Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe Meazza (23 August 1910 – 21 August 1979) was an Italian football star and later coach. He played mainly as a forward and is considered one of the greatest Italian players of all time.
Club career
Meazza spent most of his career with Inter Milan (1927–1940). He scored about 280 goals in 350 appearances for the club and helped Inter win three Serie A titles (1930, 1938, 1940) and their first Coppa Italia in 1939. He also played for AC Milan (1940–1942), Juventus (1942–1943), Varese (1944), Atalanta (1945–1946), and returned to Inter for 1946–1947. He was nicknamed Il genio (The Genius) for his creativity and skill.
International career
Meazza played for Italy from 1930 to 1939, earning 53 caps and scoring 33 goals. He captained Italy to World Cup glory in 1938 and helped Italy win the 1934 World Cup. He was chosen for the World Cup All-Star Team and won the Golden Ball in 1934.
Style and legacy
Meazza was a versatile forward who could play as a center forward, inside left, or attacking midfielder. He was known for his dribbling, passing, shooting, and football intelligence. He helped popularize football in Italy and earned the nickname The Genius. The San Siro stadium in Milan is named Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in his honor. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Personal life and death
Meazza was born in Milan. He died in Lissone, near Milan, in 1979, aged 68. He is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Milan.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:02 (CET).