Italian · Palermo, Italy · Born 12 August 1990Supremely talented but unpredictable Italian striker whose brilliance and controversy made him one of football's most fascinating characters.
Mario Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah on 12 August 1990 in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrant parents Thomas and Rose Barwuah. The family soon moved north to Brescia, where young Mario suffered serious intestinal health problems requiring repeated surgery, placing significant financial and emotional strain on his family. Unable to afford his ongoing medical care, his parents agreed to place him in foster care in 1993, and he was taken in by Francesco and Silvia Balotelli, an Italian couple from the nearby town of Concesio. What began as a temporary arrangement became permanent, and Mario eventually adopted the Balotelli surname, though bureaucratic complications meant he could not formally claim Italian citizenship until his 18th birthday in 2008. He joined the youth academy of local club Lumezzane, making his professional debut at 15 years and seven months old, then a record for Italian professional football, before Inter Milan signed him in 2007. Balotelli won a treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League with Inter under José Mourinho in 2010, before moving to Manchester City that year, where his combination of undeniable talent and volatile, headline-generating behaviour made him one of English football's most talked-about figures. He helped City win the Premier League in 2012, delivering two vital goals in the memorable title-deciding win over QPR on the competition's most dramatic final day. At that summer's European Championship, Balotelli scored twice in Italy's semi-final win over Germany, memorably running to embrace his foster mother Silvia in the stands afterward — a moment that resonated widely given her own family's history as Holocaust survivors. Balotelli went on to play for AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, and several other clubs across Europe and the Middle East, earning 36 caps for Italy across a career defined equally by moments of brilliance and unfulfilled potential.
Scoring crucial goals in Italy's run to Euro 2012 final
He set off fireworks in his bathroom, revealed a 'Why Always Me?' shirt after scoring against Manchester United, and once went to visit a women's prison 'because he was bored.'
Did You Know?How They Played
Powerful striker with excellent finishing, strong in the air, known for penalty taking
Lasting Impact
Talented but controversial striker whose career was defined by off-field incidents as much as his goals
Career Honours
- Premier League 2012
- FA Cup 2011
- Serie A 2010
- Copa Italia 2x
- Coppa Italia 2010
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumezzane | 2006–2006 | — | 2 | 0 |
| Inter Milan | 2007–2010 | — | 59 | 20 |
| Manchester City | 2010–2013 | £24m | 54 | 20 |
| AC Milan | 2013–2014 | — | 43 | 26 |
| Liverpool | 2014–2016 | — | 16 | 1 |
| AC Milan | 2015–2016 | — | 20 | 1 |
| Nice | 2016–2019 | — | 61 | 33 |
| Marseille | 2019–2019 | — | 15 | 8 |
| Brescia | 2019–2020 | — | 19 | 5 |
| Monza | 2020–2021 | — | 12 | 5 |
| Adana Demirspor | 2021–2022 | — | 33 | 18 |
| Sion | 2022–2023 | — | 18 | 6 |
| Adana Demirspor | 2023–2024 | — | 16 | 7 |
| Genoa | 2024–2025 | — | 6 | 0 |
| Al-Ittifaq | 2026–Present | — | 12 | 6 |
 Italy | — | — | 36 | 14 |
Italian Athletes