Lorenzo Insigne facts for kids
Insigne in 2021
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lorenzo Insigne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 4 June 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Frattamaggiore, Naples, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –2006 | Olimpia Sant'Arpino | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Napoli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2022 | Napoli | 337 | (96) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | → Cavese (loan) | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | → Foggia (loan) | 33 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | → Pescara (loan) | 37 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Toronto FC | 66 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Italy U20 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Italy U21 | 15 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2022 | Italy | 54 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 July 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2022 |
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Lorenzo Insigne is an Italian professional footballer born on June 4, 1991. He plays as a forward or winger. He is known for his speed, skill, and being able to score amazing goals from free kicks.
Insigne started his professional journey with Napoli in 2009. He made his first appearance in Italy's top league, Serie A, in 2010. After that, he spent some time playing for other teams like Cavese, Foggia, and Pescara on loan. He then returned to Napoli in 2012.
He also played for the Italian national under-21 team, helping them reach the finals of the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Insigne joined the senior national team in 2012. He played for Italy in big tournaments like the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, and UEFA Euro 2020, where Italy won the championship!
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
In 2006, when he was 15, Insigne joined Napoli from a team called Olimpia Sant'Arpino. He started playing for Napoli's youth team and scored 15 goals in the 2009–10 season. His first game in Serie A was on January 24, 2010, for Napoli against Livorno. After that, he played for Cavese on loan for the rest of the season.
Loans to Foggia and Pescara
The next season, Insigne was loaned to Foggia. He scored his first professional goal on August 14 in a cup match. He scored 19 goals in the league that season, plus seven more in other cup games.
On July 8, 2011, he was loaned to Pescara, which was in Serie B (Italy's second division). He scored his first goal for Pescara on September 4. Insigne ended the season with 18 goals and 14 assists. Pescara won the Serie B title that season and moved up to Serie A. Insigne was named "Best Player" of the Serie B season.
Playing for Napoli
After his loan, Insigne came back to Napoli and chose the number 24 jersey. On September 16, 2012, he scored his first goal in Serie A for Napoli. He also played in his first European club competition game, the UEFA Europa League, on September 20. Napoli had a great season, finishing second in Serie A. Insigne played in 43 games, scoring five goals and helping with seven assists.
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In the next season, Insigne played his first UEFA Champions League game on September 18, 2013, scoring a goal from a free-kick. On May 3, 2014, in the Coppa Italia final, Insigne scored two goals, helping Napoli win 3–1 against Fiorentina. During the 2014–15 season, he got a knee injury in November 2014. He returned to play in April 2015 after five months.
On September 13, 2015, Insigne scored in the first game of the 2015–16 Serie A season. He continued to score goals, even getting compared to the famous Napoli legend Diego Maradona. In April 2017, Insigne scored his best number of goals in a Serie A season, with 14. On October 14, 2017, he scored his 100th club goal in a game against Roma.
After his teammate Marek Hamšík left in February 2019, Insigne became the official captain of Napoli. On August 24, 2019, he scored two goals and helped with two more in a 4–3 win against Fiorentina.
On June 13, 2020, Insigne helped Napoli reach the Coppa Italia Final. In the final on June 17, Insigne scored in the penalty shootout, helping Napoli win the trophy against Juventus. He lifted the cup as the team's captain.
Moving to Toronto FC
On January 8, 2022, Insigne signed a contract to join Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. He officially joined the team on July 1, 2022.
He played his first game for Toronto FC on July 23, 2022. On August 6, he scored his first goal for the club, which was the winning goal in a 4–3 game against Nashville SC. On July 1, 2025, Insigne and Toronto FC agreed to end his contract early.
International Career
Playing for Italy's Youth Teams
Insigne was a regular player for the Italy under-21 team. He played 15 games and scored seven goals for them. He made his debut on October 6, 2011, scoring two goals and assisting two others in a big 7–2 win. He played an important role in the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
In that tournament, he scored a goal from a free-kick against England on June 5, 2013. He also helped set up goals in other matches. Italy reached the final but lost to Spain.
Playing for the Senior Italian Team
In September 2012, when he was 21, Insigne was called up to the Italian senior team. He made his debut on September 11. On August 14, 2013, Insigne scored his first goal for the senior team in a friendly game against Argentina.
He was part of Italy's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in one game, but Italy was eliminated early. Insigne also played in UEFA Euro 2016. He came off the bench in a game against Spain and helped set up a goal. In the quarter-finals against Germany, he scored a penalty in the shootout, but Italy lost.
In June 2021, Insigne was chosen for Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He wore the number 10 shirt. In the first game of the tournament on June 11, he scored Italy's final goal in a 3–0 win against Turkey. On July 2, he scored a fantastic curling goal against Belgium in the quarter-finals, which was named "star of the match" by UEFA. On July 11, Italy won the European Championship after beating England in a penalty shootout in the final at Wembley Stadium. Insigne started the final game.
How Lorenzo Insigne Plays
Lorenzo Insigne is nicknamed "Lorenzo Il Magnifico," which means "Lorenzo the Magnificent." He is a fast, talented, and skillful player. He usually plays on the left side of the field, which lets him cut inside and shoot with his strong right foot. He is known for his "curling shots" that bend into the goal. This type of shot is so famous that a new word, tiraggiro, was added to an Italian encyclopedia because of him!
Even though he's not very tall, he's very quick and agile with the ball. He can dribble past defenders and create chances for his team. He's also good at passing and setting up goals for his teammates. Sometimes, he even plays in the middle of the field as a playmaker. Insigne once said he preferred helping others score goals more than scoring them himself.
Because of his skills and speed, some people have compared him to famous players like Lionel Messi and even Diego Maradona. After scoring a goal, Insigne often celebrates by making a "heart" shape with his hands.
Personal Life
Lorenzo Insigne has three brothers, and they all play football. Their names are Roberto, Marco, and Antonio. Lorenzo married Genoveffa "Jenny" Darone on December 31, 2012. They have two sons: Carmine, born in 2013, and Christian, born in 2015.
Career Statistics
Lorenzo Insigne has played many games and scored many goals throughout his career. For Napoli, he played 337 league games and scored 96 goals. Overall, he played 434 games for Napoli and scored 122 goals. For Toronto FC, he played 66 league games and scored 15 goals. Overall, he played 76 games for Toronto FC and scored 19 goals. For the Italian national team, he played 54 games and scored 10 goals.
Honours and Awards
Pescara
- Serie B: 2011–12 (Won the league title)
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2013–14, 2019–20 (Won the Italian Cup)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014 (Won the Italian Super Cup)
Italy U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Runner-Up: 2013 (Finished second)
Italy
- UEFA European Championship: 2020 (Won Euro 2020)
- UEFA Nations League Third Place: 2020–21 (Finished third)
Individual Awards
- Serie B Footballer of the Year: 2012 (Best player in Serie B)
- Coppa Italia Top Goalscorer: 2013–14 (Scored the most goals in the Italian Cup)
- Serie A Player of the Month: March 2021 (Best player in Serie A for that month)
- UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season: 2021–22 (Best goal in the Europa League)
Orders
- Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic: 2021 (A special award from Italy)
Trivia
Lorenzo Insigne helped make the word tiraggiro popular in Italy. This word describes his special way of shooting, where he curls the ball into the goal from outside the penalty area. It's usually done after he cuts in from the left side of the field onto his stronger right foot. Because of how often people used this word to talk about Insigne's goals, it was added to the Treccani encyclopedia in 2021!
See also
In Spanish: Lorenzo Insigne para niños
