Mauro Icardi facts for kids

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Mauro Icardi

Icardi with Inter Milan in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero
Date of birth	(1993-02-19) 19 February 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Galatasaray
Number	9
Youth career
1998–2002	CF Sarratea
2002–2008	Vecindario
2008–2011	Barcelona
2011–2012	Sampdoria
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Sampdoria	33	(11)
2013–2020	Inter Milan	188	(111)
2019–2020	→ Paris Saint-Germain (loan)	20	(12)
2020–2023	Paris Saint-Germain	44	(11)
2022–2023	→ Galatasaray (loan)	24	(22)
2023–	Galatasaray	41	(29)
International career‡
2012–2013	Argentina U20	5	(0)
2013–2018	Argentina	8	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 March 2024 (UTC)

Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero (born 19 February 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as a striker for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, where he is also the captain.

Mauro Icardi started his football journey in youth teams like Vecindario. He also spent time at La Masia, the famous youth academy of Barcelona. Later, he moved to Serie A club Sampdoria to begin his professional career in 2012.

After a great season, he joined Inter Milan in July 2013. There, he became one of Europe's top strikers. Icardi was the top goal scorer in Serie A twice, in the 2014–15 and 2017–18 seasons. He became Inter's captain in 2015 when he was just 22. Three years later, Icardi helped Inter reach the UEFA Champions League for the first time in six years. He is also the club's ninth-highest goalscorer of all time.

In 2019, Icardi moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a loan deal. He helped them win three major trophies in France. He then joined PSG permanently for €50 million. After a successful loan spell at Galatasaray, where he helped them win the Süper Lig title, Icardi joined the club permanently in 2023 for €10 million.

Icardi played his first senior game for Argentina in October 2013. He played a few games until 2018, earning eight caps and scoring one goal.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Journey

Mauro Icardi was born in Rosario, Argentina. He moved to the Canary Islands when he was nine years old. He began his football career with Vecindario in Gran Canaria. He scored over 50 goals in their youth teams.

In 2007, big clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted to sign him. Other teams like Valencia and Arsenal were also interested. Barcelona won the race and signed Icardi until 2013.

Time at FC Barcelona

Icardi joined Barcelona's U-17 team for the 2008–09 season. The next season, he moved up to the U-19 team. In January 2011, he joined Sampdoria on loan. Icardi later said that leaving Barcelona was a good choice for his career.

Playing for Sampdoria

Icardi playing for Sampdoria in 2011

On 11 January 2011, Sampdoria confirmed Icardi had joined them on loan. He had a great six months, scoring 13 goals in 19 games for their youth team. In July 2011, Sampdoria bought Icardi for €400,000 and he signed a three-year deal. In the 2011–12 season, he scored 19 goals in the reserve league.

On 12 May 2012, he played his first game for the senior team against Juve Stabia. He came on as a substitute and scored his first professional goal ten minutes later. This goal helped Sampdoria win the match 2–1.

On 26 September 2012, he made his Serie A debut for Sampdoria against Roma. On 12 November, Icardi scored his first Serie A goal in the Derby della Lanterna against Genoa. Sampdoria won that game 3–1. On 6 January 2013, he scored two goals against Juventus in Sampdoria's surprising 2–1 win. This was only Juventus's second loss at their home stadium.

On 27 January 2013, he scored four goals in a big 6–0 win against Pescara. This win helped Sampdoria move away from the relegation zone in Serie A. On 18 May, in the last match of the 2012–13 season, Icardi scored again against Juventus. His goal helped his team beat the champions 3–2.

Joining Inter Milan

Icardi's Inter Milan shirt

In April, it was announced that Icardi would join Inter Milan for the 2013–14 season. The transfer fee was €6.5 million for half of his player rights. Icardi was officially introduced as an Inter player on 16 July. He said that moving to Inter was a "dream come true."

He played his first unofficial game for Inter a day later. He scored his first goal for Inter in a friendly match against Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. He scored less than two minutes after coming onto the field.

First Seasons and Top Scorer Award

On 25 August 2013, Icardi made his official Inter debut. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 home win against Genoa. He scored his first league goal for Inter on 14 September, in a 1–1 home draw against Juventus.

