USA 94: Brazil's Return to Glory (2026) Movie Script

[announcer] This is a chance
for Brazil to extend their lead.
The captain carefully places the ball.
[dramatic music playing]
Italy scored two
out of four penalty kicks.
Dunga steps up.
It's a decisive moment.
Of course I was nervous.
I thought, "If I fail,
I won't be allowed back in Brazil."
But at the same time,
it just dawned on me.
I'd asked for a chance.
[announcer] Dunga steps up to take it.
[melodic music playing]
SO PAULO
BRAZIL
[Rinaldi] I have eight hours
of material from back then.
Imagine how much is in there.
The entire story is in here, in detail.
It was a whole other time.
Nothing even plays this anymore.
There's so much in here.
I began recording,
and we were able to create
an amazing archive of all that happened.
I had an idea then.
What if we showed
what no one has ever seen?
But like an insider.
What happened in the locker room,
the pre-match talks,
the good and bad moments, all of it.
[man] This group came together and was
able to get through the worst of times,
when many people tried to bring us down.
We won't let that happen.
RIO DE JANEIRO
BRAZIL
[man] And where was that?
Oh, that was inside our bus.
Super comfy one too.
It was a regular bus.
Had a turnstile and all.
Everything we went through
during that period,
which was around two to three months
of us all being together,
needed to be recorded.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS,
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE
FILMED BY THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES
[chanting]
- Let's fucking do it!
- What's for lunch today?
- What?
- What's for lunch?
- Today.
- Macaroni!
[Jorginho] What's for lunch today?
We play Italy, so macaroni.
[laughter]
We were warming up here.
We were so nervous already.
BEBETO
FORWARD
I was almost six
when I watched the World Cup in 1970.
[announcer] Here comes Pel!
He scores a goal!
I was a kid, and I thought,
"I'm going to be there one day."
"I'll be champion with the national team."
[announcer] And Brazil is now
a three-time world soccer champion!
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] 24 years later,
Brazil and Italy
face each other again
in a World Cup final
at the1994 World Cup
in the United States
two decades later.
Only those of us who'd been through it
know how to describe what we felt.
It's not any game,
it's Brazil against Italy.
We're one step away
from the title everyone--
It's going to be ours! To those rooting
against us, we'll be four-time champions!
I wanted to win it,
to make history and become world champion.
When I put on that jersey,
I became someone else entirely.
Expectations are high.
If we weren't world champions,
we would have failed.
Pressure, demands
Those Italian fuckers aren't
playing well. Let's go, Parreira!
[man] Brazilian soccer
was shattered in 1994.
We hadn't won in 24 years. That's way
too long for the Brazilian team.
When people see me,
they remember me kissing the post.
They don't remember my mistake.
First ever World Cup
to be decided by penalties.
When I went up to take that penalty
I didn't think about it, I just did it.
Our people are so hard-working
and have gone through so much.
I thought, "I've got to bring
some joy back to my people."
The World Cup was supposed
to bring joy to my people.
So I'd do it all over again.
I have no regrets at all.
The fourth title
"Oh, I was in that specific place
at the time," "I was with my father"
Everyone has some kind of memory
attached to that game.
We were the team who was most determined
to become world champions.
[man] It requires a great deal
of emotional stability.
A penalty can truly change your life.
[announcer] If Taffarel saves this,
Brazil will take the win.
Baggio steps up to take it.
USA 94: BRAZIL'S RETURN TO GLORY
4 YEARS EARLIER
[announcer] The whole country gets ready
to cheer on as Argentina
and Brazil face off
in the Round of 16 of the 1990 World Cup.
Emotions are running high.
Brazil and Argentina,
a historic rivalry.
In a World Cup, you've got to know
that there's zero margin for error.
It has to be perfect.
Why? They have 11 quality players,
and two or three can decide a game.
If you make a mistake with a player,
there's no going back from there.
If we don't concede, we'll score one.
[whistle blows]
[announcer] And the game is underway
between Brazil and Argentina!
[Dunga] It was Brazil's best game,
and Argentina had an opportunity,
and who do you think took it?
[announcer] Here comes Maradona.
A genius. There's nothing you can do.
That's soccer for you.
[announcer] Maradona gets past Dunga.
Look at Maradona go!
Careful, he's dangerous.
He passes to Caniggia
who faces Taffarel.
It's a goal!
And Brazil bows out of the 1990 World Cup.
[man] Many quietly mourn the defeat.
Now it's time to wait
for the next World Cup in four years.
When Brazil lost,
they jumped at the chance
to attack both Lazaroni
and me for the loss.
Why call it the Dunga era?
Because it somewhat symbolizes that era,
when the national team was known
more for its defensive effort
than for the magic when creating plays.
They really should've changed the coach.
When the people choose the coach,
it's definitely much easier
for him to get his work done.
Listen, you don't choose to be the coach
for the national team, they choose you.
[man] Parreira spent the day
at the Hilton, here in Rome.
He talked a lot to Pel,
but gave no interviews.
When Parreira was appointed coach
of the national team, he said,
"I'll accept on one condition,
that Zagallo comes with me."
[Parreira] We knew each other
since the 1970 World Cup.
Every word he said carried immense wisdom.
The two of us liked
and understood each other.
And most importantly is that we gave
our best for the national team.
PARREIRA TO HEAD THE SELEO.
[upbeat music playing]
HEROES
ZINHO
Preparation began
after the 1990 World Cup.
That's when they start putting together
the team for the fourth title.
Back then, the qualifying matches
were quite different from today's.
Each single game was very important.
[man] Fans were waiting for the team
at the hotel when they arrived.
Ra even got kisses from some of them.
Well, there's always a four-year cycle
between one World Cup and the next.
In '91, things were going well for me,
so I took on that restructuring
to prepare for 1994.
[announcer] The game begins in La Paz.
Up to that point, Brazil had never lost
a single game in the qualifiers.
[announcer] Danger here.
Taffarel going back No, Taffarel!
Look at that strike. Goal for Bolivia!
BOLIVIA 2 - 0 BRAZIL
The first time ever that
the national team lost in a qualifier.
Brazil is heading home,
looking for reasons
and explanation for the shocking loss.
There was widespread skepticism
toward that generation.
[man] In almost 40 years
of qualifying rounds,
Brazil has suffered its first ever defeat.
When we got back home,
we played against Ecuador at Morumbi.
We were booed for the entire game.
I think all of this combined
made for a pretty hostile environment.
[man] Honestly,
the booing's understandable
because Parreira said
the two of them can't play together.
People started to question Parreira, his
coaching style, style of game we played.
I don't like Parreira's work.
I think we need a new coach.
I do not like this national team.
The media wanted
to get rid of Parreira and Zagallo.
But the thing was, we believed in both
of them. The entire team believed in them.
[crowd] Parreira out!
So at one point in the early hours
of the morning,
we called Parreira
for a meeting at Granja Comary,
which is the national team's
training headquarters.
"Parreira, listen,
what's this about,
you handing in your position?"
It was a way we found
to reinforce that commitment.
"We're going to keep going, Parreira.
We're going to be world champions."
It was a turning point.
PARREIRA ON HIGH ALERT.
Then, we went to play in Recife.
I called out to the fans in Pernambuco.
"We need you right now."
When we arrived in Recife,
we saw something extraordinary.
They were everywhere. It was packed.
People filled the airport to welcome us.
They were hugging us, celebrating us
and showering us with affection.
There were nearly five thousand people
waiting for us, and screaming our names.
Everything's set for Sunday's game
and we feel the love here in Recife.
"You're home here, we all love you."
Players need affection,
we all do, our families, our friends,
and our friends from Recife
came through to help us.
[cheering]
Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!
Sixty-nine thousand tickets were sold
for tomorrow's match.
From that point on,
something quite different began to happen.
Ricardo Rocha had the idea
for us to demonstrate
and express to the outside world,
the way we were feeling on the field
Holding hands.
[announcer] The Brazilian team
is walking onto the field
differently than they normally do.
Perhaps they're holding hands
Perhaps they're holding hands
as a way of reciprocating
the affection the people
of Pernambuco have for them.
So they're coming
onto the field holding hands,
showing us
that's how they'll play from now on.
We were aware of our potential.
