Gigi Riva facts for kids
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Riva with Italy in 1968
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 7 November 1944 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Leggiuno, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 22 January 2024 (aged 79) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Cagliari, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1962 | Laveno Mombello | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962 | Legnano | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1963 | Legnano | 23 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1976 | Cagliari | 315 | (164) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 338 | (170) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1974 | Italy | 42 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–2013 | Italy (Team manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Luigi "Gigi" Riva (born 7 November 1944 – died 22 January 2024) was a famous Italian footballer. He played as a centre-forward, which is like a main attacker.
Many people think Riva was one of the best players of his time. He was also one of the greatest strikers ever. He scored many goals for Cagliari. He was known for his powerful left foot and being good at heading the ball. An Italian journalist, Gianni Brera, called him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder).
Riva played for Cagliari for almost his entire career. He helped Cagliari get promoted to Italy's top league, Serie A, in 1964. Later, he led the team to win their only Serie A title in the 1969–70 season.
For the Italian national team, Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship. He was also a runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup too. Riva is still Italy's all-time leading goalscorer with 35 goals in 42 games.
After he stopped playing in 1976, Riva was briefly the president of Cagliari. He then became a team manager for the Italian national team from 1988 to 2013.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Gigi Riva was born in Leggiuno, a small town in northern Italy, on 7 November 1944. His family was not rich. His father died in an accident when Gigi was nine years old. His mother also passed away later.
Gigi started playing football for a youth team called Laveno Mombello. He scored many goals there. In 1962, at 18, he began his professional career with Serie C team Legnano. He scored 6 goals in 22 games.
Riva's Club Career with Cagliari
Joining Cagliari and Reaching Serie A
Riva's good playing caught the eye of Cagliari's president. In 1963, when he was 19, Cagliari bought him for a lot of money. Riva stayed with the team from Sardinia for the rest of his career.
In his first season with Cagliari, he scored 8 goals. He helped the team finish second in Serie B. This meant Cagliari was promoted to Serie A, Italy's top league, for the first time ever!
Becoming a Star and Winning the Serie A Title
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Riva made his Serie A debut for Cagliari on 13 September 1964. He scored 9 goals in his first Serie A season. He also helped Cagliari avoid being sent back down to Serie B.
Riva became the league's top scorer for the first time in the 1966–67 season with 18 goals. Cagliari started to build a strong team around him. Other important players joined, like Enrico Albertosi and Roberto Boninsegna.
In the 1968–69 season, Cagliari finished second in the league. Riva was the top scorer again with 20 goals.
Finally, in the 1969–70 season, Riva led Cagliari to win their first-ever Serie A title! He scored many important goals. On 15 March 1970, he scored two goals against Juventus to help Cagliari keep their lead.
On 12 April, Riva scored in a 2–0 win over Bari. This win, combined with Juventus losing, made Cagliari champions with two games left. It was the first time a club from southern Italy had won the league. Riva was the top scorer for the third time with 21 goals.
During this time, Riva was one of the best strikers in the world. He finished second in the 1969 Ballon d'Or award and third in the 1970 Ballon d'Or.
Later Years and Loyalty to Cagliari
"... I baptise him Rombo di tuono [thunder-clap] ... one of the most extraordinary athletes ever produced by Italian football."
In the 1970–71 season, Riva started strong. He scored twice in a big win against Inter. This performance earned him the nickname "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder).
However, Riva's season ended early due to a serious injury while playing for Italy. Cagliari's performance dropped without him.
Despite his injuries and Cagliari's struggles, Riva stayed loyal to the team. He turned down many offers from bigger clubs, especially Juventus. He wanted to stay in Sardinia.
Riva's career was affected by several major injuries. He missed many games in his later years. In 1976, he suffered another serious injury to his right thigh. He tried to recover but could not play again. He officially retired in 1978, but his last game was in 1976.
In total, Riva scored 207 goals for Cagliari in 374 games. He scored 248 goals for both club and country during his career.
International Career with Italy
Early Days and European Champions
Riva first played for the Italian national team at age 20, in 1965. His start was a bit difficult. He broke his leg in his third international game in 1967.
After recovering, he scored his first goals for Italy, including a hat-trick against Cyprus. Riva was part of the Italian team that won the 1968 European Championships in Italy. He scored the first goal in the final replay against Yugoslavia, which Italy won 2–0. He was named to the Team of the Tournament.
1970 World Cup and the "Game of the Century"
"The best goal of the best game of the best sport in the world."
Riva scored a famous diving header in a World Cup qualifying match against East Germany in 1969. This goal helped Italy qualify for the 1970 World Cup.
At the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Riva started slowly. But in the quarter-finals, he scored two goals against Mexico in a 4–1 win.
He then scored a crucial extra-time goal against West Germany in the semi-final. This game is known as the "Game of the Century" because it was so exciting. Italy won 4–3.
Italy finished second in the tournament after losing to Brazil in the final. Riva was Italy's top scorer in the World Cup with three goals. After the tournament, he broke his right leg again while playing for Italy.
Italy's All-Time Top Scorer
On 31 March 1973, Riva scored four goals in a game against Luxembourg. On 9 June, he became Italy's all-time leading goalscorer, matching Giuseppe Meazza's record of 33 goals.
He then scored his 34th international goal against Sweden, breaking the record. His final goal for Italy, his 35th, came on 20 October 1973 against Switzerland.
Riva played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup but struggled with injuries. Italy was knocked out in the first round. He played his last game for Italy at age 29.
Gigi Riva is still Italy's top goalscorer of all time, with 35 goals in just 42 matches.
After Retirement from Football
After he stopped playing, Riva stayed in Cagliari. In 1976, he started the first football school in Sardinia, which is named after him.
He also worked as an executive for Cagliari and was briefly the club's president in 1986. Later, he became a team manager for the Italian national team from 1988 to 2013. He was part of the team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
To honor him, Cagliari retired Riva's number 11 jersey on 5 January 2005. This means no other player at Cagliari will wear that number. It was the first jersey retired by the club.
Gigi Riva passed away in Cagliari on 22 January 2024, at 79 years old.
How Gigi Riva Played
"Riva plays poetic football. He is a realistic poet."
"[Riva]'s right foot is only needed to step up onto the tram."
Gigi Riva is seen as one of Italy's greatest players and one of the best strikers ever. He was a strong, brave, and goal-scoring forward. He started as a winger on the left side but later played more centrally as a main striker.
He was naturally left-footed and had a very powerful and accurate shot. This is why he was called "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder). Even though he mainly used his left foot, he could score with his right foot too.
"One of the best, if not the best striker I have ever met."
Riva was tall and strong, which made him excellent at heading the ball. He was also known for scoring amazing, acrobatic goals, like bicycle kicks. He had great technical skills and could dribble well.
He was also very fit, hard-working, and fast. He was good at taking free-kicks and penalty kicks. Sadly, his career was often affected by injuries, which eventually made him retire early.
Honours
Cagliari
- Serie A: 1969–70
Italy
- UEFA European Championship: 1968
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970
Individual Awards
- Serie A top scorer: 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70
- Ballon d'Or: runner-up in 1969; third place in 1970
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1968
- Golden Foot "Football Legends": 2005
- Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2011
- Inducted into the Walk of Fame of Italian sport: 2015
- Cagliari Hall of Fame
- Cagliari Greatest All-time Starting XI
Images for kids
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Riva (standing, first from right) with Italy in 1969
See also
In Spanish: Luigi Riva para niños
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
