Giuseppe Meazza facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Giuseppe Meazza

Meazza during the 1934–1935 season with Ambrosiana
Personal information
Date of birth	(1910-08-23)23 August 1910
Place of birth	Milan, Italy
Date of death	21 August 1979(1979-08-21) (aged 68)
Place of death	Lissone, Italy
Height	1.69 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1922–1924	Gloria
1924–1927	Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1927–1940	Inter Milan	348	(240)
1940–1942	Milan	37	(9)
1942–1943	Juventus	27	(10)
1944	Varese	20	(7)
1945–1946	Atalanta	14	(2)
1946–1947	Inter Milan	17	(2)
Total		463	(270)
National team
1930–1939	Italy	53	(33)
Teams managed
1946	Atalanta
1946–1948	Inter Milan
1948–1949	Beşiktaş
1949–1951	Pro Patria
1952–1953	Italy Olympic
1955–1956	Inter Milan
1957	Inter Milan
Honours Men's Football Representing  Italy FIFA World Cup Winner 1934 Italy Winner 1938 France Central European International Cup Winner 1927–30 Runner-up 1931–32 Winner 1933–35
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Giuseppe "Peppino" Meazza (born August 23, 1910 – died August 21, 1979) was a famous Italian football player and manager. He is known as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Many people in Italy think he was the best Italian player ever.

Meazza played mostly for Inter Milan in the 1930s. He scored an amazing 242 goals in 365 games for the club. He helped Inter win three Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia. He also played for other big Italian clubs like Milan and Juventus.

He was a key player for the Italian national team. He led Italy to win two World Cups in a row. First, in 1934 when Italy hosted the tournament. Then, in 1938, he was the team's captain.

After he stopped playing, Meazza became a coach. He coached the Italian national team and several club teams. The main stadium in his hometown of Milan, San Siro, was renamed Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in his honor. This happened on March 3, 1980.

Giuseppe Meazza's Early Life

Giuseppe Meazza was born in Milan, Italy. When he was only seven years old, his father died in World War I. Giuseppe grew up helping his mother sell fruit in the market.

He started playing football at six years old. He played barefoot with a ball made of rags on the streets. When he was twelve, his mother let him try to become a professional footballer. He joined a team called Gloria F.C. A fan even gave him his first pair of football boots!

At 14, Meazza wanted to play for Milan. But they thought he was too small. Luckily, their city rivals, Inter Milan, accepted him.

His older teammate, Leopoldo Conti, gave him the nickname "il Balilla". This means "The Little Boy". Meazza was only 17 when he joined the senior team. Conti thought he was too young. But Meazza scored two goals in his first official game. This left Conti very surprised!

Meazza's Amazing Club Career

Giuseppe Meazza playing for Inter Milan

Starring at Inter Milan

Giuseppe Meazza scored two goals in his first professional game. This was on September 12, 1927. The next day, a sports newspaper called his play "intelligent, fresh, quick".

Meazza still holds a record for scoring the most goals in a debut season in Serie A. He scored 31 goals in his first season (1929–30). He once scored five goals in a single game, and even six goals in another game!

With Meazza, Inter Milan won three national championships: in 1930, 1938, and 1940. He also helped them win their first Coppa Italia in 1939. He was the top scorer in Serie A three times. He was also the top scorer in the Mitropa Cup three times.

Playing for Other Big Clubs

Meazza got injured in 1938, which kept him out of many games. After spending most of his career at Inter, he moved to A.C. Milan in 1940. Later, he also played for Juventus, Varese, and Atalanta. His last season scoring many goals was with Juventus in 1942–43. After this, leagues were stopped because of World War II.

Coming Back to Inter

In 1946, Meazza returned to Inter Milan as a player-coach. He played 17 more games and scored two goals. These goals helped Inter avoid being moved to a lower league.

Winning with Italy: World Cup Glory

Meazza played for the Italian national team in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups. Italy won both of these tournaments! He was also the captain of the team that won in 1938. He is one of only four Italian players to win two World Cups.

Meazza receives the 1938 World Cup trophy in 1938.

His First Games for Italy

His first game for Italy was on February 9, 1930, against Switzerland. Meazza, who was 19, scored two goals in that game. Italy won 4–2. A few months later, he scored three goals in a 5–0 win against Hungary. He helped Italy win the Central European International Cup that year.

The 1934 World Cup Win

Italy hosted the 1934 FIFA World Cup. Meazza played in every game. He scored two goals in a qualifying match against Greece. He also scored a goal in Italy's 7–1 win over the United States. In the quarter-final against Spain, Meazza scored the only goal in a replay game.

In the final against Czechoslovakia, the score was 1–1 after 90 minutes. In extra time, Meazza helped set up the winning goal. Italy won the World Cup! Meazza was chosen for the tournament's All-Star Team. He also won the Golden Ball award for the best player.

The 1938 World Cup as Captain

In the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France, Meazza was the captain of Italy. He played in every match again. In the semi-final against Brazil, Italy got a penalty kick. As Meazza went to take it, his shorts fell down because the elastic ripped! He held them up with one hand and still scored the goal. Italy won 2–1.