We knew what we were capable of.
We really showed off that day.
[announcer 1] Come on! Come on! Goal!
[announcer 2] Look at 'em! Goal!
[announcer 1] Goal!
[announcer 2] There! Goal!
[announcer 1] That was
a perfect pass! Goal!
[announcer 2] Six for Brazil!
To those who said so much,
here's our reply.
But then came the decisive game.
It just so happened
that the last qualifying match
was against Uruguay at Maracan.
It all came back.
Maracanao.
"Oh no, not again!"
[dramatic music playing]
If we lost the game, we would be out.
The team may end up writing
an even sadder chapter,
leaving Brazil out of a World Cup
for the first time ever.
I'm sure we'll manage to win and qualify.
Let me tell you something.
If we don't qualify,
they'll have to shut down the country.
In every interview,
"Parreira, what about Romrio?"
"He'll be back at the perfect time."
Romrio! Romrio!
[man] The fans
are chanting Romrio's name.
And Romrio was playing
really well in Barcelona.
He was dominating in Europe.
Everyone knew just how crucial he was.
Honestly, when I got called up,
I was somewhat expecting it
'cause Brazil was already in a tough spot.
BRAZIL ASKS ROMRIO TO COME BACK.
Parreira and Zagallo
were being pressured to bring him back.
So when Zagallo and Parreira
called me, saying,
"Bebeto, we're thinking
of bringing Romrio in."
They asked him what he thought
about bringing me in.
And he was the first to say,
"Bring him on."
Bebeto's always been one
of the best friends I've ever made
through playing soccer.
And on the field,
he's the best partner I've ever had.
Only two duos have never lost when playing
together for the national team.
Know who?
Pel and Garrincha, Bebeto and Romrio.
If we didn't bring Romrio in,
lost the game against Uruguay,
and got eliminated,
for the first time ever in a World Cup,
that would be it.
I'm feeling important.
If at the end of the day,
we don't get the result we want,
then the blame is on me.
I'm gonna be ready for that.
I would answer on the field.
No need to talk.
- [announcer] The team is on the field.
- The moment came at the right time,
that decisive week against Uruguay.
I don't have to be important all the time.
I have to be important when it's needed.
And every time it mattered, I was there.
Fuck all else.
[announcer] The game begins. He does
a turn, and the Maracan erupts in joy!
And then, Romrio comes up to me and says,
"Ricardo, I'm going to play it
through his legs."
"Then, I'm going to loft it.
I'll loft it, and I'll score two goals."
I had to do all those things
to make it a real show, you know?
End of the first half.
We're going down the tunnel,
I look at him and say, "And the goals?"
"I'm scoring them in the second half."
[announcer] Bebeto crosses.
That was a perfect cross.
It felt more like a pass than a cross.
[announcer] Bebeto crosses the ball
and it finds Romrio.
Goal!
And all I managed to do is jump a little,
thrust my head forward
and send the ball down.
[announcer] Romrio puts it away
with a header.
It's one for Brazil.
Romrio got there first.
Yeah, the speed I had at the time
was quite impressive.
As I got closer to the goal,
I tapped the ball,
the goalkeeper went one way,
I went the other.
Then, he tried to punch me but he couldn't
do it 'cause I was going real fast.
[announcer] Romrio got there first.
There he goes. Come on!
There's the goal! Go! Go! Go!
Goal!
BRAZIL 2 - 0 URUGUAY
The match is over. Listen up!
Brazil's passport
has now been officially stamped!
This is it, Brazil.
We are in the World Cup!
For fuck's sake. We're in, we made it.
You could really feel it in that group,
especially because
we had lost the '90 World Cup,
and we didn't want to lose again.
The most important thing is that
Brazil won and we're in the World Cup.
Brazil has qualified for the US World Cup.
Great news, but I think
it could've been a bit better,
but now it's time for us to party
and for everyone to have some beer!
[cheering]
And I owe everything
I have in life to soccer.
Soccer's been part of my life
since the day I was born.
Well, soccer is a big mirror
of a country's situation, right?
And it's society, you know?
Brazilian people
have been through a lot, you know?
And they're a hard-working,
determined people.
Everyday life here is not easy.
You know, it's a very large country.
And soccer is Brazil's pride and joy.
[Zinho] Brazil is known
as the country of soccer.
Everyone here eats, sleeps
and breathes soccer. We love it.
Everyone has this dream
of being a soccer player in Brazil.
We went to play in Paris,
against Paris Saint-Germain,
which was the team Ra played for.
And when I arrived at the training camp,
I could see that everyone there
was looking so sad.
That's when it finally hit me
that this horrible accident
had actually happened.
The passing of a really great athlete,
and friend of mine,
who at the time for sure had been
the best in the world, his name was Dener.
[announcer] There goes Dener
attacking Santos.
Watch him go with it!
A player like Dener doesn't show up
very often. He was phenomenal.
He challenged the laws of gravity
with the way he moved.
At 5:15 a.m. In about 10 or 15 minutes,
Dener would have been home.
[melancholic music playing]
My dad was being driven
from So Paulo to Rio de Janeiro.
And about 15 minutes away from home,
the driver dozes off, crashes into a tree,
and my father dies instantly.
Unfortunately, we lost
yet another friend in a car accident.
Back then, we got the news that morning
about what had happened on his way home.
I'm sure he would've been there with us.
He would have absolutely
been on that list.
He definitely would've been
one of the stars of the World Cup,
but fate didn't let him.
At that match, Ayrton Sennaj came out
to take the opening kick.
[announcer] And Ayrton Senna,
the great Formula 1 driver,
is on the field tonight
for the ceremonial kickoff.
Go Ayrton! He takes the kickoff
and waves to the stands.
Thank you for coming out
to support the team.
[Rocha] He was a three-time champion,
and so was Brazil.
He was aiming to be
a fourth-time champion, so were we.
It was difficult but we were going
to do our best, and we made a pact.
Honestly, at the moment, I think
they have a better chance than I do.
Just so you have an idea,
we would stop everything on Sundays
to watch Ayrton race.
[gentle upbeat music playing]
He was our greatest idol.
He was the joy
of the Brazilian people on Sundays.
Two weeks later, on May first,
the accident happens and he dies.
BRAZIL MOURNS SENNA. OVER A MILLION PEOPLE
SAY GOODBYE TO SENNA.
TO OUR HERO SENNA,
THREE-TIME CHAMPION, FAREWELL
Ayrton Senna loss
was absolutely devastating.
Brazil was going through a very sad time.
Very sad, indeed.
[Rinaldi] With Senna, with Dener, we
always tried to take the huge challenges,
the major losses, the deepest of pains,
and turn them into energy that would
allow us to be even more focused
and never ever give up.
Yes, we lost Ayrton,
but now it's us representing this country
in deep turmoil.
Brazil was really going through
a very difficult time,
and soccer and the national team
were the Brazilian people's hope
for a moment of happiness.
[Viola] So, when we were called
to join the team,
we all had one goal in mind,
to make sure we'd bring home the cup
so that we could all
see our people smile again.
THE WORLD TURNS TO THE USA.
BRAZIL TAKES OFF WITH ONE LAST HOPE
- [spirited music playing]
- [man] When was that? You weren't there.
I was the first one to get on that plane
with this camera.
BRAZIL RACES AFTER THE FOURTH TITLE
I captured everything on film
and there's some fantastic footage.
It was amazing.
It was my biggest dream,
since I was a child.
[Parreira] When working as a group,
the main thing is that everyone's aligned
in their approach.
What do we all want?
To be world champions.
UNITED STATES
[Rinaldi] Going to the US for a World Cup
is definitely a different experience.
Soccer isn't really
their strong suit, is it?
To quality for a World Cup and get
to play in it and be a part of that,
there's nothing like it at all.
We didn't allow any newspapers
or magazines in.
We didn't need the noise, you know?
We'd go practice and then from practice,
to the training camp.
We'd have lunch and dinner.
And the next day, back to practice again.
We were really locked in.
We knew we had to adapt,
and we were curious about
how the fans here would react.
Brazil is number one!
Brazil is number one!
[Ramos] In this country,
you could really walk the streets
and most people didn't know what it was.
You could ask someone,
"The World Cup is going on.
