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This is a list of all the captains who played for the Italy national football team.

Francesco Calì was the first captain of the Italy national football team.^[1]

The only players who were captains in all matches they have played in the national team were Giuseppe Milano (11 appearances), Francesco Calì (2 caps) and Giulio Cappelli (2 caps).

Gianluigi Buffon wore the captain band the most times: 80.^[2]

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.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is the current captain of the national team.

List of captains by appearances

Updated as of 17 November 2024.^[3]

Players in bold are still active. Players in italics served as the designated captain for his captaincy period.

#	Name	Captain	Appearances	Goals	National years	Captaincy years	Ref
1	Gianluigi Buffon	80	176	0	1997–2018	2010–2018^{[nb 1]}	[1]
2	Fabio Cannavaro	79	136	2	1997–2010	2002–2010^{[nb 2]}	[2]
3	Paolo Maldini	74	126	7	1988–2002	1994–2002	[3]
4	Giacinto Facchetti	70	94	3	1963–1977	1966–1977	[4]
5	Dino Zoff	59	112	0	1968–1983	1977–1983	[5]
6	Giuseppe Bergomi	33	81	6	1982–1998	1988–1991	[6]
7	Franco Baresi	31	81	1	1982–1994	1991–1994	[7]
8	Adolfo Baloncieri	27	47	25	1920–1930	1927–1930	[8]
9	Renzo De Vecchi	26	43	0	1910–1925	1920–1925	[9]
9	Leonardo Bonucci	26	121	8	2010–2023	2014–2023	[10]
11	Giampiero Boniperti	24	38	7	1947–1960	1952–1960	[11]
12	Giorgio Chiellini	22	117	8	2004–2022	2012–2022	[12]
13	Gianluigi Donnarumma	21	70	0	2016–	2021–	[13]
14	Giuseppe Meazza	17	53	33	1930–1939	1937–1939	[14]
14	Sandro Salvadore	17	36	2	1960–1970	1963–1966	[15]
16	Umberto Caligaris	16	59	0	1922–1934	1931–1934	[16]
17	Giuseppe Milano	11	11	0	1911–1914	1911–1914	[17]
18	Gaetano Scirea	10	78	2	1975–1986	1984–1986	[18]
19	Luigi Allemandi	9	24	0	1925–1936	1934–1936	[19]
19	Silvio Piola	9	34	30	1935–1952	1940–1952	[20]
19	Marco Tardelli	9	81	6	1976–1985	1983–1985	[21]
19	Antonio Cabrini	9	73	9	1978–1987	1983–1987	[22]
19	Andrea Pirlo	9	116	13	2002–2015	2010–2015	[23]
24	Alessandro Altobelli	8	61	25	1980–1988	1986–1987	[24]
24	Virginio Rosetta	8	52	0	1920–1934	1929–1934	[25]
26	Riccardo Carapellese	7	16	10	1947–1956	1949–1950	[26]
26	Luigi Cevenini	7	29	11	1915–1929	1925–1929	[27]
26	Alessandro Del Piero	7	91	27	1995–2008	2004–2008	[28]
29	Demetrio Albertini	6	79	3	1991–2002	1996–2000	[29]
29	Carlo Annovazzi	6	17	0	1947–1952	1951–1952	[30]
29	Lorenzo Buffon	6	15	0	1958–1962	1961–1962	[31]
29	Sergio Cervato	6	28	4	1951–1960	1955–1959	[32]
29	Daniele De Rossi	6	117	21	2004–2017	2007–2017	[33]
29	Virgilio Fossati	6	12	1	1910–1915	1912–1915	[34]
29	Cesare Maldini	6	14	0	1960–1963	1962–1963	[35]
36	Gianpiero Combi	5	47	0	1924–1934	1931–1934	[36]
36	Alessandro Mazzola	5	70	22	1963–1974	1972	[37]
