{"id":946182,"date":"2026-03-10T13:39:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/football-italia.net\/?p=946182"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:39:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T13:39:42","slug":"infantino-inter-legend-uncapped-italy-idols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/football-italia.net\/infantino-inter-legend-uncapped-italy-idols\/","title":{"rendered":"Infantino: Inter legend and uncapped Italy player ‘one of my first idols’","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reveals that Inter legend Evaristo Beccalossi was one of his first idols as a kid: \u2018He made us dream and sometimes\u2026\u2019<\/span><\/p>

As FIFA prepares for the 2026 World Cup, its President Gianni Infantino spoke to AS about the tournament\u2019s organisation and his passion for the game.<\/p>

Infantino: Beccalossi among \u2018my first idols\u2019<\/h2>

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>

\u201cI\u2019ve been a total football fan since I was a child. I have many idols. I remember the World Cup in Spain in 1982. Italy won it, with Paolo Rossi and that whole team of great players,\u201d he said.<\/a><\/span><\/p>

\u201cFor me it was spectacular. I was a 12-year-old boy at the time. That team and that moment are engraved in my heart. I\u2019m also a supporter of Inter. One of my first idols \u2013 perhaps not well known in Spain \u2013 was <\/span>Evaristo Beccalossi, a No. 10 who didn\u2019t play in that World Cup or with the national team because the coach had other plans. Inter\u2019s No. 10 made us dream and sometimes\u2026 also some things that can\u2019t be said. I remember Alessandro Altobelli scoring a goal in the final. His third goal and the celebration against Germany were spectacular.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Beccalossi spent six seasons at Inter, scoring 37 goals in 217 matches between 1978 and 1984. Despite being one of the most creative footballers at the time, he never made his senior debut for Italy.<\/a><\/p>

\"FIORENZUOLA
FIORENZUOLA D\u2019ARDA, ITALY \u2013 SEPTEMBER 06: Evaristo Beccalossi of Italy looks on during the International Friendly match between Italy U19 and Nethrerlands U19 on September 6, 2019 in Fiorenzuola d\u2019Arda, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cSpeaking about the 1980s and 1990s, we must talk about Diego Maradona, one of the greatest of all time,\u201d Infantino continued. <\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhen you watch the images now, you think about what he did and what he was capable of. Players weren\u2019t protected like they are now. An idol, a phenomenon. I didn\u2019t see Pel\u00e9 play, but he was a global idol before social media, before globalisation. He\u2019s still an idol for children today, and they never saw him play \u2013 that means he did something special. Ronaldo Nazario was a phenomenon too. Whenever you talk to players and ask who the strongest player they played with was, ninety per cent say Ronaldo. He was spectacular.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

As for today\u2019s idols, the decision is quite simple.<\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re still there \u2013 Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo \u2013 but I also have to remember all the Spaniards who won the 2010 World Cup. Many of them are friends now: Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Puyol\u2026 Spain has always had great players and coaches like Vicente del Bosque, Luis Aragon\u00e9s and Pep Guardiola. They are people who have written the history of football, and that\u2019s why we are very grateful to Spain.<\/span><\/p>

\"epa09864023
epa09864023 FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks at the start of the main draw for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha, Qatar, 01 April 2022. EPA-EFE\/NOUSHAD THEKKAYIL<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWith the Club World Cup, we give opportunities to players from all over the world. We see the big clubs mainly in Europe and America, but there you can also see great clubs from other continents,\u201d concluded Infantino.<\/p>

\u201cClub football is the foundation of football. Much more is played at the club level than at the national team level, and it needed a tournament like this internationally. It has been a success. Now we are talking with everyone to see how we can improve it. People mention thirty-two teams, but there could be more. We will decide where it will be played \u2013 that hasn\u2019t been decided yet \u2013 but we\u2019ll take the necessary time after the World Cup to see how we can make it better.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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