Do you know what that is?"
- Soccer fan?
- No, I'm not.
- Are you gonna see the matches?
- No, I'm not.
I'm not interested in the game.
Are you going to see any game?
In the World Cup?
Uh, no, I gotta work.
[Ramos] FIFA wants to make the game
bigger, develop the game bigger,
and I think, in the US, FIFA saw a market.
[Oprah] The United States of America
warmly welcomes you
to World Cup USA
1994!
[man] The drum-beating, samba-dancing
soccer fans from Brazil
have taken over the town of Los Gatos.
What have you learned from them?
"Eesee bossee busee bow" whatever that is.
[man laughs] What is that?
Up, down, pull and go!
Ay ay ay!
BRAZIL IS IN THE GROUP OF DEATH
Cameroon, Russia
and Sweden in the group stage.
In the first game, we played against
Russia. There was lots of anxiety.
We were really nervous.
It was my World Cup debut.
Just like it was for Cafu,
Leonardo, and Mrcio Santos.
We had a strong foundation
from the 1990 team.
This game is the start
of the World Cup for us, against Russia.
The first game in a World Cup
makes any team really nervous.
[Dunga] We knew the importance
of a first game.
Because winning the first game
basically qualifies you.
And there's all the anxiety
and nerves of the first game, it's tough.
BRAZIL VS RUSSIA
GROUP STAGE
I remember the first step I took
'cause I was the first to enter the field.
When I stepped out onto the field,
I suddenly felt,
like I blinked
and it all played out like a movie,
all that we'd been through
up to that point,
making it to a World Cup
and the whole stadium
dressed in yellow, with Brazil's colors.
[crowd shouts]
[whistle blows]
[announcer] He sends it right through
his legs! He holds it up brilliantly!
It was a tough game against Russia,
very disjointed.
[announcer] Center back
Ricardo Rocha can't keep playing.
He's holding the area near his groin.
My injury happens, I get hurt.
[announcer] It looks like
a muscular problem.
[Rocha] The World Cup's over for me.
OUT - 3 RICARDO ROCHA - BRA
My ultimate goal beyond being
the best in the world, was to score.
[announcer] Look at Brazil goal! Goal!
BRAZIL 1 - 0 RUSSIA
The team was strong, we defended well,
attacked and had plenty of opportunities.
[announcer] Penalty!
There goes Ra.
He kicks it and scores! Goal!
We were off to a great start,
which is crucial during a World Cup match.
Brazil! Brazil!
[man] With the three points at the start,
qualification is almost guaranteed.
We need another win
to secure our spot in the next stage.
[man] What about Ricardo Rocha?
Will he play?
I don't know.
The doctor hasn't seen him yet.
I thought, "Maybe I should just go.
I know I can't stay here."
Then Parreira and Zagallo
came to me and said, "No,
We talked to the players
and you're staying."
In that moment, Ricardo became a link
between the players,
the management and the coaching team.
I'm no longer playing in the World Cup,
but I've got to help these guys
in every way I can.
Well, what can I say?
Make sure to get the videos with Jorginho.
I said, "Make sure
you warn me. Turn here."
[Jorginho] He's telling us the story
of when he was learning to drive
and hit an incline, super steep.
Since he didn't really know
how to drive, he just stopped,
set up the warning triangle
and said, "We got a problem."
- Get that?
- [man] Yeah, I'm recording it all.
When I say, "And here it goes the"
you guys say, "Strike!"
[man] Okay, okay, let's do it.
CAMEROON
[Omam-Biyik] Brazil was the benchmark
for soccer around the world.
We always watched those players on TV,
but playing against them
was something else.
[man] June 24th.
Once again, Stanford Stadium
is filled with thousands of Brazilians.
Brazil's second game
comes with great expectations.
It's not easy to play against Cameroon.
They were a great African team.
BRAZIL VS CAMEROON
GROUP STAGE
[announcer] Pass to Romrio.
Come on, this one's yours!
The guys knew they could trust me.
"Give that son of a bitch the ball
and he'll score."
[announcer] Go on, kid! Goal! Goal!
Look at those passes!
Jorginho does a great job
and Mrcio Santos finishes it. Goal!
BRAZIL 2 - 0 CAMEROON
[Santos] I scored the goal
and joined the list of defenders
who scored in World Cups.
There's very few of us.
Romrio went for it. He tried to pass,
he couldn't, and the ball was left to me.
I didn't have a good angle,
but I was able to hit it in the corner.
[announcer] Here comes Bebeto.
He shoots! Goal! It's a goal!
BRAZIL 3 - 0 CAMEROON
It's a goal!
I was so glad the game ended.
BRAZIL 3 - 0 CAMEROON
[humming]
Brazil!
Have you noticed
what a different player Dunga is today
compared to the Italy World Cup?
Brazil's first goal yesterday,
which paved the way to victory,
came from a pass by Dunga to Romrio.
[upbeat music playing]
Soccer is very much a utopia.
Within any group, there are people
you click with more,
people you relate to better.
That doesn't mean
you don't get along with others.
You respect them, you're part of a team.
Many people with different perspectives
but with one single goal.
[festive music playing]
[man] Romrio was never a guy
who drank or smoked.
His weaknesses were women and dancing.
He really loved to dance.
It was impressive.
[Romrio] Show them what I've got.
I really liked enjoying life,
and I still do.
Women have always been my strength.
Or my weakness. [chuckles]
[Jorginho] Baixinho would sneak out,
but he'd always be back on time.
He'd sleep well and stay focused.
It was never a problem.
- [man] Louder!
- Wrap it up now.
Play some Salgueiro.
[Zinho] Having won the first two games,
both we and Sweden were already
qualified before the last match.
We were just deciding
who would be the first in the group.
SWEDEN
[Andersson] Going into the World Cup '94,
we knew we had a strong team,
had achieved a lot.
Three-nil for Brazil!
BRAZIL VS SWEDEN
GROUP STAGE
We're aiming for to win the game.
[announcer] Got him in the chest,
kick toward the net and goal!
BRAZIL 0 - 1 SWEDEN
But they'd take an early lead.
In the second half,
with Mazinho caming in,
the team plays more defensively,
which gives me a bit more freedom.
That was the play.
I roll it to him, he's really fast.
[announcer] Romrio, he takes off,
gets there, kicks and scores!
It was very a tough game.
I ended up scoring with a sideways
toe-poke, and we managed to tied.
[announcer] Brazil one, Sweden one.
Brazil won the group.
This is when Parreira switches
the team to a more conservative formation.
He takes Ra off the field.
[Ra] I was sent to the bench,
but then I realized,
that the most important thing
was for the team to come first.
[Parreira] Ra was the captain
and we left the team.
It was clear to us.
He didn't have to think twice.
It was obvious.
"It's Dunga, it's got to be him."
[Dunga] I didn't change
because they made me captain.
I've always been like that.
My way of being, my behavior,
the way I was on the field,
my demands, my leadership style,
None of that depended
on a captain's armband.
[woman] The announcement was made
on Sunday by coach Parreira.
But it's still not what the fans want.
The thing is, we're 220 million coaches.
Everyone has their own opinion
for their own team,
for who their top player is going to be,
for who they believe stands out.
I thought the team played terribly.
I came here, painted my face, yelled
at the top of my lungs, but they sucked!
[man] I know what it's like for a fan
to follow a team, to cheer for that team.
It's really quite insane,
but it's driven by passion.
I'm very passionate about soccer.
We had only bought tickets
for the group stage.
You know, initially, I thought that
maybe we might not even qualify.
And I mean, spending a month in the US
watching other games we didn't really
care about was not what we wanted.
Brazil was gonna play the US
on the 4th of July in the Round of 16.
It was terrible because the US
were getting better at soccer
and had leveled up their game.
[man] For the United States,
it would be an immense joy.
They would join the world's best 16,
and capture the attention of their
fellow Americans on Independence Day.
A photographer who was on the field
before the game began,
said he heard Tab Ramos say
that the Brazilians would leave here
just like they left the Maracan in 1950.
Strike!
[man] Let's go, guys!
Let's play some samba now.
- Strike!
- [man] Yeah, I'm an official sponsor now!
Brought to you by Brought to you by
Things happen naturally as they come.