Due to an injury, Icardi missed many games in the first part of the season. He returned to play in February 2014. On 14 February, he scored the winning goal against Fiorentina just ten minutes after coming on. On 5 April, Icardi scored two goals in a 2–2 home draw against Bologna. This was his first time scoring two goals in a game for Inter. He then scored another two goals in a 4–0 away win against his old team, Sampdoria.

On 10 May 2014, in Javier Zanetti's last game at the San Siro, Inter beat Lazio 4–1. Icardi scored the second goal of the match. He finished his first season with Inter with 9 goals in 23 games.

On 10 June 2014, Inter bought the remaining half of Icardi's player rights for another €6.5 million. This made Inter his only club.

Icardi playing for Inter Milan in 2014

On 20 August 2014, Icardi scored his first European goal in his debut. It was in Inter's first match of the season against Iceland's Stjarnan. Inter won 3–0 away. In the return game, he scored two goals in a 6–0 win. This helped his team reach the group stage with a 9–0 total score.

On 14 September, he scored his second Serie A hat-trick in a huge 7–0 win over Sassuolo. On 26 October, Icardi scored the winning goal from a penalty kick against Cesena. This gave Inter their first away win of the league season. Three days later, he scored another 90th-minute penalty kick against his former team, Sampdoria.

On 9 November, Icardi scored twice in a 2–2 home draw against Hellas Verona. On 6 January, Icardi scored the only goal for Inter in a 1–1 draw against Juventus.

On 7 February, Icardi scored two goals in a 3–0 home win against Palermo. On 11 April, he scored the first goal in a 3–0 away win against Verona. He helped Inter get their first win after six games without one. He scored twice on the final day in a 4–3 win over Empoli. He finished the season as the joint top goal scorer in Serie A with 22 goals, along with Verona's Luca Toni. Even though Inter did not qualify for European competitions, Icardi's great performance caught attention. He signed a new four-year contract at the end of the season.

Becoming Captain and Key Player

Before the 2015–16 season, Icardi was named the new captain of Inter. He replaced Andrea Ranocchia. In his first game as captain, he had to leave the field early due to injury. He returned on 13 September in a 1–0 home win against Milan. He scored his first goal of the season a week later against Chievo Verona.

On 28 October, after a 1–0 away win over Bologna, Icardi said he wasn't getting enough chances to score. He was then benched for the next league game against Roma, which Inter won 1–0. Coach Mancini said it was a "tactical decision" and that Icardi "must improve his game."

On 22 November, in his 100th Serie A game, he scored in a 4–0 win over Frosinone. This was Inter's biggest win of the season. On 13 December, Icardi scored two goals in a 4–0 win over Udinese. At the end of 2015, Icardi was ranked the 82nd best footballer in the world by The Guardian newspaper.

On 6 January 2016, Icardi scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Empoli. This put Inter at the top of Serie A. A month later, on 3 February, he scored his 50th goal for Inter in all competitions. This was in a 1–0 home win over Chievo. On 9 April, he scored his 50th Serie A goal in a 1–0 away win over Frosinone. This was also his 100th game for Inter.

Icardi started the next season on 21 August. He scored his first goal of the season a week later in a 1–1 draw against Palermo. On 11 September, Icardi scored two goals, including a last-minute winner, as Inter came back to beat Pescara. A week later, in the Derby d'Italia against Juventus, Icardi scored an equalizer. He also set up Ivan Perišić's goal ten minutes later. Inter beat their rivals for the first time in the league since November 2012. This was Icardi's seventh goal in eight games against Juventus.

On 7 October, Icardi signed a new contract with Inter until June 2021. The deal included a buy-out clause of €110 million. Icardi said he was "really happy" and that his "dream is to win trophies with this team."

Icardi scored two goals to help Inter beat Torino 2–1. He continued his great form, scoring two goals in home games against Crotone and Fiorentina. In the last match of 2016, Icardi scored another two goals against Lazio. He finished the first part of the season with 14 goals and 5 assists. The Guardian named him the world's 49th best player.

