Paolo Rossi

Paolo Rossi
Personal information
Full name Paolo Rossi
Date of birth (1956-09-23)23 September 1956
Place of birth Prato, Italy
Date of death 9 December 2020(2020-12-09) (aged 64)
Place of death Siena, Italy
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1961–1967 Santa Lucia
1967–1968 Ambrosiana
1968–1972 Cattolica Virtus
1972–1975 Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1976 Juventus 0 (0)
1975–1976 → Como (loan) 6 (0)
1976–1980 Vicenza 94 (60)
1979–1980 → Perugia (loan) 28 (13)
1981–1985 Juventus 83 (24)
1985–1986 Milan 20 (2)
1986–1987 Hellas Verona 20 (4)
Total 251 (103)
International career
1977–1986 Italy 48 (20)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Italy
FIFA World Cup
Winner1982 Spain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paolo Rossi (23 September 1956 – 9 December 2020) was an Italian footballer. He played for Juventus, Milan, and the Italy national team.

Rossi died from cardiopulmonary arrest caused by lung cancer in Rome on 9 December 2020 at the age of 64.[1][2]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Coppa Italia Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Juventus 1973–74 Serie A 001000–10
1974–75 Serie A 002000–20
Total 003000–30
Como 1975–76 Serie A 6000––60
Lanerossi Vicenza 1976–77 Serie B 362162––4223
1977–78 Serie A 302442––3426
1978–79 Serie A 2815321[a]0–3217
Total 946013610–10866
Perugia 1979–80 Serie A 2813404[a]1–3614
1980–81 Serie A 0000––00
Total 28134041–3614
Juventus 1981–82 Serie A 310000–31
1982–83 Serie A 2371159[b]6–4318
1983–84 Serie A 3013709[c]2–4615
1984–85 Serie A 273629[b]51[d]04310
Total 832424727131013544
Milan 1985–86 Serie A 202313[a]0–263
Hellas Verona 1986–87 Serie A 20473––277
Career total 2511035417351410341134
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
  2. 1 2 Appearances in European Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances in European Cup Winners' Cup
  4. ↑ Appearance in European Super Cup

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[3]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Italy 197710
1978104
197953
198030
198100
1982116
198372
198463
198532
198620
Total4820
Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rossi goal.[4]
List of international goals scored by Paolo Rossi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
12 June 1978Estadio Mundialista, Mar del Plata France1–12–11978 FIFA World Cup
26 June 1978Estadio Mundialista, Mar del Plata Hungary1–03–11978 FIFA World Cup
318 June 1978Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Austria1–01–01978 FIFA World Cup
421 December 1978Stadio Olimpico, Rome Spain1–01–0Friendly
524 February 1979San Siro, Milan Netherlands2–03–0Friendly
626 May 1979Stadio Olimpico, Rome Argentina2–12–2Friendly
713 June 1979Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Yugoslavia1–01–4Friendly
85 July 1982Estadio Sarriá, Barcelona Brazil1–03–21982 FIFA World Cup
92–1
103–2
118 July 1982Camp Nou, Barcelona Poland1–02–01982 FIFA World Cup
122–0
1311 July 1982Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid West Germany1–03–11982 FIFA World Cup
145 October 1983Stadio della Vittoria, Bari Greece3–03–0Friendly
1522 December 1983Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia Cyprus3–13–1UEFA Euro 1984 qualifier
164 February 1984Stadio Olimpico, Rome Mexico2–05–0Friendly
173–0
184–0
195 February 1985Dalymount Park, Dublin Republic of Ireland1–02–1Friendly
203 April 1985Stadio Cino e Lillo Del Duca, Ascoli Piceno Portugal2–02–0Friendly

Honours

Vicenza[5][6][7]

Juventus[7]

Italy[7]

Individual

  • Capocannoniere: 1977–78 (24 goals)[9]
  • Serie B top scorer: 1976–77 (21 goals)[10]
  • FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1978[7][11]
  • FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1978, 1982[12]
  • Gazzetta Sports Awards Man of the Year: 1978[13]
  • Sport Ideal European XI: 1978[14]
  • FIFA XI: 1979, 1986[15]
  • FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1982[7]
  • FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1982[7][11]
  • Onze d'Or: 1982[16]
  • Ballon d'Or: 1982[17]
  • World Soccer Men's World Player of the Year: 1982[18]
  • L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 1982[19]
  • Guerin Sportivo Player of the Year: 1982
  • Guerin Sportivo All-Star Team: 1982
  • European Cup top scorer: 1982–83[20]
  • World Soccer Greatest Players of the 20th century: 41st[21]
  • FIFA 100[22]
  • UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll: 12th[23]
  • Golden Foot "Football Legends": 2007[24]
  • Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2016[25]
  • Juventus FC Hall of Fame: 2025[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Paolo Rossi has died". www.football-italia.net. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Cugini, Mimmo (10 December 2020). "È morto Paolo Rossi, simbolo dell'Italia Mondiale del 1982". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Roberto Di Maggio (9 November 2002). "Paolo Rossi – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  4. ↑ "Nazionale in cifre: Rossi, Paolo" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  5. ↑ Stefano Bedeschi (23 September 2013). "Gli Eroi in Bianconero: Paolo ROSSI" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Paolo Rossi: La solitudine del centravanti" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Pablito, Italy's outstanding opportunist". FIFA. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  8. ↑ 1982–83 All matches – season at UEFA website
  9. ↑ Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015). "Italy – Serie A Top Scorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Italy – Serie B Top Scorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  11. 1 2 José Luis Pierrend (12 February 2015). "FIFA Awards: FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Gazzetta Sports Awards: Buffon le nuove sfide oltre le lacrime". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 20 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "Sport 1978". Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  15. ↑ "FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  16. ↑ José Luis Pierrend (6 March 2012). ""Onze Mondial" Awards: Onze de Onze 1976–2011". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Rob Moore; Karel Stokkermans (21 January 2011). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  18. ↑ Jamie Rainbow (14 December 2012). "World Soccer Awards – previous winners". World Soccer. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "L'Équipe World Champion of Champions". 26 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  20. ↑ Roberto Di Maggio; Roberto Mamrud; Jarek Owsianski; Davide Rota (11 June 2015). "Champions Cup/Champions League Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  21. ↑ "World Soccer 100 Players of the Century". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "Zinedine Zidane voted top player by fans" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Golden Foot Legends". Golden Foot.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Italian football Hall of Fame to induct ten new stars". 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  26. ↑ "Juventus creates its Hall of Fame - Juventus". Juventus.com. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.