There are opportunities.
Branco's injured today,
and won't be able to play.
Tomorrow, it could be me.
["Star Spangled Banner"
played on electric guitar]
Those guys have always had patriotism
running deep in their veins.
Americans made up 80%
of the fans in the stadium.
USA! USA!
[Ramos] Everything is lining up.
Independence Day, at home,
against the best team in a World Cup
I think we have a chance.
[announcer] The game between Brazil
and the USA begins.
Their national team played well.
Tactically, they were perfect,
gave us no room.
They had good players.
And all of that mattered.
[announcer] What a ball from Tab Ramos
to Thomas Dooley. Danger here! Ooh!
It was a difficult game,
a little bit back and forth.
Obviously, Brazil had the ball more.
[Silva] We've got Bebeto and Romrio.
With those two up front, we'll score
a goal very soon and win the game.
So we were competitive, you know.
The game was The game was a good game.
[announcer] Tab Ramos
and Leonardo going for it.
Foul by Leonardo.
[quiet dramatic music playing]
Things are getting heated.
It's a red card! Leonardo's sent off!
So at that point, he's sent off.
And it's only the first half.
[Ribeiro] The stadium fell silent.
Brazilian fans just stopped
to see what was happening.
They couldn't believe
what they were seeing.
We had a player sent off, huh?
And at that point, everyone's thinking,
"Oh, God, what now?"
[announcer] Brazil has
completely lost control!
This will make things very difficult.
It's very disappointing
to see Leonardo act like that.
It was terrible, because that's when
we realized that we might be going home.
[announcer] It hits the post!
End of the first half.
Enough of this Parreira's style soccer.
This isn't the Brazil we know.
If Brazil's out after Leonardo is sent
off, he could never go back to Brazil.
So then, the first half ends,
I go to the locker room,
I look around, "Where's Leonardo?"
"Where's Leonardo?"
He's there sitting under the shower.
I looked at him and I said, "Hey! Psst!"
"Get up!"
He was bawling his eyes out.
I said, "Man, listen to me."
"I'm going to score the goal. Don't worry,
we're going to win this game."
We already knew we had to run more.
[announcer] The second half starts
and now it's for real.
At some point,
I understood that I'd reached a moment
where I wouldn't be able to score.
The ball just didn't want to go in.
[announcer] With ten attacking them. Whoo!
Hold on, because it's about to get wild.
I tried playing the right,
the left, the middle
I fought, I attacked, I defended.
Then the game turned dramatic.
[announcer] Romrio,
come on, you're our only hope.
Romrio left the middle and moved up.
And I opened up for him,
just so he could pass me the ball.
[announcer] Go, Romrio. Go!
I'd look at him, I'd look ahead.
I was looking for the last man
so I wouldn't be offside.
[announcer] Go, Romrio, you can do it!
"Go! Go!" And I'm waiting and waiting.
That's when he's getting close.
I'm thinking, "God! He's coming up."
"I'm going to be offside."
I'm looking at the last man, looking at
him, everything in a fraction of a second.
Since I couldn't score a goal,
I had to pass to someone
who could score a goal.
[announcer] Romrio passes to Bebeto
then he rolled it to me,
and when he did, I turned.
Then I looked at that massive goalkeeper.
"It's now or never."
[announcer] Go, Bebeto! Goal! Goal!
It's Brazil! Goal!
Accurate as ever,
he managed to put the ball in that corner.
No one else could've scored that goal.
Just him.
I I just put it right
in that small corner,
where the goalies
always keep their water bottles.
And then I just had to do it.
[announcer] Goal!
[Romrio] I said to him, "I love you."
It was mutual love.
And there are different ways to love.
[Bebeto] And it was genuine,
and he knows that.
From the bottom of my heart.
We have a lot of love for each other
and for everyone on the team.
[announcer] What a joy
it is to see Brazil playing like this.
The stadium fully erupts in celebration!
Let's go, Brazil!
That goal was absolutely crucial.
And then, I said to Jorginho,
"Man, no one's taking this title from us."
I walk into the locker room,
and Leonardo hugs me really tight.
We all cried together.
[sentimental music playing]
[whistle blows]
[announcer] And the referee
blows the final whistle,
Brazil defeats the United States.
Brazil is qualified!
Come on, Brazil.
Let's go to the quarterfinals.
BRAZIL 1 - 0 UNITED STATES
FIFA suspended sideback Leonardo
for four games
and fined him 10,000 Swiss Francs,
nearly 7,000 reais.
[Ramos] So when When he closes
his legs, I'm going around him,
because I was trying to get around him,
and I and I pull his shirt.
And when I pull his shirt,
he threw his elbow.
And I'm a smaller player,
and on top of it, I was lower,
so when he throws the elbow,
it hit me right on the top of the head,
and it cracked my skull.
So first, I remember being on the ground,
and feeling the, um,
like, the noise
of almost like a train going by.
Like, uh, you know, in my head.
Then there's the actual injury,
because then, you know,
I had I've had headaches
for years after that.
[Jorginho] Leonardo is such a loyal guy,
that he certainly would be
the last one of us
to do something like that.
[Ramos] You know players, you know.
There are players
that have bad intentions,
and Leonardo is not a player
with bad intentions.
I have the peace of mind
of knowing that it wasn't on purpose,
I had no intention
of purposefully hurting anyone.
The Brazilian press and the Brazilian
people are always wanting something more.
It's not just about winning.
In the end, we won.
But playing the way they did
against the US,
with fear, taking no risks,
is hard to swallow.
I think that victory was definitely
within our reach, but it was hard.
[tribal drumming]
[man] They have that coffee?
I don't think they do. It's very specific.
I thought they brought enough
for the whole state.
Mattheus was born July 7th, 1994,
and our next game was on the 9th.
Since I was far away, my sister-in-law
was in the delivery room,
and I spent almost an hour on the phone
just waiting to hear my son cry.
DENISE DE ANDRADE
BEBETO'S WIFE
Mattheus had the umbilical cord
wrapped around his neck,
so when he came out he was a little purple
and it took him a bit longer
to be able to cry.
When I finally heard him cry,
man, I was overwhelmed by emotion.
Then they turn on the TV,
and there was my wife with my son.
Oh, man, I just felt
my emotions taking over.
- [man] She can hear you, talk to her.
- [woman] Hello.
I'm just so happy now, I really am.
Let's see if I get to score for Mattheus
against the Netherlands.
[woman] Yeah, did you see how big he is?
He's great, he's beautiful.
He looks just like his dad.
[woman] No, he looks
like his mom as well.
You just want all your kids
to look like you.
"Man, just being here, seeing my son
"I would like to be there too,
but it's going to be worth it,"
I told her that. "It'll be worth it."
[man] Nadal, Ferrer,
Luis Enrique.
I had a really bad
sciatic nerve inflammation back then.
I didn't start
in the World Cup, Leonardo did.
He spent the entire World Cup in recovery.
Leonardo was playing
because Branco was injured.
LONELY AND DEPRESSED,
BRANCO PRAYS FOR STRENGTH.
[SantAnna] That's when I told them,
"I know he can't run on the field,
but he can in the pool."
"I'll be able to improve his physical
condition by training in the pool."
[Branco] They gave me
a vote of confidence.
Because I had to train separately
in a pool with a vest and elastic rope.
I couldn't be in direct contact
with the ground due to the inflammation.
I took a lot of heat
because I included Branco in the group.
We are well aware that Branco
is in terrible physical condition.
He hasn't played in over 50 days,
and the heat here is relentless.
And when the time came,
I didn't hesitate
for a single moment to put him in.
And I think he came through.
Very soon, we'll be facing the Netherlands
in a do-or-die game.
Branco returns to the team,
much to everyone's disappointment.
A little late but your time has come.
I'd like to repay the affection
and support I got
by playing well and maybe even scoring.
I was racing against time.
NETHERLANDS
Even when we didn't play all the games
in the group stage very good,
we were growing, uh, like a group.
And also, uh, our way
we want to play football,
we were growing together.
We knew if we played a little bit
of our normal game, we can beat them.
We're gonna see,
we're gonna give everything,
and hopefully we can surprise everybody.
