Jose Altafini
The prolific striker who coined 'golaço' and conquered Serie A.
José João Altafini (born 24 July 1938), also known as "Mazzola" in Brazil, is an Italian-Brazilian former footballer who played as a forward. He began his career with Palmeiras in Brazil, then moved to Italy, where he is mostly remembered for his successful stint with AC Milan. He later played for Napoli and Juventus, before ending his career in Switzerland with Chiasso and Mendrisiostar. Altafini is the joint-fourth highest scorer in Italian Serie A history with 216 goals, and held the record for most goals in a single European Cup campaign for over 50 years. He represented both Brazil and Italy at international level, winning the 1958 FIFA World Cup with Brazil and playing for Italy at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
- Nationality
- Italian-Brazilian
- Position
- forward
- Club Tenure
- 1965–1972
- Major Honours with Club
- Coppa delle Alpi (1966–67)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Altafini joined Napoli in 1965 after a falling out with Milan manager Gipo Viani, who put him on the market. He formed a notable attacking partnership with Omar Sívori, who had been his Italy teammate at the 1962 World Cup. Altafini remained at Napoli for seven years, until 1972. He helped Napoli to their best ever Serie A finish up to that point, second place in 1967–68, and also reached the 1971–72 Coppa Italia final, losing to his former club Milan. During his time at Napoli, he won only the Coppa delle Alpi in 1966–67.
In Their Own Story
During the 1971–72 season, Altafini helped Napoli to the 1971–72 Coppa Italia final, although they were defeated 2–0 by his previous club, Milan. Despite his role in the club's history, during his time at Napoli, Altafini only managed to win a minor trophy, the Coppa delle Alpi, during the 1966–67 season. After his time at Napoli, Altafini joined Juventus along with his former Napoli teammate, goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff.
Reader's Guide
Altafini was a prolific goalscorer known for his speed, skill, and power. He coined the expression "golaço" (or "golazzo") for notable goals and was known for his exclamation "incredibile, amici!" After his playing career, he worked as a football pundit on Italian TV for SKY Italia and a commentator on Italian radio for RTL 102.5, and was the secondary commentator on the Pro Evolution Soccer video games in Italy.
Did You Know?
- Altafini scored five goals in a single European Cup match, a record he shares with eight other players including Lionel Messi.
- He is the fifth-youngest player in Serie A history to score 100 goals, achieving it at age 24 years and 239 days.
- Altafini scored 630 goals in his career.
More in Legendary Players & Icons
Elsewhere in the Napoli universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record