Mario Balotelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mario Balotelli

Balotelli with Liverpool in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Mario Balotelli Barwuah
Birth name	Mario Barwuah
Date of birth	(1990-08-12) 12 August 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Palermo, Italy
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
2001–2006	Lumezzane
2006–2007	Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006	Lumezzane	2	(0)
2007–2010	Inter Milan	59	(20)
2010–2013	Manchester City	54	(20)
2013–2014	AC Milan	43	(26)
2014–2016	Liverpool	16	(1)
2015–2016	→ AC Milan (loan)	20	(1)
2016–2019	Nice	61	(33)
2019	Marseille	15	(8)
2019–2020	Brescia	19	(5)
2020–2021	Monza	12	(5)
2021–2022	Adana Demirspor	33	(18)
2022–2023	Sion	18	(6)
2023–2024	Adana Demirspor	16	(7)
2024–2025	Genoa	6	(0)
International career‡
2008–2010	Italy U21	18	(7)
2010–2018	Italy	36	(14)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Italy UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2013 Brazil
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 September 2018

Mario Balotelli Barwuah (born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker. He is known for his strength, speed, and powerful shots.

Balotelli began his career at Lumezzane before joining Inter Milan in 2007. With Inter, he won the Serie A league title, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League in 2010. He then moved to Manchester City, where he helped the team win the Premier League title.

Over the years, Balotelli has played for many famous clubs, including AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, and Marseille. He has also played for the Italian national team, helping them reach the final of UEFA Euro 2012. Despite his talent, he has sometimes been criticized for his attitude on and off the field.

Early Life

Mario Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah in Palermo, Sicily. His parents were immigrants from Ghana. When he was two, his family moved to Bagnolo Mella in northern Italy.

When he was three, he had health problems that his family could not afford to treat. He was placed in the care of the Balotelli family. His foster parents were Francesco and Silvia Balotelli. He began using their last name.

Because he was not officially adopted, Balotelli had to wait until he was 18 to apply for Italian citizenship. He officially became a citizen on 13 August 2008. After the ceremony, he said, "I am Italian, I feel Italian, I will forever play with the Italian national team."

Club Career

Inter Milan

Balotelli playing for Inter Milan in 2009

Balotelli started his career at Lumezzane. At age 15, he had a trial with Barcelona but was signed by Inter Milan in 2006. He made his Serie A debut on 16 December 2007. He quickly gained attention by scoring two goals against Juventus in a cup match.

In November 2008, at 18 years old, he became the youngest Inter player to score in the UEFA Champions League. However, his time at Inter was also marked by disagreements with his coach, José Mourinho. Mourinho sometimes left him off the team for what he called a "lack of effort" in training.

In the 2009–10 season, Balotelli was part of the Inter team that won the treble: the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

Manchester City

Balotelli (right) with Alex Song and Bacary Sagna in April 2012.

In August 2010, Balotelli signed with Manchester City, reuniting with his former coach Roberto Mancini. He scored in his debut match but injured his knee, which kept him out for several weeks.

On 21 December 2010, Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, given to the best young player in Europe. During the 2011–12 season, he was a key player for City. He scored two goals in a famous 6–1 victory over rivals Manchester United.

In the final match of the season, Balotelli provided the assist for Sergio Agüero's winning goal. This goal secured Manchester City's first league title in 44 years.

AC Milan

Balotelli playing for AC Milan in 2013

In January 2013, Balotelli returned to Italy to play for AC Milan. He had a fantastic start, scoring 12 goals in his first 13 matches. His goals helped Milan qualify for the Champions League.

The next season, he continued to score important goals, including a powerful 30-yard free-kick against Livorno. On 22 September 2013, he missed a penalty for the first time in his professional career after 22 successful attempts.

Later Career

Balotelli playing for Liverpool in September 2014.

In August 2014, Balotelli joined Liverpool. However, his time at the club was not very successful, and he scored only one Premier League goal. He returned to AC Milan on loan for the 2015–16 season.

On 31 August 2016, Balotelli moved to France to play for Nice. He had a great start, scoring four goals in his first two league matches. He had two successful seasons at Nice, scoring a career-high 18 league goals in the 2017–18 season.

After a short time with Marseille, Balotelli returned to Italy again in 2019 to play for his hometown club, Brescia. He later played for Monza in Serie B.

In July 2021, he joined the Turkish club Adana Demirspor, where he had a strong season. He then had a brief spell at Sion in Switzerland before returning to Adana Demirspor in 2023. In October 2024, he signed with the Italian club Genoa.

International Career

Balotelli playing for Italy in 2012.

Balotelli could not play for Italy's youth teams until he gained citizenship. After becoming an Italian citizen in 2008, he began playing for the under-21 team.

He made his debut for the senior Italy national team on 10 August 2010. His first international goal came in a 2–0 win against Poland in November 2011.

UEFA Euro 2012

Balotelli was a key player for Italy at UEFA Euro 2012. He became the first black player to represent Italy in a major tournament. In the semi-final against Germany, he scored two amazing goals to send Italy to the final. His celebration after the second goal, where he took off his shirt and flexed his muscles, became famous.

Italy lost to Spain in the final, but Balotelli was named to the Team of the Tournament. He finished as one of the top scorers with three goals.

World Cups and Later Years

Balotelli was Italy's top scorer during the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the tournament, he scored the winning goal against England in Italy's first match. However, Italy was eliminated in the group stage.

After the 2014 World Cup, he was not called up to the national team for several years. He returned in 2018 under coach Roberto Mancini and scored in his first match back against Saudi Arabia.

Style of Play

Balotelli playing against England in 2012

Balotelli is a powerful and creative forward. He is known for his speed, strength, and ability to score goals with both feet and his head. He can play as a main striker or on the wings.

He is also an expert at taking penalty kicks. He is considered one of the best penalty takers in the world.

While his talent is clear, he has sometimes been criticized for having a poor attitude or not working hard enough during matches. This has led to disagreements with coaches and teammates throughout his career.

Images for kids

• 

  Balotelli playing for Nice in February 2018.

• 

  Balotelli with Marseille in 2019

Honours

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2009–10
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2008
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2011–12
• FA Cup: 2010–11

Italy

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2013

Individual

• Golden Boy: 2010
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2012–13
• FIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2013
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2019

See also

In Spanish: Mario Balotelli para niños