Brazil needs to definitely watch out,
because Dutch soccer,
unlike ours, is growing
and seems to have found a good standard
of play and team cohesion.
We've always known the Netherlands
as a soccer powerhouse
and they came
to that World Cup with big names.
We had some great talent,
but we were ready.
We're gonna make a really, really
good game and go to the semifinal.
We lost in '74,
but we're here now for the fourth title.
BRAZIL VS NETHERLANDS
QUARTERFINALS
We had watched every game they played.
They barely moved
in the second half because of heat.
But then, on the day,
right before the game, it rained.
The temperature dropped
to 20 degrees Celsius,
and that evened things out.
A journalist came up to us
and handed us a note,
"Please, could you guys ask Parreira
not to put Branco in."
The group's answer,
"We are all vouching for Branco."
[announcer] The game between Brazil
and the Netherlands is about to begin.
The Netherlands and Argentina
are attacking teams,
and they play
on equal footing with Brazil.
Yeah, that game was really tense.
I got the ball and shot,
Bebeto touched it twice,
and then, Romrio just tapped it in.
[announcer] Aldair to Bebeto.
Bebeto finds Romrio,
Romrio shoots, goal!
[Romrio] Technically speaking,
it was Brazil's best game.
Brazil was crushing the Netherlands.
[announcer] Go, Bebeto, this is
your chance. Go, Bebeto! Go, Bebeto!
This is it, now is the time.
I really made sure I was going to score.
I dribbled past the defender,
then past the goalkeeper.
I almost went in with the ball
just to make sure I was going to make it.
[announcer] That's beautiful! Goal!
And I ran out to celebrate.
Mattheus was the only child
whose birth I missed.
I thought, "I'm going to pretend
I'm holding him in my arms."
[announcer] What a beautiful way
to celebrate.
Then Romrio came, Mazinho came.
I looked at both sides and I saw them.
The three of us were there
doing the same thing.
A guy who's your friend,
who you love, who cares about you,
he scores a goal
and does something like that for his son,
it couldn't be any other way.
[sentimental music playing]
I think his christening
was right then and there.
God, being a dad is really beautiful.
We understood, "Guys, listen."
"We have to do something differently."
Then we started playing football, and
[announcer] Wait,
this is getting dangerous. It's a goal!
Oh my God, what is going on?
And then, after the 2-1, you know,
the belief grows grows more in the team.
[announcer] Look at Aron Winter header.
It's a goal!
You know that feeling
when one team is on an upward trend
and the other is on a downward slope?
That gives you also the possibility
and belief that you can win also the game.
[announcer] Ra comes on for Mazinho.
Come on, Brazil!
Ra came in with a sliding tackle.
[announcer] Look at Ra's tackle!
Playing hard. "Calm down, man!"
"You'll be sent off!"
That was yet another sign
that made it clear how solid our team was.
Because Ra could've gotten really upset.
I mean, he was the team captain.
It wasn't Dunga.
[Dunga] I didn't think
about pressure of being captain.
The real pressure was having to go back
to Brazil and not being allowed in.
They'd actually kill us,
especially after 1990.
So, at that moment, all of us were
entirely focused on solving the problem.
We have to win this game.
From then on, it was life or death.
[Branco] I put my right leg
in his direction,
dove and got him to foul me.
He kicked me
while I was on the ground. It was a mess.
Then, he positioned a five-man wall.
[announcer] Branco steps up
for the free kick.
I chose to shoot to the keeper's side.
Because his view was blocked.
He couldn't really see.
I looked and said to myself,
"Now is the time." It was my moment.
When I kicked the ball, I did it in a way
that I bent the ball
and it went around the wall.
[announcer] There he goes, he shoots!
Goal! Goal! Goal!
BRAZIL 3 - 2 NETHERLANDS
Goal!
And then, I ran off
and celebrated, pointed at the staff.
All of them, really, the doctor,
the physical therapists,
Moraci, all of them.
When they made the 3-2, we were broken.
[announcer] And there's final whistle.
Thanks to Branco's late free kick,
Brazil has gone through
and has reached the semifinals.
AYRTON SENNA:
THIS CUP IS FOR YOU
[man 1] After this stunning victory
against the Netherlands,
we can finally say it with all certainty,
that we're among
the four best teams in the world.
- [man 2] What's up, kid?
- All good here.
- [man 2] My man!
- We're all set now.
We've sealed the deal, debts were settled.
Romrio says ball deflected
off him so it's his goal.
Yeah, he does.
I just went like, "Oh, fuck!"
That fucking ball came straight at me.
If I say that, he'd get really pissed off.
Zagallo's going to say a few words.
Say something.
After this fantastic victory,
I'm absolutely sure
the fourth-title will be ours.
[man] Hey, Striker, let's get a beer.
That's soccer. One day you're up,
the next day you're down.
It's what people call
divine justice, isn't it?
[man] What would you call
the most important goal of your career?
Honestly, I'd call it the shut-up goal.
It shut a lot of people up.
Whenever you win,
it gives the fans an emotional boost.
For the first time in this World Cup,
I saw Brazil play. I liked it yesterday.
I really liked yesterday's game.
It was great.
[woman] An unexpected hero, Branco
made every fan admit they were wrong.
Branco's going to crush it.
That's when we started to change
the way many journalists saw us,
because they were all against us.
Let's just be honest.
[woman] Parreira's getting it right?
He's starting to.
Everyone recognizes that the victory over
the Netherlands had the coach's touch.
Carlos Alberto Parreira
went from hell to heaven overnight.
A lot of people at that moment,
myself included,
thought that when Branco scored Brazil's
third goal against the Netherlands,
"Wow, this time it's going to happen."
We're in the semifinals of the World Cup,
so close to the fourth title.
Come on, Brazil.
The children will thank you.
[cheering]
Everybody was happy
because that group really had something.
They became brothers through soccer,
and life, you know?
Parreira talked to us about this,
that a single player doesn't win.
One player might win a game,
but you need a team
to win the championship.
And for that,
you need to be friends, true friends.
GO, BRAZIL!
When did Brazil
last reach a World Cup semifinal?
Oh, I don't know. I really don't know.
No idea.
I don't have the numbers
in my head to do the math,
but I know we'll reach the final,
God willing.
And at that moment, none of us,
none of the players there
had ever reached a World Cup semifinal.
So you know, it was a huge moment for us.
- [man] Are you dreaming of the title?
- Not at all. We haven't reached the final.
That's when you can start
dreaming about it.
All of us really wanted to be
world champions once again.
The winners of Sweden and Saudi Arabia,
Romania and Argentina
will play in the quarterfinals.
Winner will face Brazil
in the World Cup semifinals.
We're aiming for going all the way,
but unfortunately, we met Brazil twice.
[Dunga] Parreira and the defenders
were studying our opponent,
but there was no internet back then.
It was all based on photographs
and some reports.
So he showed us
that Sweden played in two lines of four.
It would be really hard
to get through those lines.
We were trying to figure it out.
We had to be patient.
Mazinho had to come in,
and Zinho, as well,
so we could try to break those lines.
Romrio and Bebeto
had to stretch their lines.
One would come short
and the other running behind,
and we had to keep
on getting to the byline.
And if we crossed the ball,
eventually, we'd have a chance.
[man] Always remember
that the difficult moments were overcome
because all of us stayed here united.
So that's very important.
Come on, guys, let's fucking do it!
The Brazilian fans are gathering,
they're all holding hands
like us, all of them!
Come on, let's fucking do it!
Who's with me?
Strike!
[man] Just look at what
they've done on this street.
Drawings and paintings everywhere.
It's a victory walkway with free passage
for the fans to show their joy,
love and creativity.
I believe we need it, I really do.
Our country needs a boost like this.
And we'll be able to get there.
[announcer] The Brazilian national team
walking hand-in-hand as always.
We've kicked off and the game begins.
It's good to play Sweden,
'cause they play, they really play.
And they let you play.
I felt, from the first start,
that we were under attack.
[announcer] Romrio, that's it.
He got it up front. Look at Romrio!
No, Romrio! Mazinho, he lost it!
The goal wouldn't come.
Then, near the end, Jorginho crosses it,
and Romrio is there
in the middle of the defense.
[Jorginho] It was a cross
that for me, was emblematic of my life.
