One of the stars of the Italian football – Daniele De Rossi has announced that the World Cup in 2018 may be his final major international competition. The 33-year-old midfielder has been a key player of the team since 2004, when he made his debut against Norway in the qualifying match for The World Cup 2006. He scored his debut goal in the same game.

Since then, De Rossi has recorded 112 caps for his country and has scored 20 goals in total. The midfielder played a key role in Italy’s biggest recent triumph – the World Cup title in 2006. He scored a penalty in the final’s penalty shootout, helping his team lift the trophy. In addition, Daniele De Rossi has played in 8 major international competitions. Except for the title from 2006, the midfielder has played in the final of The Euro 2012, lost 0-4 to Spain. Among his awards are bronze medals from The Olympics 2004 and FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.

The midfielder started his international career in 2001, when he recorded 3 appearances for Italy U19. 3 years later, he won The Euro U21 Championship. He even scored the opening goal in the final match against Serbia and Montenegro.

Tonight Italy will play Uruguay and De Rossi will surely record his 113th appearance for Italy, which means that he will become the 5th most capped Italian football player, getting in front of the legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff (112 appearances). He may also surpass Andrea Pirlo (116 appearances) in the near future.

It’s a big honour to surpass Dino Zoff, and I will probably be close to Andrea Pirlo. They are legends of the Italian football. I will be 34 years old after several months, but I believe I can help my team in the upcoming World Cup. However, I will hardly think about The Euro 2020. Then – I will be 37 and it won’t be realistic to take part in it. Rome and Italy are my homes, so I am always ready to help if they need me.

Daniele De Rossi