Roberto Baggio has revealed the biggest regret of his illustrious career and the Italian soccer icon issued a key warning over the 2026 World Cup.
What Did Roberto Baggio Say About His Career?
Roberto Baggio is widely regarded as one of the best Italian’s to lace a pair of soccer cleats and enjoyed an iconic career for multiple sides across his home nation.
The soccer legend played for Juventus, Fiorentina, both Milan sides, Brescia, Bologna and Vicenza, winning two Serie A titles, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup.
During his career, Baggio made 452 appearances in Serie A, contributing to 323 goals in the process (205G + 11A) and achieved his biggest individual award in 1993 by winning the Ballon d’Or.
His most enjoyable spell came with Juventus, who are currently looking for their next star and recently enquired over a move for Chelsea star, Nicolas Jackson.
Baggio won three of his four club trophies in Turin, winning his second league title with AC Milan and is the clubs’ 10th highest top scorer of all-time.
Despite this level of success, the former Juventus star revealed that one of his biggest regrets was not moving outside of his home nation and diving into a new culture – referencing Boca Juniors in particular.
Baggio said (Via The Athletic): “I always turned down teams outside of Italy because I dreamed of getting back into the national team and playing a World Cup in Japan in 2002.
“I passed on it. There were opportunities but I always put them to one side. If you’re asking me whether I would have liked to play at the Bombonera, I’ll tell you: ‘Of course’. Of course I would have done, if I had been able to.”
What Does Baggio Think Of 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as 32-teams enter soccer’s biggest competition for the first time in history.
Currently, the FIFA Club World Cup is underway in the United States, acting as a form of trial run for next year’s international tournament and there has been one consistent issue.
Multiple matches have been paused due to various weather issues, from extreme heat to torrential rain, with the likes of Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, voicing his complaints.
The Blues are one of the favorites to win the competition on the best betting apps, highlighting how much of an issue the weather has been if Maresca is complaining.
Baggio was one of the star players during the 1994 World Cup, which was the last time the competition was held in the United States and the Italian scored five goals to drag Italy to the final.
The Azzurri went on to lose via penalties against Brazil in the final and Baggio highlighted how hard it was to play in the U.S. – highlighting how much of a factor the weather was.
Baggio said: “The entire World Cup, not just our matches, was affected by the heat. It was mind-boggling. 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.”
