19 Facts About Gigi Riva

At international level, Gigi Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship and was runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team; he took part at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

Gigi Riva was born into a poor family in Leggiuno, a small town in the northern Italian province of Varese, Lombardy, near the Swiss border, on 7 November 1944.

Gigi Riva's mother, Edis, was a housewife, while his father, Ugo, worked several jobs, firstly as a hairdresser, then as a tailor, and subsequently in a factory, where he died in a work-related accident on 10 February 1953, when Luigi was nine.

Gigi Riva started playing amateur football for the Laveno Mombello youth side in Lombardy, scoring 30 goals in 1961 and 33 the following season.

Gigi Riva began his professional career in 1962, at the age of 18, when he joined Serie C side Legnano-Ivrea, scoring 6 goals in 22 appearances in his debut season.

The youngster's promising performances attracted the attention of Cagliari president Enrico Rocca, and he was acquired by the Serie B side the following year for a notable sum of 37 million Lire, at the age of 19; Gigi Riva remained with the Sardinian team for the rest of his career.

Under the guidance of manager Manlio Scopigno and his offensive tactics, Gigi Riva led the team's front line, scoring several decisive goals that ultimately helped the club win the championship.

Gigi Riva finished the season as top scorer, with 21 goals.

Gigi Riva missed 35 games in the five seasons leading up to 1971, and only appeared in 24 matches for Cagliari between 1974 and 1976, which saw an overall decline to his goalscoring rate and the club's performances during this period.

Gigi Riva was the first Cagliari player to be capped at senior international level.

Gigi Riva was controversially excluded from the 22-man 1966 FIFA World Cup squad, although he was still brought to England by manager Edmondo Fabbri, along with Mario Bertini, as an additional reserve, to gain experience with the national side; Italy were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

Gigi Riva was a member of the Italian side that won the 1968 European Championships on home soil under manager Ferruccio Valcareggi.

Gigi Riva finished the competition as Italy's top-scorer, with three goals.

Gigi Riva is currently still Italy's top-goalscorer of all time, with 35 goals in just 42 matches, with an average of 0.83 goals per game.

Gigi Riva later served as a director and subsequently as a team managing staff member for the Italy national football team from 1988 until 2013, and was a member of the technical staff for the Italy national team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup under his supervision; he drew praise from captain Fabio Cannavaro for his role in Italy's fourth World Cup title victory.

Gigi Riva's jersey was the first to be retired by the Sardinian club.

On 21 January 2024, Gigi Riva was hospitalized at the San Michele Hospital in Cagliari due to acute coronary syndrome; according to the medical staff assisting him, he was initially in a stable condition and was offered to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention, a decision he opted to delay.

Gigi Riva was initially deployed as a winger on the left flank early in his career, although he would often cut into the centre of the pitch in order to strike on goal; as a result, he was later played in a more offensive and central role, as a main striker, where he excelled, due to his eye for goal.

Gigi Riva was an accurate free-kick and penalty kick taker.