On 15 January 2017, Icardi scored his 15th league goal of the season in a 3–1 home win against Chievo. He became the first Inter player to score at least 15 goals in three seasons in a row since Zlatan Ibrahimović. On 12 March, he scored three goals against Atalanta, bringing his total to 20 goals for the season. Icardi scored 24 league goals in 34 games in the 2016–17 season, which was his personal best.

Second Top Scorer Award and Leaving Inter

Icardi started the new season by scoring two goals in the first game against Fiorentina. Inter won 3–0. He did it again a week later against Roma, as Inter won 3–1. On 10 September, Icardi scored a penalty kick against SPAL. This was his 76th Serie A goal for Inter, putting him in Inter's top 10 Serie A goal scorers.

On 15 October, Icardi scored all three goals as Inter beat their rivals Milan 3–2. He was the first player to score three goals in the Derby della Madonnina since May 2012. On 18 March 2018, Icardi scored four goals, including three in 14 minutes, against his former club, Sampdoria. Inter won 5–0. He also reached 100 goals in Serie A during this game. He became the 6th youngest player ever to do this, at 25 years old. His fourth goal was also his 100th goal for Inter.

On 22 April, Icardi scored his 26th league goal of the season against Chievo. He was the first Inter player to score this many goals since Angelillo in the 1958–59 season. The next week, Icardi scored in Inter's 3–2 loss to Juventus.

In the final game against Lazio, Icardi scored a penalty kick. Inter won 3–2. This win put Inter in fourth place, meaning they returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2012. With 29 goals, Icardi was the top goal scorer in Serie A, sharing the award with Lazio's Ciro Immobile. He broke his own record of 24 goals.

Icardi started the new season slowly, not scoring in the first six league games. He played his first Champions League match on 18 September against Tottenham Hotspur. He scored a late goal in a 2–1 home win. His goal was named Champions League Goal of the Week. In the second game against PSV Eindhoven, Icardi scored again. He became the first Inter player since Adriano in the 2004–05 season to score in his first two Champions League matches.

By scoring two goals in Inter's 2–1 win at SPAL, Icardi reached 103 Serie A goals. This matched Christian Vieri's record for Inter. In the first game after the international break, Icardi scored the winning goal against Milan. This made it five league wins in a row for Inter.

On 13 February 2019, Inter announced that Icardi would be replaced by Samir Handanović as club captain. Icardi then refused to play in the club's UEFA Europa League match the next day.

He returned to action on 3 April in the league match against Genoa. He scored a penalty and also set up Ivan Perišić's goal. With this goal, Icardi matched Christian Vieri as Inter's eighth all-time top goal scorer with 123 goals.

In July 2019, it was announced that Icardi would not join the club's pre-season tour. On 8 August 2019, the club signed Romelu Lukaku, who was given Icardi's number 9 shirt. Inter then gave Icardi the number 7 shirt.

Moving to Paris Saint-Germain

Loan and First Trophies

Icardi playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2020

On 2 September 2019, Icardi joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a one-season loan. PSG had an option to buy him for €70 million. He made his debut for PSG on 14 September. On 1 October, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away win over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League. On 5 October, he scored his first goal in Ligue 1. Icardi scored two goals against rivals Marseille on 27 October in a 4–0 win. He scored his first three goals in one game (a hat-trick) for the club on 8 January 2020.

On 1 May, Icardi won his first club trophy. PSG were named Ligue 1 champions after the season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PSG was in first place with a twelve-point lead. After the season restarted, Icardi won the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. He also reached the UEFA Champions League final. On 31 May, PSG and Inter Milan agreed for Icardi to join permanently for €60 million. Icardi signed a four-year contract with PSG.

Injuries and Later Seasons

Icardi missed the first two matches of the season in 2020 because he tested positive for COVID-19. He returned on 16 September 2020. He scored his first two goals of the season in a 2–0 win against Reims on 27 September. In October 2020, PSG manager Thomas Tuchel announced that Icardi had a knee injury.

