Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer who played mostly as a second striker or attacking midfielder, and later served as president of the technical sector for the Italian Football Federation. Known for his curling free-kicks, dribbling, and goal-scoring, he is widely considered one of the greatest players ever. In 1999, he placed fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll and was named to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. He won both the FIFA World Player of the Year award and the Ballon d'Or in 1993, and in 2004 Pelé included him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

Baggio earned 56 caps for Italy and is the joint fourth-highest scorer in national team history. He helped Italy finish third at the 1990 World Cup and led them to the final in 1994, where he won the Silver Ball and was named to the All-Star Team. Despite being the tournament's star, he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout against Brazil. He is the only Italian to score in three World Cups and, with nine goals, shares the record for most World Cup goals for Italy with Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri. In 2002, he became the first Italian in over 50 years to score more than 300 career goals; he ranks fifth among Italian scorers in all competitions with 318 goals. In his final season, 2004, he became the first player in over 30 years to reach 200 Serie A goals, and he sits seventh on the all-time Serie A list with 205. His 1990 move from Fiorentina to Juventus set a world record transfer fee. Over his career, he won two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, and one UEFA Cup while playing for seven Italian clubs: Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia.

Nicknamed "The Divine Ponytail" for his hairstyle, talent, and Buddhist beliefs, Baggio was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in 2002. He received the inaugural Golden Foot award in 2003, the Man of Peace award from Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2010 for his human rights work, and in 2011 became the first footballer inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.

Baggio was born in Caldogno, Veneto, to Matilde and Florindo Baggio, the sixth of eight siblings. His younger brother Eddy also played football. At age nine, he joined his hometown youth team, Caldogno. By 11, he had scored 45 goals and provided 20 assists in 26 matches, including six goals in one game. Scout Antonio Mora spotted him, and at 13 he joined Vicenza's youth system for £300 (500,000 lire). After scoring 110 goals in 120 youth matches, he began his professional career with Vicenza's senior side in 1983 at age 15. He made his Serie C1 debut on 5 June 1983 as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 home loss to Piacenza. His first Serie C1 goal came from a penalty on 3 June 1984 in a 3–0 win over Brescia, the club where he would later retire. His first professional goal was in the Coppa Italia Serie C on 30 November 1983 in a 4–1 win at Legnano. He also debuted in the Coppa Italia on 31 August 1983 against Palermo and scored his first Coppa Italia goal on 26 August 1984 in a 4–2 loss at Empoli. In the 1984–85 season under Bruno Giorgi, he scored 12 goals in 29 appearances, helping Vicenza win promotion to Serie B. Larger clubs took notice, especially Fiorentina, and his style drew comparisons to his idol Zico. He won the Guerin d'Oro in 1985 as Serie C1's best player. On 5 May 1985, while playing against Rimini, he tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee during a slide tackle—two days before his transfer to Fiorentina was finalized. Despite fears he might never play again, Fiorentina honored the deal and paid for the surgery, deepening his bond with the club.

Fiorentina bought Baggio in 1985 for £1.5 million. Injuries limited him early, but he became hugely popular and is considered one of the club's all-time greats. He missed his first Serie A season due to injury; Fiorentina finished fifth and reached the Coppa Italia semifinals. He made his club debut in that competition on 29 January 1986 as a substitute in a 3–1 home win over Udinese. His Serie A debut came on 21 September 1986 in a 2–0 home win against Sampdoria, and his European debut followed on 17 September 1986 in a 1–0 UEFA Cup home win over Boavista. On 28 September, he suffered another knee injury requiring 220 stitches to rebuild it.