Francesco Totti

Lore & Background

Totti spent his entire club career at Roma, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He is the top goalscorer and the most capped player in Roma's history, holds the record for the most goals scored in Serie A while playing for a single club, and was the youngest club captain in Serie A history until Giuseppe Bergomi surpassed that mark at age 18. During his career at Roma, Totti has been referred to as Er Bimbo de Oro (The Golden Boy), Er Pupone (The Big Baby), L'Ottavo Re di Roma (The Eighth King of Rome), L'Imperatore (The Emperor) and Er Capitano (The Captain) by the Italian sports media. In 2013, the New York Times described him as a 'Roman god in his game.'

In Their Own Story

The lights at Stadio Olimpico hummed with a familiar electricity as the Curva Nord began their chant, a rhythmic wall of sound that only one man could silence. Francesco stood on the penalty spot, the ball resting on the white grass, his eyes fixed on the goal. The weight of twenty years of history rested on his shoulders; every step he took was a memory of San Saba, every breath a promise to Rome. He didn't need a crowd to tell him what to do; the game spoke through his boots as he struck the ball with lethal precision, sending it into the top corner, and the stadium erupted in a roar that felt like home.

Reader's Guide

Totti was born in Rome to parents Lorenzo and Fiorella Totti and raised in the Porta Metronia neighbourhood. He began youth team football in 1984 with Fortitudo, later joining Trastevere and Lodigiani. After his mother refused a lucrative offer from Milan, he joined the Roma youth squad in 1989. He made his senior debut for Roma on 28 March 1993 against Brescia. His first Serie A goal was on 4 September 1994 in a 1–1 draw against Foggia. He became Roma captain on 31 October 1998, the youngest Serie A club captain ever at 22. He won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy and appeared in the finals of UEFA Euro 2000. He retired from international football in 2007 due to recurring physical problems. He won the 2007 European Golden Shoe and a record eleven awards from the Italian Footballers' Association. He was named in the FIFA 100 in 2004. Following his retirement in 2017, Totti was awarded the Player's Career Award and the UEFA President's Award.

Did You Know?

• Totti is the second-highest scorer in Serie A history with 250 goals and the top assist-provider of all time.
• He scored 307 goals and provided 205 assists across all club competitions for Roma.
• Totti is the top Italian assist-provider in FIFA World Cup history with 6 assists.
• He was selected in the All-Star team for the 2006 World Cup, but was not included in UEFA's Team of the Tournament for Euro 2000.