SOCCER PLAYER

Luigi Riva

1944 - 2024

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Luigi "Gigi" Riva (Italian: [luˈiːdʒi ˈriːva]; 7 November 1944 – 22 January 2024) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a striker. Considered to be one of the best players of his generation, as well as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Riva enjoyed a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari, thanks to his composure in front of goal, powerful left foot and aerial ability; his speed, strength and eye for goal led the Italian journalist Gianni Brera to nickname him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder). Aside from his debut season with Legnano, Riva remained with the Sardinian club for his entire career: he helped Cagliari achieve promotion to the Italian top-flight for the first time in 1964, and later led the club to their only Serie A title in 1969–70. At international level, Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship and was runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team; he also took part at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Luigi Riva is the 161st most popular soccer player (down from 66th in 2019), the 1,022nd most popular biography from Italy (down from 645th in 2019) and the 19th most popular Italian Soccer Player.

Luigi Riva is most famous for being a professional football player who played for the Italian national team.

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Among SOCCER PLAYERS

Among soccer players, Luigi Riva ranks 161 out of 21,273. Before him are Andy Cole, Alessandro Del Piero, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Oldřich Nejedlý, Hernán Crespo, and Zoltán Czibor. After him are Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Héctor Scarone, Vahid Halilhodžić, John Barnes, Dennis Bergkamp, and Kunishige Kamamoto.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1944, Luigi Riva ranks 74. Before him are Thein Sein, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Serge Haroche, Antonio Damasio, Askar Akayev, and Sylvie Vartan. After him are Kunishige Kamamoto, Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Jonathan Demme, David J. Wineland, Marc Ouellet, and R. Lee Ermey. Among people deceased in 2024, Luigi Riva ranks 57. Before him are Ismail Haniyeh, Niklaus Wirth, Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson, Gena Rowlands, and Johan Galtung. After him are Yahya Sinwar, Caterina Valente, Juan Vicente Pérez, Ebrahim Raisi, Philip Zimbardo, and Maurizio Pollini.

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In Italy

Among people born in Italy, Luigi Riva ranks 1,022 out of 5,161. Before him are Princess Mafalda of Savoy (1902), Alessandro Del Piero (1974), Giacomo Balla (1871), Antipope Anacletus II (1090), Bartolomeo Colleoni (1400), and Luisa of Naples and Sicily (1773). After him are Emma Morano (1899), Stesichorus (-630), Italo Balbo (1896), Barbara Strozzi (1619), Ibycus (-600), and Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484).

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Among SOCCER PLAYERS In Italy

Among soccer players born in Italy, Luigi Riva ranks 19. Before him are Fabio Cannavaro (1973), Roberto Mancini (1964), Sandro Mazzola (1942), Simone Inzaghi (1976), Antonio Conte (1969), and Alessandro Del Piero (1974). After him are Andrea Pirlo (1979), Salvatore Schillaci (1964), Gaetano Scirea (1953), Giampiero Boniperti (1928), Vittorio Pozzo (1886), and Angelo Schiavio (1905).

Italian born Soccer Players

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