Soccer is an early form of football, played by the Italians as early as the 15th century. The game was first known as "giuco del calcio fiorentino," or "Florentine kickball." In the 19th century, English, Scottish, and Swiss sailors introduced the game to the cities of Genoa, Milan and Turin. The Italians still refer to the game as "calcio," even though other languages adopted some derivation of the English word "football."

Italy has provided the game of soccer with many great players. Its national team, the 'Azzurri' has won World Cups in 1934, 1938 and 1982. Dressed in the famous blue stripes, Italians are ranked among the best soccer players in the world

Italy's most recent success was in 1982, when, after beating Brazil and Poland in the quarter and semifinals respectively, the squad won the World Cup in Spain against the overwhelming favorite, West Germany. When Italy scored three goals in succession through Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli and Antonio Altobelli, it won its first World Cup in 44 years

Italian soccer is typically identified by a strong defensive style. From its first World Cup victory up until today, Italy plays defensively after scoring a goal. Want to purchase tickets to any team match in Italy? Visit the Italian Soccer site for the complete list of homepages.

Check out one of Italy's best players, Christian Vieri

Italian Soccer

Christian Vieri

Eric Wynalda