It was at that moment
I had a clear picture.
I saw, Ra, had just come into the game,
attached the near post
and draw the defenders.
[announcer] There's the goal! Go! There's
the goal! Go! There's the goal! Go!
BRAZIL 1 - 0 SWEDEN
I managed to find Baixinho.
He was perfect.
He drove the header down,
and then Ravelli had no chance.
I deliberately never stay close
to a player who's taller than me.
And it so happened
that I was able to easy jump and score.
[announcer] Brazil scores!
And then, there was an explosion of joy
because we were in the World Cup final.
[announcer] The game is finally over.
Brazil is in the grand final
after 24 years!
The better team created more chances,
so they deserved it.
Yep, great.
[announcer] It's impossible
to hold back these emotions.
No one has even left the stadium.
Look at that! It's really exciting.
Come on, Brazil, we can do it!
There's just one more game to go!
Brazil is in the final against Italy,
reliving the story of 1970.
[all singing]
[man] Oh, damn! Woo!
Today is the 13th, for fuck's sake!
Check this out, Jorginho,
our number 2, got to the goal line,
He crossed to number 11, that's Romrio.
Eleven plus two is 13!
[cheering]
[angelic music playing]
ITALY
Yes, we felt we could be world champions,
but we knew we were playing Brazil,
which traditionally has been
a really hard team to beat.
That World Cup for me
was absolutely incredible,
because I went through
so many ups and downs.
ITALY'S JOURNEY IN THE '94 WORLD CUP
[Albertini] When expectations are high,
preparation comes with a lot of pressure.
We didn't play well in the first game
for many reasons.
[announcer] He kicks it hard and scores!
ITALY 0 - 1 IRELAND
GROUP STAGE
And in the second game, after some time,
we were 10 against 11
and we had to win it.
I was the first goalkeeper in history
to be sent off.
[solemn music playing]
[announcer] He crosses it!
And Dino Baggio scores!
Italy playing with ten men against 11
pulls off a miracle!
The game against Mexico was really hard.
We just couldn't win it so we
we ended up in best third-placed.
Luckily, we were able to qualify.
[announcer] There was a chance and a goal!
ITALY 0 - 1 NIGERIA
ROUND OF 16
I was already thinking
where I'd spend my vacation
because we were, frankly, almost out.
And rightly so, when they said that
Roberto Baggio pulled us off the plane.
It's true, that's exactly what happened.
[announcer] Roberto Baggio ties the game.
ITALY 1 - 1 NIGERIA
ROUND OF 16
Baggio delivers!
ITALY 2 - 1 NIGERIA
ROUND OF 16
Spain's style of play
has always been very difficult for us,
always throughout history.
But thanks to our Italian fighting spirit,
we always manage to find a way
to come through the tough moments.
That's part of who we are
as Italians, not just in soccer.
Italy, by nature, has a tendency
to get stronger with time.
A horse coming from behind
is hard to stop.
[man] It was an immense joy,
after everything we had gone through
in the last month.
We now had the chance
to play a game of such importance
and magnitude, like a World Cup final.
[car horns honking]
Then Baggio suffered a minor injury.
We didn't know
if he'd be able to play the final or not.
[man] Today, Italy without Baggio
is the same as Brazil without Romrio.
The two of them are responsible
for getting their teams to the final.
Brazil and Italy bring face-to-face
two giants of world soccer.
Both countries have mystique,
symbolic jerseys
famous players,
and deeply passionate fans.
The games in the US were all around
four or five in the afternoon
and people were out in the streets.
The streets were all painted.
There were flags everywhere.
And with everything that was happening,
Ayrton Senna's death,
Brazil going through a crisis,
the Brazilian national team
was the people's joy.
Even if Brazil loses,
we're going to throw a party for the kids.
[man] What do you think?
Are we going to win?
- Yeah!
- We will!
[boy] Four-time champions.
[boys] Brazil!
How long exactly
have we been waiting for this day?
Yeah, it's been 24 years.
Come on, Brazil, you can do it.
We are on the edge of our seats.
[man] The crowd here is cheering
and chanting for the team.
Today, more than 25,000 people
have gathered on Avenida Paulista.
[Rinaldi] The atmosphere on the Brazil bus
is unlike that of any other team
heading into a final.
We saw images of the Italian team bus.
They were all dressed in suits,
very serious and stiff.
Our bus was total chaos. Everyone was
sweating even before the game.
[loud commotion]
Strike!
[Rinaldi] It's our way of getting ready
before a big game.
It's a natural adrenaline rush
that gets rid of the anxiety.
And in that chaos,
a kind of brotherhood forms between us.
It's something really special.
Kind of feels like magic.
It's a Brazilian thing. Don't try
to understand it because you won't.
[Bebeto] Ricardo was the guy
who always talked to us.
He really boosted our morale, you know?
And we really trusted him, completely.
He joked around, but he also knew
what to say when it mattered.
The group solved it.
It was not solved individually,
but collectively.
Therefore, that is our mindset.
Let's make sure we carry
that brotherhood onto the field,
hand-in-hand with that winning spirit,
because we are the best!
You don't win with quality alone.
You win with balance,
emotional intelligence,
with everyone wanting
to get it working together.
I remember some of the meetings
we had at the time.
"We're here to win this fucking World Cup.
We're here to be champions."
"Everyone has to give
everything they've got."
"It's not about one person,
it's about the group."
[dramatic music playing]
[Romrio] It was like this in '94
and still is today.
The time had come.
Our stomachs were stirring a little.
Then the nerves and anxiety kicked in.
[crowd cheering]
I gathered the group. "First, let's
thank God we're in the final."
"I'd like to say a few words,
starting with family."
"Thank your families,
thank the Brazilian people."
"They deserve this title."
Then I said, "Guys, let's do the same
as those Japanese men
who would fight for their homeland."
"They would fly
with a certain amount fuel."
"Once they got to where they needed,
they knew they would die."
"Fuel was gone, what did they do?"
"They flew straight toward the enemy
and died for their country."
"Great story.
That's what we're going to do today."
"We'll leave here dead but champions."
Damn.
They started crying
and saying, "Let's go, guys."
"Let's become champions!
Who were these Japanese guys?"
I had a name.
The thing is,
another name popped into my head.
What are you doing?
Kawasaki, we're the guys from Japan.
[indistinct chatter]
I said, "Kawasaki!" super loud.
They went quiet.
Romrio was like
It's Kamikaze, man!
It's kamikaze, man! Kamak
"You're talking shit."
"Kawasaki is a motorcycle, man.
What are you saying?"
[overlapping chatter]
He messed it all up and couldn't stop
laughing. We couldn't stop either.
He was so easygoing.
He was always talking
and cracking jokes, he was so funny.
But when it was time to get serious,
it was, "Man, you're the best!
Go and crush the game!"
We've waited 24 years
hearing all the criticism.
- Let's win today, let's win!
- Stay calm and take it seriously.
Come on, guys, give it all
you've got. We'll never forget this.
- Let's go. Stay calm, take it serious.
- Come on, guys, let's do it.
- Come on, guys!
- Let's go.
Come on, guys!
And that's how it was.
From there, we went straight
to the game, ready to play.
[dramatic music playing]
I think this is where that moment was.
The famous one of me standing up front
and Baggio's behind, looking at me.
I saw it as a sign of respect.
Well, if I had been in his place,
I would see it that way.
To him, I remember the It was
completely packed.
I think it was at full capacity.
It was crazy.
[crowd shouting]
Brazil!
BRAZIL VS ITALY
FINAL
[Romrio] What we had there
was positive energy between all players.
We brought the hand-holding
from the Recife game.
We held hands in every game, all of them.
50 degrees Celsius, scorching hot.
But that's how we felt.
"We'll be together till the end."
[announcer] Brazil has been
the more consistent team,
and we're underway at the Rose Bowl.
The decisive final
between Brazil and Italy begins.
These are two historic teams.
[announcer] Dunga with the cross.
Romrio with the header!
Any mistake at this point is fatal.
You can't lose or you'll lose the Cup.
[announcer] Mauro Silva messed up.
Look at the chance. Amazing! Taffarel.
If Italy scored a goal,
we can try and tie the game,
but we really have to work our asses off.
