José Altafini

José Altafini

Altafini being presented with a commemorative jersey by the President of Brazil on the 50th anniversary of the nation's victory in the 1958 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	José João Altafini
Date of birth	(1938-07-24) 24 July 1938 (age 78)
Place of birth	Piracicaba, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1956–1958	Palmeiras	114	(89)
1958–1965	Milan	205	(120)
1965–1972	Napoli	180	(71)
1972–1976	Juventus	74	(25)
1976–1979	Chiasso	60	(18)
1979–1980	Mendrisiostar	20	(11)
Total		653	(334)
National team
1957–1958	Brazil	8	(4)
1961–1962	Italy	6	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

José João Altafini (born 24 July 1938), also known as "Mazzola" in Brazil because when he started to play it was said he looked like the Italian legend Valentino Mazzola), is an Italian-Brazilian former footballer, who played as a forward. Although he began his career with Palmeiras in Brazil, he soon moved to play football in Italy, and is mostly remembered for his highly successful stint with Italian club A.C. Milan, with which he achieved great domestic and international success; he later also played for Napoli and Juventus, before ending his career in Switzerland with spells at Chiasso and Mendrisiostar. A highly prolific goalscorer, Altafini also held the record for the most goals scored in a single European Cup campaign for over 50 years; he is also one of only eight players to have scored five goals in a single European Cup match. He is the joint-fourth highest scorer in Italian Serie A history (along with Giuseppe Meazza) with 216 goals. At international level, he represented both Brazil and Italy; he was a member of the Brazilian side that won the 1958 FIFA World Cup, and later also represented Italy at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.