Contents
Roberto Baggio
Winning the Ballon d’Or and inspiring Italy’s run to the 1994 World Cup final.
Ballon d’Or · World Cup final
- Born
- 18 February 1967
- Birthplace
- Caldogno, Italy
More people
Roberto Baggio
Italian footballer celebrated for close control, creative passing and free kicks. He played for seven Italian clubs and combined individual flair with prolific scoring.
Early life
A large family
Grew up in Caldogno as one of eight children.
Local beginnings
Played for Caldogno before joining Vicenza’s youth system.
Career
- 1982–1990
Vicenza and Fiorentina
Began senior football at Vicenza and established himself in Serie A with Fiorentina.
- 1990–1998
Italy’s leading clubs
Played for Juventus, Milan and Bologna during his international peak.
- 1998–2004
Inter and Brescia
Finished his club career with Inter and four seasons at Brescia.
Achievements
Ballon d’Or
Won both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.
World Cup final
Scored five goals as Italy finished runner-up to Brazil.
League titles
Won Serie A with Juventus and then Milan.
Beyond sport
Buddhism
Adopted Nichiren Buddhism after a serious early-career knee injury.
Humanitarian work
Became a UN Food and Agriculture Organization goodwill ambassador in 2002.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Career and achievements ↗Photo: AbolfaZl0990. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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