Italy
Photo : CC BY-SA 3.0 — Clément Bucco-Lechat
Pirlo was a failed attacking midfielder until Carlo Ancelotti moved him thirty metres deeper at Milan in 2001. From in front of the defence he controlled matches by passing forward earlier than anyone expected, and the role — the regista — became a fixture of European football because of what he did in it.
He won two Champions Leagues with Milan and the 2006 World Cup with Italy, in which he was man of the match three times. His Panenka penalty against England at Euro 2012 broke that shootout in a single kick, and he took the free-kicks that made a still ball look like a genuine scoring chance.
Milan let him leave on a free at thirty-two, judging him finished. He then won four consecutive league titles at Juventus and reached another Champions League final, which is the standard example given whenever a club decides an ageing midfielder is done.
Club career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1998 | Brescia | 47 | 6 |
| 1998–2001 | Inter Milan | 22 | |
| 1999–2000 | Reggina (loan from Inter Milan) | 28 | 6 |
| 2001 | Brescia (loan from Inter Milan) | 10 | |
| 2001–2011 | AC Milan | 284 | 32 |
| 2011–2015 | Juventus | 119 | 16 |
| 2015–2017 | New York City FC | 60 | 1 |
| Total | 570 | 61 |
International career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2015 | Italy | 116 | 13 |
Honours
Dashed = runner-up.
Related legends
Career figures compiled from public records. Competitive senior appearances only.