself' after 1994 World Cup penalty miss LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Brazilian players run to join their teammates as Italian midfielder Roberto Baggio bows his head after he missed his penalty kick giving Brazil a 3-2 victory in the shoot-out session (0-0 after extra time) at the end of the World Cup final, 17 July 1994 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Brazil won its fourth World Cup title after 1958, 1962 and 1970. AFP PHOTO/OMAR TORRES (Photo credit should read OMAR TORRES/AFP via Getty Images) Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro had already missed their chances before Baggio and Brazil still had a penalty kick remaining after Baggio's attempt. Nevertheless, that error clearly dejected Baggio. 'If I had had a knife at that moment, I would have stabbed myself,' he admitted. 'If I had had a gun, I would have shot myself. At that moment, I wanted to die. That's how it was. Baggio: 1994 World Cup affected by heat Italian former football player Roberto Baggio (R) and Argentine-born Italian former football player, David Trezeguet (L) gesture before the beginning of the Argentina 2023 U-20 World Cup final match between Uruguay and Italy at the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona stadium in La Plata, Argentina, on June 11, 2023. (Photo by Alejandro PAGNI / AFP) (Photo by ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP via Getty Images) 'The entire World Cup, not just our matches, was affected by the heat. It was mind-boggling,' he added. 'We had to exert ourselves beyond the limits of what was humanly possible to be able to play. But despite everything, we were driven by passion and the desire to achieve results, and many Italians who lived there as immigrants were proud of us. We felt it as a team. It was an extra push to overcome the obstacles.'
New York Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Jury out on Club World Cup after Bayern's 10-0 win, Poch shows he's not a ‘mannequin'
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! A 10-0 rinsing wasn't on our bingo list. Maybe this is the Club World Cup creating 'a new era for soccer'. On the way: 🏟️ Inside the CWC's first weekend 🇺🇸 Poch shows he's no 'mannequin' 🤝 Frank and Spurs: a good fit? 👀 The best Wirtz goal you'll see The opening-night crowd was nowhere near as bad as FIFA feared, only slightly below capacity. The first weekend broke a record. Gianni Infantino got to rub shoulders with David Beckham (now a British knight of the realm), Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) and Roberto Baggio (all above). And the sun came out. Advertisement The Club World Cup is up and running, with a walk-out anthem from singer Robbie Williams, no less. But no amount of sideshows can change the fact that the reputation of a tournament FIFA rather forced upon the sport depends on the standard of the football, plain and simple. Which is where the jury is out. Take that record-breaking moment, for example. It comprised a 10-0 win for Bayern Munich over New Zealand's Auckland City yesterday, the widest scoreline the Club World Cup has seen in all of its 25 years. Auckland are amateurs and, in that respect, full marks to FIFA for inclusivity. But what purpose is served by exposing them to hammerings from Europe's elite, aside from making the Kiwis richer? And is Auckland getting richer a good thing anyway? Because while they were completely outclassed in Cincinnati, we're talking about New Zealand's dominant team by far, one who will only get stronger domestically now. Bayern's supporters weren't sold and they rolled out a protest banner with the message: 'Football is more poorly governed than before. Smash FIFA!' I'm guessing 'Hopeium' — the slogan on Robbie Williams' T-shirt — was more in line with Infantino's tastes. Bayern's goals made up for a lack of them in two other matches. Egypt's Al Ahly did a job on Lionel Messi in game one, pinning him down at Miami's Hard Rock stadium as well as teams tend to. Sure, he hit the post and saw a late effort tipped onto the crossbar (above), but it took a penalty save from Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to hold Al Ahly to a 0-0 draw. Miami relying on Messi is nothing new, but they were afflicted by a lack of imaginative ideas beyond giving the ageing Argentinian the ball. While FIFA was fairly brash in ensuring that Messi would be a face of the Club World Cup, they ought not to count on Miami going deep into the competition. Advertisement That's because the other Group A fixture, between Brazil's Palmeiras and Portugal's Porto, also finished goalless, leaving the section wide open. The coaches of both teams criticised the pitch they were asked to play on at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — creating echoes of last year's Copa America — and their complaints underline the challenge ahead of FIFA as it tries to ensure that surfaces allocated for next year's World Cup are adequate or better. Sadly for MLS, Seattle Sounders fared worse than Miami. A 2-1 defeat to Botafogo leaves them in a position