While he only missed one La Liga match in his first season, as Barcelona finished second to Real Madrid, adding the campaign's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Baía also suffered from knee problems during his two-and-a-half-year spell. It was between 19 that he made his name as a world-class goalkeeper, being voted for the ' ESM Team of the Year' after the 1994–95 season and being named in the ' IFFHS' World's Best Goalkeeper of the Year 1995' list, finishing sixth in the voting and improving to fifth in the following year consequently he was named in the Portugal squad for Euro 1996, being transferred after this tournament to Spain's FC Barcelona for the highest amount paid for a player in the position in the world. īaía made his first-team debut in a game against Vítoria de Guimarães, and did not lose his starting place for the following seven seasons, winning five leagues and two domestic cups and conceding only 116 goals (16,5 goals per year).
In early 1989, he renounced to appear at the FIFA World Youth Championship, as he had relegated Pole Józef Młynarczyk to the bench and his club was still chasing the Primeira Liga title, which eventually eluded them ( second place).
Born in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto District, Baía joined FC Porto's youth ranks at thirteen, from also northern club Leça FC.
