List of Italy national football team captains


This is a list of all the captains who played for the Italy national football team.
Francesco Calì was the first captain of the Italian national football team.
The only players who were captains in all matches they have played in the national team were Giuseppe Milano, Francesco Calì and Giulio Cappelli.
Gianluigi Buffon wore the captain band the most times: 80.
Gianluigi Buffon is also the goalkeeper who has worn the captain band the most times: 80.
Valentino Mazzola and Sandro Mazzola as well as Cesare Maldini and Paolo Maldini are the only cases of father and son who have worn the captain band during their respective times on the national team. Goalkeepers, Gianluigi Buffon and Lorenzo Buffon are distant cousins. Attilio Ferraris and Pietro Ferraris, despite the same surname, are not relatives.
Giorgio Chiellini is the current captain of the national team.

List of captains

Updated as of 18 November 2019.
Players in bold are still active. Players in italics served as the designated captain for his captaincy period.
#NameAppearancesGoalsCaptainNational yearsCaptaincy yearsRef
1Gianluigi Buffon1760801997–20182010–2018
2Fabio Cannavaro1362791997–20102002–2010
3Paolo Maldini1267741988–20021994–2002
4Giacinto Facchetti943701963–19771966–1977
5Dino Zoff1120591968–19831977–1983
6Giuseppe Bergomi816331982–19981988–1991
7Franco Baresi811311982–19941991–1994
8Adolfo Baloncieri4725271920–19301927–1930
9Renzo De Vecchi430261910–19251920–1925
10Giampiero Boniperti387241947–19601952–1960
11Giuseppe Meazza5333171930–19391937–1939
11Sandro Salvadore362171960–19701963–1966
13Umberto Caligaris590161922–19341931–1934
14Leonardo Bonucci957122010–2014–
15Giuseppe Milano110111911–19141911–1914
16Giorgio Chiellini1038102004–2018–
16Gaetano Scirea782101975–19861985–1986
18Antonio Cabrini73991978–19871986–1987
18Marco Tardelli81691976–19851983–1985
18Silvio Piola343091935–19521940–1947
18Luigi Allemandi24091925–19361935–1936
18Andrea Pirlo1161392002–20152010–2015
23Alessandro Altobelli612581979–19881987–1988
23Virginio Rosetta52081920–19341931–1932
25Luigi Cevenini291171915–19291925–1927
25Riccardo Carapellese161071947–19561949–1950
27Demetrio Albertini79361989–20021999–2001
27Carlo Annovazzi17061947–19521951–1952
27Lorenzo Buffon15061958–19621961–1962
27Sergio Cervato28461951–19601956–1957
27Daniele De Rossi1172162004–20172007–2017
27Alessandro Del Piero912761995–20082004–2008
27Cesare Maldini14061960–19631962–1963
27Virgilio Fossati12161910–19151914–1915
35Gianpiero Combi47051924–19341934
35Alessandro Mazzola702251963–19741972
35Egisto Pandolfini21951950–19571954
35Valentino Mazzola12451942–19491947–1949
39Giancarlo Antognoni73741974–19831977–1981
39Gianni Rivera601441962–19741964–1965
41Attilio Ferraris28031926–19351934–1935
41Alberto Gilardino571932004–2011–
41Alessandro Nesta78031996–20062004
41Gianluca Vialli591631985–19921989–1992
45Romeo Benetti55221971–19801978–1979
45Giacomo Bulgarelli29721962–19671966
45Francesco Calì20219101910
45Giulio Cappelli21219361936
45Fulvio Collovati50321979–19861985
45Giovanni Ferrari441421930–19381938
45Pietro Ferraris14321935–19471947
45Alfredo Foni23021936–19421936
45Gennaro Gattuso73122000–20102009
45Ardico Magnini20021953–19571956–1957
45Marco Materazzi41222001–20082004–2005
45Riccardo Montolivo66222007–2013–
45Miguel Montuori12221956–19601959–1960
45Maino Neri8021948–19541948
45Gianluca Pagliuca39021990–19981994–1995
45Pietro Rava30021935–19461939–1942
45Armando Segato20021953–19591958–1959
45Gianluca Zambrotta98221999–20102010
63Massimo Ambrosini35011999–20082006
63Roberto Baggio562711988–20041992
63Fulvio Bernardini26311925–19321932
63Sergio Brighenti9211959–19611961
63Alessandro Costacurta59211991–19981995–1997
63Tarcisio Burgnich66211963–19741973
63Piero Campelli11011912–19211920
63Antonio Cassano391012003–2011
63Gino Colaussi251511935–19401939
63Antonio Di Natale421112002–20122009
63Ciro Ferrara49011987–20002000
63Claudio Gentile71111975–19841984
63Mario Gianni6011927–19331932
63Ciro Immobile391012014–2018–
63Lorenzo Insigne34712012–2018–
63Giacomo Losi11011960–19621962
63Bruno Mora21411959–19651962
63Bruno Nicolè8211958–19641961
63Christian Panucci57411994–20082003
63Angelo Peruzzi31011995–20062005
63Alfredo Pitto29211928–19351935
63Giuseppe Rossi30712008–2010–
63Aristodemo Santamaria11311915–19231921
63Angelo Schiavio211511925–19341933
63Luca Toni471612004–20092005
63Marco Verratti36312012–2019–
Total88 players8211910–20191910–2019