July 17 is not just another date for those who love Italian football.
Roberto Baggio’s penalty lives on not only in the memories of those who watched it that afternoon in Pasadena, but also in the memories of those of us who were not there, yet grew up listening to our parents tell stories about Italy at the World Cup. And among all those stories, few were as powerful as the 1994 World Cup final and that final penalty.
When my father spoke to me about that moment, he never told it as a simple nostalgic anecdote. He was trying to teach me something through it. When I first started playing football, he used Baggio’s story to explain that courage is just as important as talent. Because only someone brave enough to take responsibility can miss a penalty.
The lesson was simple: even the greatest fail.
And failure is not a crime.
The worst thing is not making a mistake; the worst thing is never trying.
As the years went by, that lesson stopped being only about football. I carried it with me into many other aspects of life: applying to university, searching for internships, pursuing job opportunities, when I did my first interview or wrote my first article or even finding the courage to talk to a girl I like. Because talent alone means very little if it is not accompanied by courage. By the willingness to take risks. By the determination to get back up and seek redemption when things do not go your way.
That is why I believe Baggio’s legacy goes far beyond goals, trophies, or individual awards. He taught us that even in defeat, it is possible to leave an unforgettable mark. That lifting a trophy is not the only way to be remembered. And that there are people whose greatness transcends the final result.
I want to finish with a line from a song (l’uomo dietro il campione- diodato) dedicated to him, one that perfectly captures what many of us feel:
“Lo so che può sembrarti un’esagerazione, ma pure quel rigore a noi ha insegnato un po’ la vita.”
“I know it may sound like an exaggeration, but even that penalty taught us something about life.”
And I believe that is true.
Because that penalty did not teach something only to those who watched it live. It also taught something to those of us who grew up hearing the story. It reminded us that courage is not about never failing. It is about being willing to try even if the entire world is watching.
