Marco Materazzi
Defence
WORLD LEGEND
Italy
Marco Materazzi about playing in the Legends Charity Game:
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate throughout my career to represent Italy in multiple tournaments, but nothing compares to the life-changing moment of lifting the FIFA World Cup in 2006. That experience taught me the importance of being headstrong, resilient, and never giving up — values that truly reflect what it means to wear the national jersey. As we approach the Legends Charity Game, I’ll be stepping back onto the pitch with that same spirit. But this time, it’s not just about representing Italy with pride — it’s about doing so in honour of the incredible cause we’re supporting and the lives we hope to impact.”
About
A fierce presence on the pitch, Marco Materazzi was one of the most iconic and controversial defenders of his generation.
At the top of his career, he played for Inter Milan, where he became a mainstay during the club’s most dominant era, collecting five Serie A titles and playing a key role in their historic 2009–10 treble under José Mourinho.
Internationally, Materazzi was a central figure in Italy’s 2006 World Cup win, scoring in the final and famously involved in the incident that led to Zinedine Zidane’s red card.
After early years in Italy’s lower leagues and a season with Everton in England, Materazzi returned to Serie A with Perugia, where he gained attention as a rare goal-scoring centre-back.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
International Level
Italy FIFA World Cup: 2006
Club Level
Inter Milan
Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10
Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2008
UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Personal Honours
Serie A Defender of the Year: 2007
FIFA World Cup Final goalscorer: 2006 Golden
Foot Legends Award: 2019
Inter Milan Hall of Fame inductee
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Italy (2001 – 2008)
41 apps, 2 goals
CLUB HISTORY
Messina (1993 – 1994) 25 apps, 4 goals
Torre Annunziata (1994 – 1995) 18 apps, 2 goals
Marsala (1995 – 1996) 25 apps, 2 goals
Carpi (1996 – 1997) 18 apps, 7 goals
Perugia (1997 – 1998) 1 app, 0 goals
Everton (1998 – 1999) 27 apps, 2 goals
Perugia (1999 – 2001) 73 apps, 12 goals
Inter Milan (2001 – 2011) 209 apps, 18 goals
Total (1993 – 2011) 396 apps, 47 goals