On 10 October 1998, Roma midfielder/second striker Francesco Totti earned his first cap for Italy in a 2-0 win over Switzerland in a Euro 2000 qualifier.
Totti, who was born in Rome in 1976, has played his entire club career for hometown club Roma, whom he joined as a youth player in 1989. By the time the 22-year old Totti received his first call-up to Italy's senior side, he had already won international honors for his country, claiming the 1996 UEFA U-21 European Championship.
In the Euro 2000 tournament, Totti helped the Azzurri reach the Final, contributing a goal to their 2-0 win over Belgium in the group stage, another in their 2-0 win over Romania in the first knockout round, and a penalty kick in their 0-0 (1-3) win over Holland in the semi-finals. Italy lost to France 2-1 in the Final, however, after French striker David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute. Totti's play earned him inclusion in the 23-player UEFA Team of the Tournament.
Totti and Italy got their revenge on France six years later when they defeated Les Bleus in the 2006 World Cup Final, Totti's last match for Italy. In all, he made 58 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring 9 goals.
From the Italian team, Roberto Baggio was one of the best soccer players of all time. I remember the heartbreak when he missed the penalty in the 1994 World Cup final. I think he never recovered from that.
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