Marco Tardelli
Central Midfielder · Juventus · Italy
About Marco Tardelli
Marco Tardelli is best remembered for the most celebrated goal celebration in World Cup history — sprinting from goal towards the Italian bench, arms wide, face twisted with pure emotion, screaming — after scoring Italy's second goal in the 1982 World Cup Final against West Germany. But he was also one of Juventus's greatest central midfielders of the 1970s and 1980s, winning six Serie A titles and a European Cup, and a World Cup winner whose role in Bearzot's tactical system was essential.
Marco Tardelli's story
The Scream
Italy 3-1 West Germany. World Cup Final. Madrid (ESP). 11th July 1982. Marco Tardelli received the ball 20 yards from goal, opened his body, and drove a low shot into the bottom corner. What happened next was not planned. He turned and ran — screaming, arms wide, face contorted — towards the Italian bench. The image — frozen on the front page of every Italian newspaper the next morning — is the most emotionally raw celebration in football history. The "Tardelli Scream" has been replicated by hundreds of players and is immediately recognisable without context.
Juventus's Engine
Before and after the World Cup, Tardelli spent ten years at Juventus as the defensive backbone of their midfield. He won six Serie A titles and a European Cup — a haul that reflects consistent excellence across the most dominant club side in Italian football of the 1970s and 1980s. He was the player who allowed Platini, Boniek, and Bettega to express themselves by handling the defensive responsibilities they preferred not to manage.
81 Italy Caps
Tardelli made 81 international appearances for Italy — the record for a midfielder of his generation — and was a key player under Enzo Bearzot across multiple tournaments. His role in the 1982 World Cup-winning Italy was the classic Italian midfield destroyer: tackle, win the ball, distribute, and press relentlessly. The goal in the final was both unexpected and entirely deserved.
Did you know?
- 😭 His celebration after scoring Italy's second goal in the 1982 World Cup Final — running, screaming, arms wide, face torn with emotion — is the most emotionally recognised image in football history and has been replicated by players across every generation since.
- 🏆 He scored in the World Cup Final, won six Serie A titles, and won the European Cup with Juventus — a trophy haul that reflects a decade of excellence at the highest level of Italian football.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married journalist Myrta Merlino (famous for the wedding that preceded his television career); they settled in Italy. Known for his iconic goal celebration at the 1982 World Cup.
- 🌟 Enzo Bearzot said: "Tardelli was the player who made Italy's 1982 system work. Without him winning the ball in midfield, the other players cannot do what they do. He was invisible until you removed him."
- 📊 He made 81 international appearances for Italy — the record for a central midfielder of his era — and was a first-choice selection across three tournaments under the same manager.
- 🎬 The "Tardelli Scream" has been freeze-framed, poster-printed, and reproduced more than any other celebration image in Italian football — a photograph that captures human joy at its most unfiltered.
- 🔴 His Juventus career (1975-1985) spans the club's most dominant domestic era — six Serie A titles in ten seasons — and he was the midfield constant across different Juventus attacking combinations.
- 🇩🇪 His goal against West Germany in the 1982 Final — a driven low shot from 20 yards — was Tardelli's only World Cup goal, but it came in the defining moment of Italy's most celebrated international triumph.
- 🎖️ He is still consulted by Juventus and the Italian football federation on tactical matters — a respected figure whose understanding of defensive midfield organisation is considered one of the most complete in Italian football history.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Italy (1982) — scored in the final
- Serie A x6: Juventus (1977,1978,1981,1982,1984,1985)
- European Cup: Juventus (1985)
- UEFA Cup x2: Juventus (1977, 1990)
- Most Iconic World Cup Celebration: 1982 Final goal — the "Tardelli scream" is the most replicated celebration in football history
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