Baggio ‘wanted to die’ after Italy 1994 World Cup penalty miss

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Lorenzo Bettoni | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 5:52 AM ET

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.

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

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

“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.”

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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