Fabio Cannavaro

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Cannavaro led Italy to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and was given the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall') by the Italian supporters due to his defensive performances, which saw Italy keep five clean sheets and concede only two goals, neither of which were in open play. He was awarded the Silver Ball after being named the tournament's second-best player. He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the only defender in history to have won the award. He also won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade and only the third of all time after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer. In 2009, Cannavaro overtook Maldini as the most-capped player in the country's history. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010 following Italy's failure to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup, having amassed 136 caps and 2 goals for the senior national team. In total, he represented Italy at four World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He is currently Italy's second all-time appearance holder, behind Gianluigi Buffon, as well as Italy's most capped defender.

In Their Own Story

Cannavaro's international career began with consecutive UEFA European Under-21 Championship wins in 1994 and 1996. He earned his first senior cap in 1997 and soon became a defensive pillar. At UEFA Euro 2000, he helped Italy reach the final and was named in the team of the tournament. After Paolo Maldini's retirement in 2002, Cannavaro took over the captain's armband. His defining moment came at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he captained Italy to victory. Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither in open play, earning Cannavaro the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall') from Italian supporters. He was awarded the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player. Later that year, he became the only defender in history to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and also won the Ballon d'Or, making him only the third defender ever to do so after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer. In 2009, he became Italy's most-capped player, surpassing Maldini. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010 after Italy failed to advance past the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, with 136 caps and 2 goals. He remains Italy's second all-time appearance holder behind Gianluigi Buffon, and the nation's most capped defender.

Reader's Guide

Fabio Cannavaro earned 136 caps for Italy between 1997 and 2010, scoring 2 goals. He captained the team from 2002 onward, leading them to victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. In that tournament, Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither in open play. Cannavaro was named the tournament's second-best player (Silver Ball) and later won both the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2006 Ballon d'Or, becoming the only defender in history to win the former and only the third defender ever to win the latter. He also helped Italy reach the final of UEFA Euro 2000, where he was named in the team of the tournament. In 2009, he became Italy's most-capped player, surpassing Paolo Maldini. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010 after Italy's group-stage exit at the 2010 World Cup. He represented Italy at four World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He is currently Italy's second all-time appearance holder, behind Gianluigi Buffon, and Italy's most capped defender.

Did You Know?

• Cannavaro was given the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall') by Italian supporters after Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals (neither in open play) during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
• He is the only defender in history to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award (2006).
• He is only the third defender ever to win the Ballon d'Or, after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.
• In 2009, Cannavaro overtook Paolo Maldini as the most-capped player in Italy's history.
• He represented Italy at four World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.