where losing next time out, against Atletico Madrid on Thursday, will confirm their elimination. Not that Atletico are in particularly fine fettle. Bayern's goals made up for a lack of them in two other matches. Egypt's Al Ahly did a job on Lionel Messi in game one, pinning him down at Miami's Hard Rock stadium as well as teams tend to. Sure, he hit the post and saw a late effort tipped onto the crossbar (above), but it took a penalty save from Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to hold Al Ahly to a 0-0 draw. Miami relying on Messi is nothing new, but they were afflicted by a lack of imaginative ideas beyond giving the ageing Argentinian the ball. While FIFA was fairly brash in ensuring that Messi would be a face of the Club World Cup, they ought not to count on Miami going deep into the competition. That's because the other Group A fixture, between Brazil's Palmeiras and Portugal's Porto, also finished goalless, leaving the section wide open. The coaches of both teams criticised the pitch they were asked to play on at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — creating echoes of last year's Copa America — and their complaints underline the challenge ahead of FIFA as it tries to ensure that surfaces allocated for next year's World Cup are adequate or better. Advertisement Sadly for MLS, Seattle Sounders fared worse than Miami. A 2-1 defeat to Botafogo leaves them in a position where losing next time out, against Atletico Madrid on Thursday, will confirm their elimination. Not that Atletico are in particularly fine fettle. Issue two for FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup: searing summer heat. It was positively baking at Pasadena's Rose Bowl — around 32 degrees Celsius (90°F) — as Paris Saint-Germain stuck four unanswered goals past Atletico. On the flip side, the attendance was impressive, up over 80,000. PSG look like they have no ceiling at present. They look indefatigable, too, and to some extent, the initial weekend of the Club World Cup reminded me of the expanded Champions League PSG have just won. After an unconvincing start, that tournament got better as it went on, which might well be what happens in the States. And at the end of it, the wealthiest clubs walked off with even more cash — something we're about to witness again. Catch a match (Times ET/UK. All Club World Cup matches are shown on DAZN in the U.S. and UK, as well as other channels stated) FIFA Club World Cup: Group C: Boca Juniors vs Benfica, 6pm/11pm — Channel 5 (UK); Group D: Chelsea vs LAFC, 3pm/8pm — TBS, Fubo (U.S.), Channel 5 (UK); Flamengo vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis, 9pm/2am. Were the USMNT not consumed by introspection, last night's 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago would have passed as a regulation start to their Gold Cup campaign. They were supposed to win and they did, with a fair amount of ease. But the tribulations of Mauricio Pochettino and defeat after defeat in four previous outings made you wonder if the U.S. squad had a result like this in them. As Paul Tenorio writes, the Gold Cup had to start with a bang to wash away some of the internal drama. Pochettino said himself that yesterday's victory was an antidote to 'negative things'. Advertisement Which isn't to say all of the negativity is cured. Before kick-off, Pochettino had responded to a CBS interview by Christian Pulisic, in which the forward explained why he was sitting out of the Gold Cup (having offered to play in friendlies leading up to it, a proposal Pochettino rejected). 'I respect and understand him,' Pochettino said. 'But I don't need him to understand our decision. I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.' You can read the full quotes here and you'll probably draw the same conclusion as me: that the relationship between boss and star man needs some cultivating. The standout line from our inside read on Thomas Frank's appointment as Tottenham Hotspur's new head coach was the revelation that Brentford made no attempt to talk him out of leaving them. It's incredibly on-brand. Brentford's entire strategy, going back more than a decade, is based on an acceptance that talented individuals who come to them will go onto bigger things, ideally for a decent profit. Depending on who you believe, Spurs are paying between £5m and £10m for Frank's signature — a healthy wedge for a coach. Frank has a big ally at Tottenham in technical director Johan Lange. Regardless of whether he lasts there for seven-plus years, as he did as Brentford boss, Frank's the archetypal project manager. He once said his fear about quitting Brentford was the risk of finding 'weeds' in the grass elsewhere, and there are plenty at Spurs. But the timing feels right, for all concerned. After showing so much promise, bits began dropping off Atletico Madrid towards the end of the season. The main trophies got away from them and judging by Alexander Sorloth's miss against PSG yesterday — enough to drop Diego Simeone to his knees — their tired bodies are crying out for some sand to go with the sun.
