There is no shortage of killers in Italian football, from Paulo Rossi to Robert Baggio, from Vieri to Piero, all of whom are figures at the top of the pyramid. However, the first scorer in the history of the Italian national team belongs to another glittering name: Luigi Riva.
Riva was Italy's strongest striker in the late 1960s and 1970s, and even when the likes of Paraty and Anastasia were in their prime, Riva was above them. If Mazzola is in charge of vertical propulsion and Rivera plays the playmaker, then Riva is a nuclear warhead that can hold the ball and break the goal.
Despite suffering a broken leg in his early 20s, Riva made a comeback in time for the 1968 European Qualifiers and escorted the team to the 4-team final with one goal after another. However, due to injury, he did not play in the semi-finals and the first leg of the final, and the team's attack also seemed to be struggling.
However, in the final rematch he returned with Mazzola, and the team's vitality immediately rose three gears, and it took only half an hour to beat Yugoslavia to the north. Riva is a very well-rounded center, even if he does not rely on his teammates to feed the ball, he can use his personal ability to break through and create scoring opportunities.
He eventually led the team to the 1968 European Championship and then finished runners-up at the 1970 World Cup. Unfortunately, another leg break affected his career, but he still became the best scorer in the history of the Italian national team with 35 goals in 42 games, a record that no one has broken.
(Editor: Yu Zhouzhou)