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Bergomi was just 18 when he won the World Cup with Italy in 1982. David Cannon/Allsport |
As a teenage defender with barely a season of experience in Serie A with Inter, Bergomi was a surprise inclusion in Italy's squad for the 1982 finals in Spain.
Spending the first round matches on the bench proved advantageous, as the Italian press demanded improvements after Enzo Bearzot's side failed to win a match and only narrowly avoided an embarrassing early exit. Bergomi grabbed his chance with an impressive performance as a substitute in a memorable second round win over Brazil and kept his place in the team due to the suspension of Claudio Gentile.
Bergomi was so impressive in the rest of the tournament that in the final he was handed the job of marking Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and stuck to his task so doggedly that the West German star was substituted long before his side had slipped to a 3-1 defeat.
A world champion at 18, it was perhaps inevitable that the rest of Bergomi's international career would fail to live up to its spectacular start. In 1986 Italy slumped out in the second round against France, and in 1990 Bergomi captained the side that promised so much before losing on penalties at home to Argentina in the semifinals.
Bergomi's international career never really recovered from that disappointment and his appearances for the Azzurri became less frequent. But in 1998 Bergomi was a surprise World Cup selection once again, and the Inter veteran made three appearances in Italy's run to the last eight.