Qatar Tribune
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QA launches special video campaign for 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Official Airline of the FIFA World Cup 2026 celebrates one year to go in a special video campaign that takes fans on a journey as the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy is flown from Lusail, Qatar to New York featuring football icons Roberto Baggio and Romario. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022concluded in legendary fashion, when Argentina triumphed over France at the Lusail Stadium on December 18 – Qatar's Official National Day. In the campaign trailer, the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy, and the legacy it represents, is handed over to Canada, Mexico and the United States – host nations of the FIFA World Cup tournament will culminate at the New York New Jersey Stadium for the final. page 15
Qatar Tribune
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Airways launches one year to go campaign, reuniting legends ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026
DOHA: Qatar Airways, theOfficial Airline of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is celebrating one year to go in a special video campaign that takes fans on a journey as the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy is flown from Lusail, Qatar to New York featuring football icons Roberto Baggio and Romario. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 concluded in legendary fashion, when Argentina triumphed over France at the Lusail Stadium on December 18 – Qatar's Official National Day. In the campaign trailer, the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy, and the legacy it represents, is handed over to Canada, Mexico and the United States – host nations of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The tournament will culminate at the New York New Jersey Stadium for the final. The campaign features Qatar Airways cabin crew on a mission to transport the Winner's Trophy to the United States and hand-deliver football's most elite prize to Baggio and Romario, who famously contested the final in FIFA World Cup USA 1994. The campaign aims to capture the excitement and heritage of what's considered to be one of the greatest tournaments in World Cup history. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Eng Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: 'Four years ago in Qatar, we embarked on a journey to unite the world through the power of football. Today we embark on the same journey, but with our sights now set on Canada, Mexico and the United States, in what promises to be a spectacular FIFA World Cup 2026. From delivering all-inclusive travel packages, to curated fan experiences, we are on a mission to make dreams come true – utilising our global network to fly fans, officials and teams to this historical event.' Qatar Airways Holidays is set to launch unparalleled travel packages for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The much-anticipated tournament will have 48 teams competing during the biggest World Cup in history with more than 104 planned matches across all three countries and 16 host cities. The travel packages will include international flights, domestic flights, transfers to various cities, hotel accommodation in four- and five-stars hotels, airports and stadium transfers, and match tickets. The packages are the first chance for football lovers and sport enthusiasts around the world to secure their seat at the historic FIFA World Cup 2026. To register interest and get notified about the launch of the packages, visit: Three hidden World Cup messages are placed throughout the video – pinned on the airline's Instagram platform for fans to find and comment. Those who follow the '@qatarairways' account and identify them correctly, will be entered in a raffle to win a free Qatar Airways Holidays FIFA World Cup 2026 travel package, and experience the thrill of 'The World's Greatest Show,' in person. The partnership with FIFA began in 2017 and is part of Qatar Airways' portfolio of high-profile global sports partnerships, including the likes of UEFA, Formula 1, AFC, Paris-Saint Germain (PSG), FC Internazionale Milano, Tennis Legend – Novak Djokovic, The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), MotoGP, the IRONMAN Triathlon Series, the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), French Rugby Team – Section Paloise, The British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia 2025, The Brooklyn Nets NBA Team, and multiple other disciplines including Australian football, equestrian, motor racing, padel, squash, and tennis.