I believe that in the final
all of us were really tired
because our path to that stage
had been grueling.
By holding position and organized,
Brazil dominates the game.
[announcer] Bebeto takes the shot!
Our midfield was extremely consistent,
technically very good.
Man, that's a once-in-a-lifetime moment
for a soccer player.
[Albertini] By the time
we reached the final,
our team was completely exhausted,
especially the players on the field,
so our pace was much lower
than in the previous games.
[announcer] And that's halftime,
Brazil zero, Italy zero.
It was a game with very few opportunities.
[announcer] The referee signals the start
of the second half. Let's go, Brazil!
[Santos] Pagliuca hadn't done well
in the last Italian championship,
especially in his right side.
He made huge mistakes
throughout the whole thing.
He's almost considered
the worst howler in history.
[announcer] Mauro Silva with a long
distance shot. Pagliuca blocks it!
It hits the post!
It truly saved my reputation in soccer,
because if that had gone in
and we had lost 1-0,
maybe it wouldn't have ended my career,
but would've left a mark.
When people see me,
they remember me kissing the post,
nobody remembers my mistake.
We knew both teams
would be on equal footing
because of their experience
and the quality of their players.
[announcer] Italy's getting closer.
Baggio kicks it. It's out.
Extra time, 90 minutes,
36 degrees Celsius.
[announcer] The referee made it simple.
Zero-zero against Italy,
a team that was totally
discredited at the time.
And they kept going
and getting closer and closer.
Baggio was injured,
and they kept getting closer
and Baggio's procrastinating.
But it was a final. You don't get to play
a World Cup final every day.
[announcer] The temperature is rising
at the Rose Bowl.
[Ribeiro] The first half ended zero-zero.
It was still zero-zero after full-time.
Extra time,
and Brazil shooting and missing.
[announcer] Here comes Brazil.
Cross, here it goes! Still a chance.
Saved by the goalkeeper!
Romrio waited! He took a direct shot!
He should've crossed!
Man, Romrio missed a goal
that he couldn't have missed.
[announcer] Romrio is in the middle,
crosses, look at the goal! And he misses!
I had one of the worst misses
in World Cup history.
But we'd already missed
two others by then.
When I got onto the field,
I made sure to check.
I have the last 15 minutes of the game.
to be able to score a goal.
I was able to bring the ball forward,
cutting through,
and when I was basically facing the goal
[announcer] He keeps at it, gets it
out front, there goes Viola, left leg.
I just thought Romrio.
[announcer] He's still going,
he rolls it to Romrio.
I hear to this very day,
"Why did you not take that shot yourself?"
No, he did what he had to do.
He had to give me the ball.
I was top dog, I was the one
scoring the goals, it had to be me.
But unfortunately, I just couldn't do it.
We didn't manage to win in extra time,
so it went to penalties.
[announcer] It's the end of the game.
It's a truly historic moment.
BRAZIL 0 - 0 ITALY
It's the first time that a World Cup
is decided by a penalty shootout.
The first time in history.
And on top of that,
the heat intensified everything.
We were all clenching our fist.
I started feeling queasy.
It was just so stressful, it really was.
In the last few minutes,
we could barely put our feet down.
We had to stand on our heels
because it hurt.
The front of our feet were burning.
I remember that moment in detail.
When extra time ended,
Parreira came onto the field
and beelined straight to me.
"Mrcio, you take the first one?"
I said, "Sure."
When Parreira started walking towards me,
I said, "God, I know he's going pick me."
It's a lot of responsibility.
There was a player
who was supposed to take a penalty,
and at the time, he said,
"Parreira, I can't do it."
"Because after running 120 minutes,
my legs feel like they weigh a ton."
Know what actually matters
at that moment?
Who's got heart and wants to do it?
Romrio hadn't practiced penalties at all,
but he said, "I want to take one."
"Okay, then, go for it."
I wasn't used to taking penalties.
I'd taken maybe four at most.
[Bebeto] "Are you up for it, Bebeto?"
One by one.
He came right up to me.
I said, "I'll take one.
I want to go first."
I said that to him.
Then he said,
"No, you take the last one."
[announcer] Come on, Taffarel.
Go for it, Taffarel, and save them all.
[Pagliuca] There's more pressure
on the one taking the penalty
than on the goalkeeper.
The keeper has much more to gain.
I think that players
taking the penalties think differently
from the ones trying to save them.
[Parreira] You might not be the one
taking the penalty,
but it's like your heart just stops
and you can't feel anything.
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer] Baresi is wide!
Way off target!
Come on, Brazil!
Imagine the people at home.
Just picture how stressful it is.
Because there's obviously
enormous tension.
For the goalkeeper,
though, it's a bit different.
[announcer] Mrcio Santos will be up next.
Italy started the penalties
with Baresi and he missed.
They still haven't found that ball.
He kicked it out of the stadium.
Still missing.
[announcer] Everyone's holding hands.
The players embrace it.
All of Brazil is with you.
Mrcio Santos.
He kicks it and Pagliuca saves it.
From then on,
we were in a state of desperation.
[all shouting]
At least I aimed
toward the goal, you know?
I hit the corner.
At that moment, I thought
I had made a great save.
But what I was especially happy
about was having helped the team
move closer to victory.
Mrcio Santos, who was
our best penalty taker, in training,
was the first to step up and missed.
And that made for an even more difficult,
intense environment for everybody.
I shot and missed. It evened things out.
We were starting from scratch.
in that moment, anything can happen.
You have to be prepared.
Until all five penalties are taken,
you can't assume you've won
or even that you've lost.
Anything can happen.
I was 22, and it was the first penalty
I'd ever taken as a professional player.
[announcer] Albertini gets ready.
I was not calm.
It might've just looked that way
from the outside.
[announcer] He stays close, he shoots.
It's a goal for Italy.
And in fact when it was over and I scored,
I did celebrate a little,
and because it felt like a release.
[man] Watch the post! Come on,
Taffarel's going to save the penalty!
For fuck's sake!
[Jorginho] Romrio said,
"I'm a very fearless guy,
but at that moment, I went in afraid."
[announcer] Romrio will take
the penalty for Brazil.
It was difficult, really tough.
The responsibility
was all on my shoulders.
The fact that Brazil
hadn't won a title in 24 years.
[announcer] It's him and Pagliuca.
[Romrio] You have to really zone in.
You've got to leave everything behind.
It's like you've got to be
with yourself and zone out.
That's what happened to me there.
[announcer] Here goes Romrio
with a right foot kick! It's a goal!
Go, Brazil!
He told me that when his ball hit
the post, he had goosebumps all over.
But thank God the ball actually went in.
I felt relaxed and felt relieve,
but I know very well it wasn't over yet.
I heard it hit the post
and thought immediately it had gone out,
but no, it went in.
I took the ball
and headed toward the goal.
As I faced the goal, I was thinking,
"I've got to decide,
do I go right or left, right or left?"
And when I finally placed it,
I made the call.
[announcer] Evani takes a few steps back.
And then, as I was starting my run-up,
I knew that the best thing to do
was to strike it hard toward the goal.
[announcer] Evani blasts it
straight down the middle!
[Evani] So I put the ball
right down the middle,
and the goalkeeper dove to the side,
and I scored.
[announcer] Two for Italy,
one for Brazil. Ooh!
I was the third.
[announcer] Branco steps up
for the penalty.
1994 World Cup final,
24 years without a title.
The whole country watching.
All that expectation,
all the responsibility
that I carried on my shoulders.
After all I'd been through.
It's like the movie of your life
flashes right before your eyes.
Everything that helped you
get to that exact moment,
family, friends, the country, everything.
[announcer] Branco to take the shot.
He's taking a long run up here.
I went further back, and he thought
I was taking a power shot.
That told him that to save the shot,
he'd have to move early."
I switched it. I decided to place the ball
and wait for him to move.
It was a crazy decision.
So I'm going, I'm moving closer,
I'm getting closer and closer to the ball,
and he's not moving at all, he's there.
And then, in the last three steps,
he moves very slightly to one side,
and he frees up the left side.
[announcer] Branco goes for it,
he shoots and scores!
It's a goal for Brazil. Branco scores!
At that point,
I was just purely going on instinct,
so I dove and he caught me off guard.