36	Valentino Mazzola	5	12	4	1942–1949	1947–1949	[38]
36	Egisto Pandolfini	5	21	9	1950–1957	1952–1955	[39]
40	Giancarlo Antognoni	4	73	7	1974–1983	1977–1981	[40]
40	Ciro Immobile	4	57	17	2014–	2018–2024	[41]
40	Gianni Rivera	4	60	14	1962–1974	1964–1965	[42]
43	Alessandro Costacurta	3	59	2	1991–1998	1995–1997	[43]
43	Attilio Ferraris	3	28	0	1926–1935	1934–1935	[44]
43	Alessandro Florenzi	3	49	2	2012–2022	2020–2022	[45]
43	Alessandro Nesta	3	78	0	1996–2006	2004	[46]
43	Gianluca Vialli	3	59	16	1985–1992	1989–1992	[47]
48	Nicolò Barella	2	59	10	2018–	2024	[48]
48	Romeo Benetti	2	55	2	1971–1980	1978–1979	[49]
48	Giacomo Bulgarelli	2	29	7	1962–1967	1966	[50]
48	Francesco Calì	2	2	0	1910	1910	[51]
48	Giulio Cappelli	2	2	1	1936–1936	1936	[52]
48	Fulvio Collovati	2	50	3	1979–1986	1985	[53]
48	Giovanni Ferrari	2	44	14	1930–1938	1938	[54]
48	Pietro Ferraris	2	14	3	1935–1947	1947	[55]
48	Alfredo Foni	2	23	0	1936–1942	1936	[56]
48	Gennaro Gattuso	2	73	1	2000–2010	2009	[57]
48	Alberto Gilardino	2	57	19	2004–2013	2011–2013	[58]
48	Jorginho	2	57	5	2016–	2021–	[59]
48	Ardico Magnini	2	20	0	1953–1957	1956–1957	[60]
48	Marco Materazzi	2	41	2	2001–2008	2004–2005	[61]
48	Riccardo Montolivo	2	66	2	2007–2017	2013–2014	[62]
48	Miguel Montuori	2	12	2	1956–1960	1959–1960	[63]
48	Maino Neri	2	8	0	1948–1954	1948	[64]
48	Gianluca Pagliuca	2	39	0	1990–1998	1994–1995	[65]
48	Pietro Rava	2	30	0	1935–1946	1939–1942	[66]
48	Armando Segato	2	20	0	1953–1959	1958–1959	[67]
48	Marco Verratti	2	55	3	2012–2023	2019–2023	[68]
48	Gianluca Zambrotta	2	98	2	1999–2010	2010	[69]
70	Massimo Ambrosini	1	35	0	1999–2008	2006	[70]
70	Roberto Baggio	1	56	27	1988–2004	1992	[71]
70	Federico Bernardeschi	1	39	6	2016–2022	2021	[72]
70	Fulvio Bernardini	1	26	3	1925–1932	1932	[73]
70	Sergio Brighenti	1	9	2	1959–1961	1961	[74]
70	Tarcisio Burgnich	1	66	2	1963–1974	1973	[75]
70	Piero Campelli	1	11	0	1912–1921	1920	[76]
70	Antonio Cassano	1	39	10	2003–2014	2011	[77]
70	Gino Colaussi	1	25	15	1935–1940	1939	[78]
70	Giovanni Di Lorenzo	1	44	5	2019–	2024–	[79]
70	Antonio Di Natale	1	42	11	2002–2012	2009	[80]
70	Stephan El Shaarawy	1	32	7	2012–	2020	[81]
70	Ciro Ferrara	1	49	0	1987–2000	2000	[82]
70	Claudio Gentile	1	71	1	1975–1984	1984	[83]
70	Mario Gianni	1	6	0	1927–1933	1932	[84]
70	Lorenzo Insigne	1	54	10	2012–2022	2018	[85]
70	Giacomo Losi	1	11	0	1960–1962	1962	[86]
70	Bruno Mora	1	21	4	1959–1965	1962	[87]
70	Bruno Nicolè	1	8	2	1958–1964	1961	[88]
70	Christian Panucci	1	57	4	1994–2008	2003	[89]
70	Angelo Peruzzi	1	31	0	1995–2006	2005	[90]
70	Alfredo Pitto	1	29	2	1928–1935	1935	[91]
70	Giuseppe Rossi	1	30	7	2008–2014	2010	[92]
70	Aristodemo Santamaria	1	11	3	1915–1923	1921	[93]
70	Angelo Schiavio	1	21	15	1925–1934	1933	[94]
70	Salvatore Sirigu	1	28	0	2010–2021	2020	[95]
70	Luca Toni	1	47	16	2004–2009	2005	[96]
Total	96 players	885			1910–2024	1910–2024

