Balotelli, Mario (1990-…), is an Italian professional soccer player. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Balotelli is known for his energetic play as well as his eccentric behavior and hairstyles. A gifted striker, he is commonly known as “Super Mario.” In soccer, a striker is an inside forward principally responsible for scoring. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials).
Balotelli was born to Ghanaian parents on Aug. 12, 1990, in Palermo, Sicily. His name at birth was Mario Barwuah. Mario was often sick as a child, and his parents had difficulty caring for him. At age 2, he was transferred to the care of foster parents, Francesco and Silvia Balotelli. Mario’s health improved, but he remained with his foster parents and took their last name. He began playing soccer at age 5.
Balotelli began his professional soccer career in 2006 with AC Lumezzane in Lombardy. AC stands for Associazione Calcio, meaning football association. Balotelli played for Internazionale (also known as Inter Milan) from 2007 to 2010. In August 2010, he debuted for the Italian national team, commonly known as Gli Azzurri (The Blues). That same month, he transferred to Manchester City FC of the English Premier League (EPL). FC stands for football club. In 2012, he helped Manchester City win its first EPL title since 1968. Also in 2012, Balotelli scored two goals for the Azzurri in the semifinals of the European Championship.
Balotelli returned to Italy to play for AC Milan in 2013. In 2014, he played for Italy in the FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Balotelli joined Liverpool of the EPL in 2014 but returned to Milan in 2015. Since 2016, he has played for teams in France, Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland.
