BBC Italia '90 World Cup title sequence 

I don't think any other piece of music captures both the majesty and the pain of football as well as this.

Today’s kids will never know the real passion of football. That era from the 80s-90s was just something else….

Greatest memories of my entire life I'm 41 years old I tell my kids about this

A haunting tune that brings back memories of a time never to return....

Gotta give credit to the BBC for turning Nessun Dorma into a sporting anthem.

Still brings a tear to my eye, what a tournament.

R.I.P Diego Maradona

Even the titles were epic! Goodness, watching this after all this time still manages to make my heart swell scarily inside my chest and the tears spring up in my eyes. I truly loved this world cup.

Never underestimate the power of television. This relatively short title sequence exposed uninitiated football fans to high culture, and the effect really did linger for quite some time.

Actually crying listing to this

Take the world cup back to Italy :) so classic and beautiful, where beautiful football and passion should be played :)

First World Cup I can remember. As an 8yr old watched it all with my now departed Grandad. Cried my eyes out when England lost on Penalties to Germany. Still the greatest World Cup I have witnessed. Thanks for this upload.

I was 8 and it touched my soul, never forget it, there was something in the air back then only really equalled by the mad summer of 96.

For better or worse, this is was the birth of modern football. Unforgettable title sequence.

Goodness, watching this still makes my heart swell scarily inside my chest and the tears spring up in my eyes. I truly loved this world cup.

Tardelli's celebration will forever live in world cup memory

Not sure if anyone has noted this before on here...but the ballerina in the opening credits is a sister of a Hillsborough disaster survivor. Adrian Tempany mentions this in his book "And the sun shines now". In the space of 15 months football changed.....alot. I was 15 at the time and Italia 90 was amazing...but not for the football. As mentioned earlier it has been recorded as the least amount of goals scored etc etc...but the stadiums, kits, fans and even the weather made it outstanding. I think to a certain age of people this tournament will always be seen as THE best ever (perhaps I'm biased?) but it bought in the world of football.

It's funny. This is regarded as a dire tournament. But to me it was magical. My first World Cup. The drama was unequalled. All the way through. I'll never forget Gazza,the penalties, Lineker's face when Platt scored against Belgium. And of course , Nessum Dorma. I wish I could relive it.

What a year that was....everything was great. Semi finals only but still the feel good factor, the music, the summer heat. I kissed goodbye to school aswell.....Will never forget it

That's fucking brilliant. Having Pele, Cruyff and then Maradona and finishing with Tardelli's famous celebration. Quality stuff.

What an intro. Can't beat the classic Cruyff turn followed by a cheeky Maradona run

15 at the time. Still gives me goosebumps 34 years later. Watched every game. Used to run home from school for the early KO.

Even the BBC Sport ident at the beginning gives me goosebumps.

Every boy between 33 and 37s favourite World Cup. Under 33 - too young to remember, over 37 - old enough for Mexico 86.

I was 5 when this was held, one of my earliest memories was sitting around the old box tv in the sitting room of my childhood home and this intro

RIP Diego Armando Maradona 🙏🏻

I was the luckiest kid alive watching this tournament on a huge wide/rolled screen on a family holiday in cornwall (rare technology for 1990). They let the kids in the bar in the evening. I was 7. It was my first real memory of football and seeing all the emotions. We had surround sound in the bar and this huge screen, it was the next best thing to being there.

This reminds me of my boarding school days of tunning in and watching the live matches. I can't believe this took place 30 years ago. When England lost on penalties, I remember how disappointed everyone felt. It was like a funeral.

I was 19 and it was the very first world cup as a young man, I watched all.... Greatest ever, Forza Italia!!!!

Every 4 years I revisit this ,,,,what memories

That summer was incredible..

Was twenty years old and watched the whole tournament with my mates whist studying for second year exams at University. Best summer ever. ❤️

I remember watching this as a 13 year old kid and crying when we lost in the semi finals, I was a football fan ever since! That was a beautiful summer.

28 years later and still brings back so many memory's if you did not live it you will never understand

The music still gives me goosebumps, whenever I hear it. I was so wanting England to meet Argentina in the final, so we could avenge the 'Hand of God' of the exceptionally talented, but flawed cheating genius that was Diego Armando Maradona!

I was 10 years old and watched this world cup from start to finish and this song holds great memories

ITALIA 90 even the name sounds heroic!

I was not prepared for this youtube watch! Ahh nostalga.... 8 years old i was, the biggest event in the sporting calendar. Pavarotti, Cameroon game, Gazza, absolute quality TV screen layout with the margin-esk layout (line down the side, line along the bottom) Amazing how you hear the first 3 seconds of a song and you are instantly taken back to "Italia 90, how old you were and where you watched it with baited breath"....... N.B Obviously not possible to watch unless your Ariel was out the window due to crap reception!

turn the volume up in your car and play Nessun Dorma!

Pavarotti held that last 5th octave sequence for over 16 seconds, it's no wonder there are only a few professional singers in the world who are game to sing that aria! (Ok, Jackie Evancho does it well.) That add was heard (and loved by) by hundreds of millions of folk! It certainly boosted awareness of Classical music!

Looked this up after last night. I was 20 years old then. Seeing it again gives me goosebumps and I get misty eyed.

My Serbian uncle in law took me to Italy to support Yugoslavia and they could have won that tournament, I cried like a baby after losing the penalty shootout against Argentina. It's 2024 now and I'm still not over the injustice. I absolutely loved my time in Italy and went back to Bari a year later again with my uncle to watch Red Star beat Marseille in Bari, it was tears of joy that night. Nessan Dorma still gives me goosebumps.

