World Cup 2010: italy Defending Champion Takes Field Today

Italy's World Cup team, the World Cup 2010 defending champion and the four-time World Cup Soccer champions of the world come into the 2010 World Cup with a target on their back as defending champions, while simultaneously being viewed as weak by almost the entire world, including Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006) just one fewer than Brazil

Italy's World Cup 2010 team includes many of the same core players on the 2006 Italy World Cup champion team, returning for a second go at winning the ultimate World Cup 2010 trophy.

Italy's blue, azzurro, in Italian due to the "Azzurro Savoia" (Savoy Blue), the color traditionally linked to the royal dynasty which unified Italy in 1861, and maintained in the official standard of the President of the Italian Republic.

In 2006, Italy's Serie A was embroiled in scandal and Italy was expected to be dumped out of the competition quickly. The midfield were derided as having no creativity and the strikers were aging. Italy, of course, went on to top their group, beat a sensational Germany, and put on a defensive clinic against France to win the Cup on penalties.

Italy seems old and weak. They haven't impressed in warm-ups against Mexico or Switzerland, and play maker Andrea Pirlo (calf injury) could miss quite a few games. But, in the end, the Italians are the defending champions, and while they do have a penchant for giving lazy performances when the title isn't on the line, they also make it a habit of proving people wrong.

 

Italy 's first World Cup 2010 game is today 2:30 ET against Paraguay. For more on Soccer match travel to Italy click ItalianTourism.us. 

Meet the Italy 2010 World Cup Squad - VIDEO

Current squad

23 players called up for 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Caps and goals as of 5 June 2010.

No.	Name	Date of birth	Club	Caps (goals)	Debut
Goalkeepers
1	Gianluigi Buffon	28 January 1978 (age 32)(1978-01-28)	Juventus	101 (0)	v. Russia, 29 October 1997
12	Federico Marchetti	7 February 1983 (age 27)(1983-02-07)	Cagliari	5 (0)	v. Northern Ireland, 6 June 2009
14	Morgan De Sanctis	27 March 1977 (age 33)(1977-03-27)	Napoli	3 (0)	v. Iceland, 30 March 2005
Defenders
5	Fabio Cannavaro	13 September 1973 (age 36)(1973-09-13)	Al-Ahli	133 (2)	v. Northern Ireland, 22 January 1997
19	Gianluca Zambrotta	19 February 1977 (age 33)(1977-02-19)	Milan	94 (2)	v. Norway, 10 February 1999
4	Giorgio Chiellini	14 August 1984 (age 25)(1984-08-14)	Juventus	29 (2)	v. Finland, 17 November 2004
3	Domenico Criscito	30 December 1986 (age 23)(1986-12-30)	Genoa	7 (0)	v. Switzerland, 12 August 2009
2	Christian Maggio	11 February 1982 (age 28)(1982-02-11)	Napoli	5 (0)	v. Greece, 19 November 2008
13	Salvatore Bocchetti	30 November 1986 (age 23)(1986-11-30)	Genoa	5 (0)	v. Republic of Ireland, 10 October 2009
23	Leonardo Bonucci	1 May 1987 (age 23)(1987-05-01)	Bari	2 (1)	v. Cameroon, 3 March 2010
Midfielders
8	Gennaro Gattuso	9 January 1978 (age 32)(1978-01-09)	Milan	72 (1)	v. Sweden, 23 February 2000
21	Andrea Pirlo	19 May 1979 (age 31)(1979-05-19)	Milan	66 (8)	v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2002
6	Daniele De Rossi	24 July 1983 (age 26)(1983-07-24)	Roma	54 (8)	v. Norway, 4 September 2004
16	Mauro Camoranesi	4 October 1976 (age 33)(1976-10-04)	Juventus	53 (5)	v. Portugal, 12 February 2003
17	Angelo Palombo	25 September 1981 (age 28)(1981-09-25)	Sampdoria	17 (0)	v. Croatia, 16 August 2006
7	Simone Pepe	30 August 1983 (age 26)(1983-08-30)	Juventus	15 (0)	v. Bulgaria, 11 October 2008
22	Riccardo Montolivo	18 January 1985 (age 25)(1985-01-18)	Fiorentina	13 (0)	v. South Africa, 17 October 2007
15	Claudio Marchisio	19 January 1986 (age 24)(1986-01-19)	Juventus	4 (0)	v. Switzerland, 12 August 2009
Strikers
11	Alberto Gilardino	5 July 1982 (age 27)(1982-07-05)	Fiorentina	41 (16)	v. Norway, 4 September 2004
9	Vincenzo Iaquinta	21 November 1979 (age 30)(1979-11-21)	Juventus	37 (5)	v. Iceland, 30 March 2005
10	Antonio Di Natale	13 October 1977 (age 32)(1977-10-13)	Udinese	33 (9)	v. Turkey, 20 November 2002
18	Fabio Quagliarella	31 January 1983 (age 27)(1983-01-31)	Napoli	20 (4)	v. Scotland, 29 March 2007
20	Giampaolo Pazzini	2 August 1984 (age 25)(1984-08-02)	Sampdoria	8 (1)	v. Montenegro, 28 March 2009