[Branco] Had I missed it, I might
be living on a Caribbean island today.
I might never have come back to Brazil.
[chuckles]
Go, Massaro!
[Rinaldi] I've known Taffarel
from the start.
Later on, he told me
that on the first two penalties
he wanted to save them so badly.
that he ended up moving too early,
and wasn't able to do it.
He went, "Hold on, I need to concentrate
and wait for the right moment to move."
[announcer] Two penalties left
for each team.
Massaro goes for it. Taffarel!
Nice save by Taffarel!
Dunga was coming up next.
"Oh no, it's the captain."
And I said, "Oh, man, he's so stiff."
Do you have any idea
of the pressure Dunga felt
walking from midfield to the penalty spot?
In his head, he must've felt
like he walked a thousand kilometers,
as if he'd never get to the goal.
[announcer] The captain
carefully places the ball.
To rewrite my story, be part
of a team, become world champion,
make history for my country,
bring joy to my people,
and help decide the game.
I had a penalty to kick.
[announcer] Dunga goes for it,
right foot, shoots,
It's a goal! It's a goal!
I had to make it. I practiced that shot.
There's no other way.
I have to kick it in the side netting
where he can't reach it.
Dunga took a straight shot.
I thought maybe he'd send it across.
Back then, I didn't know
the shooters that well.
Unlike today, when you can study
every penalty they've taken.
Back then, I had to rely on instinct
and luck, but unfortunately,
my gut told me to go to the wrong side.
[Dunga] It was a World Cup
where we complemented each other
and had great respect for one another.
Everyone thought about
how to do their very best
and to add to the team.
[announcer 1 in Spanish]
Baggio steps up to take it.
[announcer 2 in English]
Everyone waves to Taffarel.
It's Baggio against Taffarel.
If Taffarel saves it, it's over!
Because Baggio
was a really good penalty kicker,
but the truth is,
in that moment, it was rough.
It was a tense moment for everyone there.
Come on, we can do it, man! Let's go!
[dramatic music playing]
[tense music playing]
And Roberto Baggio,
who only took low shots,
and was an amazing scorer,
I mean, can you imagine how hard it is
having to score a penalty kick?
[announcer] Brazil has three,
Italy has two.
If Taffarel saves it,
Brazil's the champion.
Penalty can truly change your life.
[announcer] He takes the shot. It's over!
It's over!
It's over! Brazil!
Brazil is four time champion!
We did it, Brazil!
We're four-time champion!
"We're the champions!"
It was definitely one
of the happiest moments of my life.
[announcer] It's the fourth title!
It's the fourth title!
It was a dream true come true.
My dream came true.
[announcer] An exorcism
of all the ghosts of the past!
This is the happiest moment
of my life to this day.
[announcer] Who's the boss
of world soccer?
It's Brazil!
If someone had scored a goal in the game,
they would've been labeled
as the sole hero of fourth title.
Even Baggio kicking it high made our title
become more of a collective effort.
The title of work, of unity
and overcoming adversities, of the people.
[announcer] We often criticized you,
but you showed inner strength rarely seen.
You are worthy of the position you hold.
Thank you, Parreira!
No one believed in that team,
but we did it because we believed.
[announcer] Courage, strength, bravery
and love for that yellow jersey.
And then, to add to all the emotion,
the players come in
with Ayrton Senna's banner.
You know,
Brazil really needed that title to heal.
And in comes, "Ayrton Senna,
we race with you."
[announcer] Ayrton Senna is the eternal
championin the hearts of all Brazilians.
The players pay tribute to him.
"Senna, we race together."
"The fourth-title is ours."
It's too much for me.
[inspirational music playing]
When we won, we walked up there.
All the way.
We went to get the cup and celebrate.
[Zinho] Captain Dunga
had turned things around.
Back then, they butchered him.
"The Dunga era."
In '94, he lifts the World Cup trophy.
[inspirational music playing]
Lifting the trophy
doesn't make you a champion.
It's all the preparation
and organization behind it.
[announcer] Brazil wants
to see this trophy up high!
Brazil wants to shout it out loud!
Four-time World Cup champions!
I never imagined that I'd leave Bag,
on the Uruguayan border,
60 kilometers from Uruguay,
far down in the south of Brazil.
To think I'd leave that very small town
and conquer the world,
it's quite something, isn't it?
[announcer] Romrio's in tears.
Who said he was undisciplined
and didn't take things seriously?
Look at him proving everyone wrong.
[heartfelt music playing]
[Romrio] It was a victory for my parents,
and for my teammates' parents too.
A victory for that generation
that had gone through so much in 1990,
something that would last forever.
Yeah, it's the reason
I'm here today, talking to you.
I went down those huge stairs,
that trophy in my hand.
People were reaching, and I said,
"You can hold it. It's ours, touch it."
That was seen all over the world.
It was a moment I'll never forget.
[announcer] Our World Cup!
Our national team!
What a fighting spirit, what excitement!
What joy for Brazil!
[man] Congratulations, champions!
- There's a huge party waiting for us.
- [man] Ah, yeah!
That's what I heard.
- [Jorginho] Congrats! You're the best!
- Thanks Jorginho.
- [Jorginho] You crushed it!
- Debts are settled. Let's close the books.
[Jorginho] Leo, congratulations, man!
Congrats, kid!
Ronaldinho! 17 years old
and already four-time world champion!
Mrcio, you're the best, kid!
This is a king!
We are four-time champions!
We are awesome!
They were talking trash about us,
but God is fair.
- [Jorginho] Congrats, Mora!
- Thanks for everything, Jorginho.
I really mean it.
There are only two four-time champions
in the world, Brazil and Zagallo, damn it!
Let's go!
Thanks!
We did it!
Four-time champions! Four-time champions!
FOUR-TIME FOOTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONS
[man] Check out the fourth star
there, you guys!
BRAZIL
[spirited folksy music playing]
"Friends forever."
That's our motto to this day.
We got to Brazil,
we're in Brazilian airspace.
We look out, two jets.
Two fighter jets
from the Air Force
were escorting us back home.
We were greeted like war heroes, for real.
[Silva] The first city we went to
after the World Cup was Recife,
so we could thank the people there
for all the love they showed us.
Because that's where it started.
The pilot said, "There's a crowd
of a million people down there
waiting for you."
When the plane was landing and we saw it,
that's when I shed
my first tear. I was moved.
When we came back to Brazil
and saw the country going crazy,
those images will never leave my mind.
Not only in mine, but of all the guys
who where there too.
It was just out of this world.
I was next to the president,
the guy from customs and everyone else.
And suddenly, one of the security guard
came running up to us, sweating,
and said, "Hey, the crowds
tearing down the airport fences."
"They're going to break in any time now."
[festive Brazilian music playing]
[crowd cheering]
We would looked up at the buildings
and they were all
doing the baby rocking gesture together.
It was such an amazing feeling]
And for those who were ten
or 15 at the time,
it's the first time
they saw Brazil win a World Cup.
It's the first thing they said.
So what's the impact it has
on a child from that country?
It means hope for them.
When we saw all that joy,
we all felt a little like,
"Damn, we went through
a lot in four years."
"We trained, we sacrificed.
It was really hard, but totally worth it."
"We're bringing joy.
Look at how happy everyone is."
"No one's thinking about anything
but celebrating. That's what we want."
"No one's wondering about the person
next to them, if they're rich or poor,
what religion they are,
what team they like."
"No. Joy is bringing
the country together."
No one can achieve such an important
victory without a strong group.
It's about the collective, society,
a group of people,
an entire country, you know?
It's really nice to revisit everything.
We turned on a street, and I remember
the image of a boy up in a tree,
and he cried and cried.
They were all
It was a really tough time in the country.
And the people got it.
Brazil!
[Bebeto] Nothing compares to it.
I get emotional just talking about it,
because it was really powerful.
It was something so
I believe it was all worth it,
the struggle, all of it.
I get choked up talking about it.
[all shouting]
[festive music continues]
Honestly, I'm still celebrating
to this day.
After everything we had gone through,
the team just needed to believe.
That's what happened. We believed.
We need to believe again.
Not just in soccer, but in our country.
[crowd cheering]
[lively pop music playing]
[music ends]