10 Footballers Who Recovered From World Cup Disgraces

7. Roberto Baggio

Somewhere in the skies above the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, an official 1994 World Cup ball is probably still in the air.

Looking like he was about to step off the pitch and onto the catwalks of Milan, super-cool Italian striking sensation Roberto Baggio was exactly the man his countrymen wished to see take a crucial penalty kick in the final against Brazil. Unfortunately for Robbie, he blasted it over the bar.

In fairness to the guy, both Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro missed their penalties too. Still, Baggio's is the one people remember, largely because it handed Brazil a fourth World Cup triumph. Afterwards, Roberto retreated back to Italy and was never heard from again.

Only kidding: he won the Serie A title two years running with Juventus and AC Milan, snagging the Coppa Italia with Juve into the bargain, and continued to light up the peninsula. Seriously depressing penalty miss or not, Baggio remained one of Europe's top strikers afterwards.

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