In the final, Italy played Hungary. Meazza helped set up two goals for his teammates. Italy won the World Cup for the second time in a row! His teammate, Silvio Piola, said Meazza was responsible for his own good performance.

Meazza played his last game for Italy in 1939. He played 53 times for Italy and scored 33 goals. He is still Italy's second-highest goal scorer ever.

How Meazza Played: His Unique Style

Meazza started as a striker but later played as a creative forward. He could also play as an attacking midfielder or even a playmaker. He was known for his amazing shooting and dribbling skills. He was also great at passing the ball. Even though he wasn't very tall, he was excellent at heading the ball. He was also a great leader on the field.

Meazza was one of the first Italian footballers to become famous worldwide. He was also the first player to have personal sponsors. He was known for his exciting style both on and off the field. He had a soft touch on the ball and could make defenders panic.

He was a superb dribbler. He could create many chances for his teammates and score goals himself. His bending shots, called "dead leaf technique" goals, were feared by goalkeepers. He was also a brilliant passer with great vision.

His most famous goals involved him picking up the ball in the middle of the field. He would dribble past several opponents with fancy moves. Then, he would stop in front of the goal, trick the goalkeeper, dribble past them, and easily score. Italian football fans still use phrases like "Gol alla Meazza" to describe amazing dribbling goals.

Life After Football and Legacy

Giuseppe Meazza died on August 21, 1979, just two days before his 69th birthday. He is buried in Milan.

Meazza was one of the first Italians to coach a team outside Italy. He coached Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey. He also helped young players at Inter Milan. He is in the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Many experts believe he was the best Italian player ever.

The San Siro stadium in Milan, which is home to Inter Milan and AC Milan, was renamed Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in his honor.

Career Stats

Club

International

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Meazza goal.

List of international goals scored by Giuseppe Meazza

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 February 1930	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	Switzerland	3–2	4–2	Friendly
2				4–2
3	2 March 1930	Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany	Germany	2–0	2–0	Friendly
4	11 May 1930	Üllői úti stadion, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	1–0	5–0	1927-30 Central European International Cup
5				2–0
6				3–0
7	25 January 1931	Stadio Littoriale, Bologna, Italy	France	1–0	5–0	Friendly
8				2–0
9				3–0
10	22 February 1931	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Austria	1–1	2–1	1931-32 Central European International Cup
11	20 May 1931	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	Scotland	2–0	3–0	Friendly
12	20 March 1932	Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–0	1–2	1931-32 Central European International Cup
13	27 November 1932	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Hungary	3–1	4–2	Friendly
14	1 January 1933	Stadio Littoriale, Bologna, Italy	Germany	1–1	3–1	Friendly
15	12 February 1933	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–0	3–2	Friendly
16				3–2
17	2 April 1933	Charmilles Stadium, Geneva, Switzerland	Switzerland	3–0	3–0	1933-35 Central European International Cup
18	3 December 1933	Stadio Comunale, Florence, Italy	Switzerland	1–0	5–2	1933-35 Central European International Cup
19	25 March 1934	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Greece	2–0	4–0	1934 FIFA World Cup qualifier
20				4–0
21	27 May 1934	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	United States	7–1	7–1	1934 FIFA World Cup
22	1 June 1934	Stadio Comunale, Florence, Italy	Spain	1–0	1–0	1934 FIFA World Cup
23	14 November 1934	Highbury stadium, London, England	England	1–3	2–3	Friendly
24				2–3
25	9 December 1934	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Hungary	4–2	4–2	Friendly
26	17 February 1935	Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy	France	1–0	2–1	Friendly
27				2–0
28	31 May 1936	Hungária körúti stadion, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	2–1	2–1	Friendly
29	25 October 1936	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Switzerland	1–0	4–2	1936-38 Central European International Cup
30	27 May 1937	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway	Norway	1–0	3–1	Friendly
31	15 May 1938	San Siro, Milan, Italy	Belgium	1–1	6–1	Friendly
32	22 May 1938	Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, Italy	Yugoslavia	3–0	4–0	Friendly
33	16 June 1938	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Brazil	2–0	2–1	1938 FIFA World Cup

Awards and Achievements

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 1929–30, 1937–38, 1939–40
• Coppa Italia: 1938–39

Italy

• FIFA World Cup: 1934, 1938
• Central European International Cup: 1927–30, 1933–35
• Central European International Cup: Runner-up: 1931-32

Individual Awards

• Serie A top goalscorer: 1929–30, 1935–36, 1937–38
• Mitropa Cup top goalscorer: 1930, 1933, 1936
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1934 (Best Player)
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1938
• Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame (2011)
• Inducted into the Walk of Fame of Italian sport: 2015
• Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2019

Images for kids

• 

  Giuseppe Meazza with Amedeo Biavati

• 

  Meazza's grave at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan in 2015

See also

In Spanish: Giuseppe Meazza para niños