World Cup tales part 5: Roberto Baggio – The man who died standing

In 1994, one man captured the World Cup in the USA, with his famous ponytail, his incredible flair and his eye for goal.Arriving at the tournament as the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, Roberto Baggio was at the peak of his game and one of the best players in the world.While his penalty miss is remembered by all, his build-up to that moment cannot be forgotten.Baggio was instrumental in Italy's campaign for glory, tearing up the knock-out stages and leading his nation one game at a time. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say In the round of 16, when 1-0 down to Nigeria, Baggio came of age after the Italians went down to 10 men.The forward scored the equaliser to send the contest to extra time, before converting a winning penalty.In the quarter-finals against Spain, it was Baggio again who produced for the Italians, with an incredible run and finish to win the match.The talisman was proving why he was so highly rated, and to no one's surprise, the semi-final proved no different.LATEST SPORTS NEWSLiverpool announces appointment of Andoni Iraola as club's new managerFifa accused of putting fans at risk after unexpected last-minute decisionBBC loses broadcasting rights to major sporting event after more than 70 years of coverageItaly defeated Bulgaria 2-1, with both goals coming from Baggio, as it became crystal clear he was the best player at the tournament.Five crucial goals, which tied him second for the leading scorers, helped Italy reach the final for the first time since 1982.The final against Brazil ended goalless, as Baggio struggled with a leg injury and his movement became noticeably limited compared to earlier matches.Brazil led 3-2 in the first-ever World Cup final to be decided by a penalty shootout, as Baggio stepped up to keep Italy's hopes alive.The Italian ran up to the ball and blasted his effort over the bar, leading to one of the most famous images in football history.Baggio stood motionless for what felt like an eternity, with his hands on his hips as he looked to the floor, with the image eventually being dubbed the man who died standing.Speaking about the miss many years after, he said: It is a wound that never closes.I had dreamt of playing in a World Cup final since I was a little boy, but I never thought it could end like that. To this day, I still haven't truly accepted that it happened. It haunts me.Baggio continued: When I went up to the spot, I was pretty lucid. I knew [Claudio Taffarel] always dived, so I decided to shoot for the middle, about halfway up, so he couldn't get it with his feet. It was an intelligent decision because Taffarel did go to his left, and he would never have got to the shot I planned. Unfortunately, and I don't know how, the ball went up three metres and flew over the crossbar.I felt myself dying inside. Also, I thought of the reaction my countrymen would be having. It affected me for years.I still dream about it. And if I could erase a moment from my career, it would be that one.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter