round of 16. Many fans hoped to see him play for Italy at Euro 2004, or with the 2004 Olympic squad that eventually managed a bronze medal, but this was not to be the case. However, he was given an international send-off by Trapattoni at age 37 in a friendly match against Spain on 28 April 2004, in which he wore the number 10 shirt for the final time, as well as the captain's armband for part of the match. Although Baggio entertained the crowd with his creativity and skill, he was unable to score, despite winning a free-kick from which Vieri's equalising goal arose. The match finished 1–1 and Baggio was given a standing ovation after being substituted off for Fabrizio Miccoli. This was Baggio's 56th and final match for Italy, and it was the first time an Italian footballer's career had been celebrated this way since Silvio Piola retired. Baggio is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups with nine career World Cup goals, putting him equal with Christian Vieri and Paolo Rossi as Italy's top World Cup goalscorers. Despite his performances for Italy in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, he never played for Italy in the UEFA European Championships, and is currently the Italian player with the most caps without playing in a European Championship. Player profile Style of play Described as a fantasista, trequartista, mezzapunta, or rifinitore throughout his career in the Italian media, due to his role on the pitch and creative playing style, Baggio was a world class playmaker with an eye for goal, who was renowned for his elegance, grace, fluidity, vision, creativity, ability to read the game, crossing accuracy, and passing ability, which made him an excellent assist provider; however, he usually played as a second striker throughout his career, as he was known for scoring goals as well as creating them. This led Michel Platini to describe him as a "9 and a half", namely a player whose role lay half-way between that of a forward and a midfielder, as he was not a true number 9 (the shirt number usually associated with a striker), due to his creative ability, but he scored more than a number 10 (the shirt number commonly associated with an advanced playmaker), a description which often saw him identified with the role of an inside forward. He also stated that