Fabio Cannavaro

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Cannavaro was part of the Italy team which won consecutive UEFA European Under-21 Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he helped Italy to the final of UEFA Euro 2000, being named in the team of the tournament, and became captain in 2002, following Paolo Maldini's retirement. He led Italy to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and was given the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall') by Italian supporters due to his defensive performances, which saw Italy keep five clean sheets and concede only two goals, neither of which were in open play. He was awarded the Silver Ball after being named the tournament's second-best player. He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the only defender in history to have won the award. He also won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade and only the third of all time after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.

In Their Own Story

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Cannavaro captained Italy to victory. His defensive performances were so dominant that Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither of which were in open play. Italian supporters gave him the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall'). He was awarded the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player. That same year, he was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the only defender in history to have won the award, and also won the Ballon d'Or, becoming only the third defender of all time to do so after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.

Reader's Guide

Fabio Cannavaro represented Italy at four World Cups, though the source specifically mentions his appearances in 2002 and 2006. In 2002, Italy exited in the quarter-finals after a controversial penalty decision against South Korea. His defining performance came at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. As captain, he led Italy to victory over France in a penalty shootout. Throughout the tournament, his defensive mastery was evident as Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither of which were in open play. For this extraordinary contribution, Cannavaro was awarded the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player. He was also named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 2006, making him the only defender in history to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award and only the third defender ever to win the Ballon d'Or.

Did You Know?

• Cannavaro was given the nickname 'Il Muro di Berlino' ('The Berlin Wall') by Italian supporters after the 2006 World Cup.
• He is the only defender in history to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award (2006).
• He is only the third defender of all time to win the Ballon d'Or, after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.
• In the 2006 World Cup, Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither of which were in open play.
• Cannavaro was awarded the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the 2006 World Cup.