Icardi returned to play on 28 November. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 league draw against Bordeaux. He had another injury setback before the next match. He finally returned on 9 January 2021. He scored a goal and assisted another for Pablo Sarabia. In the next match, against rivals Marseille, Icardi scored a goal and won a penalty. PSG won 2–1. On 19 May, Icardi scored the first goal for PSG in their 2–0 win over Monaco in the 2021 Coupe de France Final.

On 7 August 2021, Icardi scored his first goal of the 2021–22 season. It was in a 2–1 league win over Troyes. On 19 September, he scored the winning goal in stoppage time to give PSG a 2–1 victory over Lyon. By the end of the season, Icardi had only scored five goals.

Joining Galatasaray

Winning the League Title

Icardi started the 2022–23 season in Paris but did not play any games for PSG. The coach decided to leave Icardi out of the Champions League squad.

On 8 September 2022, Icardi signed a one-year loan contract with Turkish club Galatasaray. He was welcomed by thousands of fans when he arrived in Istanbul.

Icardi made his official debut for Galatasaray on 16 September 2022. He came off the bench in a 2–1 win against Konyaspor. On 23 October, he scored his first league goal and made a great assist against Alanyaspor. He also had a strong performance in a 7–0 win over İstanbul Başakşehir, scoring one goal and assisting two. After a small injury, he made an impressive return. He scored and assisted in the derby against Fenerbahçe. His passion quickly made him a favorite among fans.

On 14 April 2023, Icardi scored three goals (a hat-trick) and assisted another in a 6–0 win over Kayserispor. On 30 May, Icardi scored two goals in a 4–1 away win against Ankaragücü. This win helped Galatasaray secure the 2022–23 Süper Lig title. Icardi then scored in Galatasaray's game against Fenerbahçe on 4 June. He finished the league season with 22 goals and 7 assists.

Top Scorer and Back-to-Back Titles

On 28 July 2023, Galatasaray announced that Icardi had arrived in Istanbul to complete his permanent transfer. On 30 July, he signed a three-year contract with the club. He would receive €6 million per year, and PSG received a €10 million transfer fee.

On 23 August 2023, Icardi scored the 200th goal of his club career. This was in his 375th match, a 3–2 away win against Molde in the Champions League play-off round. On 3 October, he scored the winning goal against Manchester United in a 3–2 victory at Old Trafford. This was Galatasaray's first ever away win against an English team in a competitive match.

On 21 October, Icardi scored his tenth goal in derbies for Galatasaray. This made him the foreign player with the most derby goals for the club, passing legend Gheorghe Hagi. On 24 October, he scored a Panenka penalty against Bayern Munich.

On 26 May 2024, Icardi scored two goals in a 3–1 away win over Konyaspor. This result helped Galatasaray win the Süper Lig title with a record 102 points. He also finished the season as the Süper Lig's top scorer with 25 goals.

Injury in 2024–25 Season

Icardi started the 2024–25 season strongly. He scored Galatasaray's first goal of the Süper Lig season in a comeback win against Hatayspor. His penalty in the 80th minute helped Galatasaray win 2–1.

On November 7, 2024, he suffered a serious ACL injury in his right knee. This happened during a 3–2 Europa League win against Tottenham Hotspur. The club announced that he tore his ACL and damaged his meniscus. He will need surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Future Captaincy

Coach Okan Buruk announced that Icardi will become Galatasaray team captain after Fernando Muslera.

Playing for Argentina

Youth Teams

In April 2012, Icardi was invited to play for the Italy under-19 squad. However, he chose to play for Argentina instead. His wish came true on 26 July when he was called up by Argentina under-20 coach Marcelo Trobbiani. He made his debut on 14 August against Germany. He also played in the L'Alcúdia Tournament.

Icardi scored his first goal for Argentina U20 on 19 August in a 2–0 win over Japan. He then scored two more goals in a 2–1 win against Turkey. Argentina won the tournament, and Icardi was the top scorer with three goals.

Senior National Team

On 15 October 2013, Icardi played his first game for the senior Argentina team. He came on as a substitute in a 2–3 FIFA World Cup qualifier loss away to Uruguay.

