Giorgio Chiellini will become only the seventh player to reach 100 Italy caps, when he captains the Azzurri against Portugal tonight – 14 years to the day since his debut.
The Juventus defender made his debut on November 17 2004 at the age of just 20, replacing Alessandro Parisi at half-time in a friendly against Finland.
Giorgio Chiellini will become only the seventh player to reach 100 Italy caps, when he captains the Azzurri against Portugal tonight – 14 years to the day since his debut.
The Juventus defender made his debut on November 17 2004 at the age of just 20, replacing Alessandro Parisi at half-time in a friendly against Finland.
Fabrizio Miccoli scored the winner after 33 minutes, with Chiello playing left-back in a team which also included future teammate Andrea Barzagli.
Here are the six other men who have reached their Azzurri century.
Dino Zoff (1968-1983) – 112 caps
Zoff was the first man ever to reach the milestone, making his debut against Bulgaria in the quarter-finals of the 1968 European Championships.
He retained his place in the side on home soil, and Italy went on to win the tournament, with Zoff playing in the final and the replay, after the first match had ended 1-1.
The legendary goalkeeper was still between the posts 14 years later, when at the age of 40 he captained the Azzurri to the World Cup.
Andrea Pirlo (2002-2015) – 116 caps
Having been talismanic for the Under-21 side, Pirlo made his senior debut in a 2–0 away win over Azerbaijan in a Euro 2004 qualifying match.
He wouldn’t become a fixture in the side until the following qualifying campaign though, announcing himself on the international stage with two free-kick goals against Scotland.
Pirlo was ever-present as Marcello Lippi’s side won the trophy, and he was awarded man-of-the-match in the final.
He inspired the Azzurri to the Euro 2012 final, and scored on his 100th cap against Mexico at the Maracana in the 2014 Confederations Cup.
Daniele De Rossi (2004-2017) – 117 caps
Another 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi’s first cap for his country came against Norway in a qualifying match for that tournament.
The Roma man scored in that game, but his World Cup got off to a poor start when he was banned for elbowing Brian McBride in the group stage against the U.S.A.
De Rossi surpassed Pirlo in a defeat away to Sweden last year, which proved to be his final cap.
The veteran remained on the bench as the Azzurri drew the return leg, and he retired from international football following the resultant failure to make the World Cup.
Paolo Maldini (1988-2002) – 126 caps
Considered by many to be the best defender of all time, Maldini’s first match came in a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia.
He played all seven matches at Italia 90 two years later, doing the same as the Azzurri reached the World Cup final four years later in the U.S.A.
Maldini became Italy’s most-capped player in a 3–0 win over Romania in Milan in a 2002 World Cup qualifier, but he never won a trophy at international level.
The defender retired from the Azzurri after the 2002 World Cup, but he played another seven seasons for Milan before hanging up his boots.
Fabio Cannavaro (1997-2010) – 136 caps
Cannavaro’s Italy debut came in a friendly against Northern Ireland, and alongside Alessandro Nesta he became a mainstay of the defence for the next decade.
Undoubtedly his finest moment came as he captained the Azzurri to World Cup glory in Germany in 2006, with his inspirational displays earning him the nickname ‘The Berlin Wall’.
His performances earned him the Ballon d’Or, only the third defender to be awarded the prize and the most recent to be given the award.
Cannavaro returned for the 2010 World Cup, but by then his powers were waning and he retired after a humiliating group stage exit.
Gianluigi Buffon (1997-2018) – 176 caps
The record set by Buffon may well never be broken.
As well as being Italy’s most-capped player, Gigi is also the European player with the most international caps of all time.
His debut came at the age of just 19 in a crucial World Cup play-off against Russia, with the Parma goalkeeper putting in a heroic display in snowy conditions to earn a 1-1 draw.
Buffon was included in five World Cup squads – though he didn’t play in 1998 – and played every match in 2006.
He also played at five European Championships, with his 17 appearances a record for a goalkeeper.
For Italy Buffon holds the record for most minutes, most games as captain, most European Championship appearances, most World Cup qualifying matches, most clean sheets and most penalties saved.
He asked not to be called-up after the June friendlies, but given he is still playing at Paris Saint-Germain, the 40-year-old may yet add to his caps.