Interesting the power of music and its associations. I can guarantee that if it had not been Puccini's music, but rather some second rate jingle instead in these credits, the nostalgia would not be so great in many of the fans posting here!

10 years old and fell in love with the World Cup. The song takes me right back to sitting with my dad watching England in the living room and him letting me stay up late to watch Extra Time in the final. Absolutely glorious.

It's funny, this is the first world cup I remember, being 8 years old and well into football. Three main memories, Roger Muller's celebrations for Cameroon, Gaza's tears, and above all this awesome piece of music tying it all together!

Yeah I was 10 as well mate, remember Mexico 86 a bit but Italia '90 was the bollocks.

Such an emotional song and the tournament that fixed football.

Absolutely brilliant, captures the magic and passion of the game and why we love it so much

As a Scotsman this tourney defined the phrase its the taking part that counts. Pavarroti Cocacola mini footballs Gazza Germany winning then being united after he Wall Great football strips and shellsuits lol. Great memory.

I was 17 watching in pubs.memories il never forget

The greatest intro ever and memories of a time just before money and sattelite tv ruined the game.

The feel good factor that year was brilliant. Cold beers outside the pub in the early evening awaiting kickoff.....England actually competing.....Happy days.

Best World Cup intro of all time, cried like a baby on the last playing at the final!

I still get goosebumps watching or listening to anything about this world cup for England it was magical best world cup by a mile

This BBC sport intro is nostalgia right up there with the sound of a PlayStation booting lol

This was the intro that made the intros

1 minute in.. Marco Van Basten.. what a player!

Fantastic, yet bitter sweet memories.

This felt like a pivotal point in English Football, its upwards ever since this moment.

What an inspirational tune. Brings back great childhood memories of following the World Cup. Where does the time go.

The world cup and soundtrack that made me fall in love with football

Some of my earliest football memories, incredible tournament

Such evocative memories

I just about remembered Mexico 86 and the lasting memory of the hand of god. Roll on 1990, skyving off school to watch games. Fantastic England,fantastic Waddle Mullet, Gazzzzzzza, Barnes (and his rap), Beardsly, team of heros. A Fantastic World Cup in Italy!

Never saw 1966 and just too young to remember 1970 which was probably the last great World Cup till 1990. Amazing memories. Doubt they'll be another like that with all the changes in football and refereeing etc.

The most iconic World Cup of modern times for me.

Best world cup intro ever.. incredible!

This world cup is what got me into football, I was 10 years old kicking a Italy 90 ball around my grans garden.

Glorious..without a doubt, the best ever World Cup

Best world cup ever. I was 9 years old. I watched it with my dad. I really believed England would win. It was the start of many years of heartbreak with the national team

brings a tear to my eyes! happy days

still sends shivers through me. beautiful tune

All rise for the Italia 90 Anthem!! 🫡🫡🫡

I honestly think this song should be used for every single world cup!

I was 7 then, but this is still one of my great world cup memories. Classic sequence to a classic world cup.

Dear god this brings back memories….I was 6 and loved football ever since

31 years later, I still get goosebumps. Most magical World Cup for a little lad of just 9 in 1990. This theme song played no small in that. Happy days.

best world cup ever,im now 33 and the whole thing still makes my hairs stand ,even more so with david platt

Breathtaking

Still get goosebumps just hearing this

No theme song could capture a football tournament like Nessun Dorma did for Italia 90

Wonderful memories of that football summer and of a different better time all those years ago. Except of course for the horrible pain , it hurt , of being beaten by West Germany in the semi final. (Yes 'West' Germany....who even remembers that now....) That music is timeless and beautiful. Even the T.V credits were kind of classy.

Great music for a great sport. How can you go wrong?

Makes me cry

The final shot of Tardelli running it just beautiful

When the game was beautiful, and it meant everything. These were the best times to be a football fan.

I'm 40 years old and this was the first World Cup I remember watching and this as well as many things just bring back so many memories.....it's just scary how long ago it actually was

Of the World Cups I have cogniscent memory of, definitely the best World Cup ever. Of all the films I have seen? The 1970 World Cup - I was 2 at the time - has to be the best ever. Thanks for posting, Lord!

I was over in Italy for this tournament. It was fantastic, long before the days of face painting, etc. Shame we went out in the semis. :-(

Wow brings back so much memories what a great World Cup

Actually it was the Italians and Luciano P(rip) that made nessun dorma the theme tune to italia 90. The BBC had nothing to do with it. Great tune though.

i get goosebumps everytime i see this. Can't wait for this years wc to start

when england played like heros

Funny, I can't remember what brought me to this site! But, it's the first time I've seen the BBC opening sequence. I knew Nessum Dorma and Des Lynam were the soundtrack to Italia 90, but I was there for the duration in Italy and we knew nothing of what was going on back home (no 1970 WC pun intended). No internet or mobile phones. It was the best WC I can recall and I've been to six and seen the rest on the box. First one being 1970 that I remember. Looking forward to USA/Canada/Mexico in three years!

That brings back so many great memories from long ago.. It feels like a dream. I am 30 years old now. Well, here we go today - In less than 12 hours the greatest sporting comptition in the world will begin. History in the making.

May have not been the best World Cup on the pitch but my God it had the atmosphere and the stars

love this what an awsome composer Pavaroti was.

Goosebumps and watery eyes

So many great memories come rushing back..

that completly reminds me of being 7 again, first world cup I remember and I was totally hooked. Can remember Van Basten Maradona and Tardelli from that montage like it was yesterday I was watching WC Grandstand, amazing.