In April 2016, Icardi was not included in Argentina's squad for the Copa América Centenario. However, he was later named in the preliminary squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. But his club, Inter, did not allow him to play in the Olympics.

In October 2016, there were rumors that Lionel Messi was behind Icardi's exclusion from the national team. The national team coach Edgardo Bauza said that Icardi's off-field life had nothing to do with him not being selected. He added that Messi does not "dictate" the team. However, Icardi was left out again for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

On 19 May 2017, Icardi received his first call-up in over three years. This was from the new coach Jorge Sampaoli for friendly games in June.

In May 2018, Icardi was named in Argentina's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, he was not included in the final 23-man squad.

Icardi scored his first senior international goal on 20 November 2018. It was in a 2–0 friendly home win over Mexico. His goal, scored after just 71 seconds, was the fourth quickest goal in Argentina's history. He won his first trophy with the senior team, the Copa Adidas 2018, in this match.

In May 2019, Icardi was included in Argentina's preliminary squad for the 2019 Copa América. But he was later left out of the final squad for the tournament.

Icardi's form changed over time, and he was not selected for Argentina's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

How Mauro Icardi Plays

Mauro Icardi is known as El niño del partido, which means "the boy of the match." He is a fast, smart, and strong striker. He has good technique and is great at moving around the penalty box. He is very good at scoring goals with his head and both feet, often needing only a few touches. He can also hold the ball to create chances for his teammates.

While he was once criticized for not helping much with defense or creating plays, his effort has improved. He now moves to wider positions to create space or assist others. In 2013, Don Balón listed him as one of the top 100 young players born after 1992.

Inter coach Stefano Pioli said Icardi "is an animal in the box" and "always finding the right position." 1982 FIFA World Cup winner Paolo Rossi called Icardi a "deadly striker." Inter manager Luciano Spalletti called him "a complete striker." Icardi has said his role model is Gabriel Batistuta. During his time at Barcelona, he felt he played most like Samuel Eto'o.

Sponsorships

Mauro Icardi has a long-term partnership with the American sportswear company Nike. He first signed with Nike in 2013. In December 2018, Icardi extended his deal with Nike for nine more years, until 2027. This showed that Nike wanted to keep one of Europe's top goal scorers. As part of the deal, Icardi wears Nike football boots and appears in their ads.

In December 2023, Icardi and his wife, Wanda Nara, became ambassadors for Zen Pırlanta [tr], a top Turkish diamond jewelry brand. They appeared in big advertising campaigns in Turkey.

Personal Life

Icardi is married to Argentine media personality Wanda Nara. They married on 27 May 2014 in Buenos Aires. They have two daughters, Francesca (born 2015) and Isabella (born 2016). Both were born in Milan.

Icardi has an Italian passport because of his family's Italian background. He was on the cover of the Italian version of EA Sports' FIFA 16 video game, along with Lionel Messi. On 6 December 2015, Icardi's £29,000 Hublot watch was stolen after Inter's 1–0 win over Genoa.

In April 2014, during a game between Sampdoria and Inter, Icardi's former teammate Maxi López refused to shake his hand. This game was called the "Wanda derby" by the press. Two years later, López again refused to shake Icardi's hand during a game against Torino.

In October 2016, Icardi released his autobiography called Sempre Avanti (Always Forward). The book caused some issues with Inter fans, and he was fined by the club.

In January 2025, Icardi went public with his relationship with China Suárez.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

International Performance

Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Icardi goal.

List of international goals scored by Mauro Icardi

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	20 November 2018	Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina	8	Mexico	1–0	2–0	Friendly

Trophies and Awards

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1: 2019–20, 2021–22
• Coupe de France: 2019–20, 2020–21
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2019–20
• Trophée des Champions: 2020, 2022
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20

Galatasaray

• Süper Lig: 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
• Turkish Cup: 2024–25
• Turkish Super Cup: 2023

Individual Awards

• Capocannoniere (Serie A Top Scorer): 2014–15, 2017–18
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2017–18
• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2018
• Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2022–23
• Süper Lig Top Goalscorer: 2023–24
• Turkish Footballer of the Year: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Mauro Icardi para niños