List of captains by captaincy period

List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years.^[13]

1910 Francesco Calì
1911–1914 Giuseppe Milano
1914–1915 Virgilio Fossati
1920–1925 Renzo De Vecchi
1925–1927 Luigi Cevenini
1927–1930 Adolfo Baloncieri
1931–1934 Umberto Caligaris
1934 Gianpiero Combi
1935–1936 Luigi Allemandi
1937–1939 Giuseppe Meazza
1940–1947 Silvio Piola
1947–1949 Valentino Mazzola
1949–1950 Riccardo Carapellese
1951–1952 Carlo Annovazzi
1952–1960 Giampiero Boniperti
1961–1962 Lorenzo Buffon
1962–1963 Cesare Maldini
1963–1966 Sandro Salvadore
1966–1977 Giacinto Facchetti
1977–1983 Dino Zoff
1983–1985 Marco Tardelli
1985–1986 Gaetano Scirea
1986–1987 Antonio Cabrini
1988–1991 Giuseppe Bergomi
1991–1994 Franco Baresi
1994–2002 Paolo Maldini
2002–2010 Fabio Cannavaro^{[nb 2]}
2010–2018 Gianluigi Buffon^{[nb 1]}
2018–2022 Giorgio Chiellini
2022–2023 Leonardo Bonucci
2023 Ciro Immobile
2024– Gianluigi Donnarumma

Notes

^ ^a ^b Gianluigi Buffon served as second acting captain in UEFA Euro 2008 after Alessandro Del Piero was named the team's acting captain, as Cannavaro was injured and unable to take part in the competition, however Del Piero was frequently deployed as a substitute.^[4] Although Buffon was officially named Italy's new captain in 2010,^[5] following Fabio Cannavaro's retirement subsequent to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Andrea Pirlo was named the Italy national team's acting captain after the tournament (while Daniele De Rossi was named the team's second acting captain),^[5]^[6]^[7] as Buffon was ruled out until the end of the year due to injury, and only made his first appearance as Italy's official captain on 9 February 2011, in a 1–1 friendly away draw against Germany.^[5]^[8]^[9]^[10]
^ ^a ^b During UEFA Euro 2008, Alessandro Del Piero was named the Italy national team's acting captain, as Cannavaro was injured and unable to take part in the competition, however Gianluigi Buffon was often played as captain as Del Piero was frequently deployed as a substitute.^[11]^[12]^[4]

References

^ "Franz Calì: il primo capitano raccontato in un libro" [Franz Calì: the first captain recounted in a book] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
^ "Founders: Fabio Cannavaro". Fondazione Cannavaro-Ferrara. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Capitani" [Captains]. FIGC.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
^ ^a ^b Paolo Menicucci (10 June 2008). "L'Italia parte male, l'Olanda cala il tris" [Italy start badly, Holland score three] (in Italian). UEFA. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Andrea Santoni (27 June 2010). "Buffon, annuncio choc: Mi opero e torno nel 2011" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. Archived from the original on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ Riccardo Pratesi (6 August 2010). "Prandelli cambia l'Italia Amauri, Cassano e Balotelli" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ "Pirlo, ricetta Nazionale "Ritroviamo la qualità"" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ "Motta, Giovinco and Matri news. Among the 23 players Buffon's return". FIGC. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ "Il gol di Rossi salva l'Italia: 1-1" (in Italian). Mediaset. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ Micaela Del Monte (29 March 2012). "Capitani Azzurri: Gianluigi Buffon (2008 - Oggi)" (in Italian). TuttoNazionali.com. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^ Gaetano DeStefano (2 June 2008). "Italia, è già dopo Cannavaro Arriva Gamberini, chi gioca?" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
^ Maurizio Nicita (12 June 2008). "Buffon, niente fascia Il capitano è Del Piero" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
^ "Capitani" [Captains]. FIGC.it (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.