Andrea Pirlo

At 45 years old, Andrea Pirlo has this physical status:

Andrea Pirlo (born 19 May 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer.

Pirlo was usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield for both his clubs and national teams, but also as one of the finest ever players of this position due to his ability, ball control, creativity, and passing skills, as well as being a free-kick specialist.

His promising performances led to his move to Inter Milan in 1998, but he had trouble getting enough playing time at his new club and was sent on loan in 1999.

Pirlo was still struggling to break into Inter's starting lineup after successful spells with Reggina and a return to Brescia, and it was sold to cross-city rivals A.C. Milan in 2001.

Carlo Ancelotti, the team's manager, wanted to turn Pirlo into a deep-lying playmaker to orchestrate the team's attacks at Milan.

Pirlo excelled in his new role, quickly progressing into a world-class midfielder, and winning a slew of trophies, including two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Serie A titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Supercoppa Italiana, and a Coppa Italia.

Personal life

Pirlo is one of two children along with his brother Ivan. He was married to Deborah Roversi from 2001 to 2013; the couple have two children, son Niccol (born 2003) and daughter Angela (born 2006). In 2014, the couple separated.

In 1982, Pirlo's father founded Elg Steel, a metal fabrication firm in Brescia. Pirlo has retained a majority interest in the company. In an interview with Italian Vanity Fair magazine, Pirlo said that he never speaks about money from his family's or footballing careers. Pirlo is known as a wine connoisseur, and he also runs his own vineyard in Italy, which exports around 15 to 20 bottles per year.

Pirlo wrote Penso Quindi Gioco, with Alessandro Alciato (I Think Therefore I Play), in 2013. Pirlo, as well as several current and former footballers, participated in the "Match for Peace" at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on September 1, 2014, with the proceeds entirely donated to charity. Lothar Matthäus, a German former midfielder who played for Inter and compatriot Roberto Baggio, revealed in the same year that he supported Inter in his youth, and that his top footballers and major influences as a player were German former midfielder Lothar Matthäus – who played for Inter – and compatriot Roberto Baggio – due to his playing style and position on the pitch as an offensive playmaker, which Pirlo did not know at the game

Pirlo's jersey was the most-selling MLS shirt in 2016, according to the newspaper in July 2016.

Valentina Baldini, Pirlo's partner, gave birth to Leonardo and Tommaso on July 7th.

Pirlo is one of the Ultimate Team Icons in EA Sports' football video game FIFA 20.

Source

Club career

Pirlo was born in Flero, province of Brescia. He began his career with the Fleo youth team, later moving to Voluntas, and then joined Brescia's youth team in 1994, where he played predominantly as a supporting forward. Pirlo made his Serie A debut against Reggiana on May 21 in 1995, becoming Brescia's youngest player to play in Serie A. He was promoted by his mentor Mircea Lucescu. He did not appear with the senior team the next season, but he did manage to capture the Torneo di Viareggio with the youth team. He helped the Brescia first team win Serie A competition the following season by winning the Serie B championship. In a 4–0 home win over Vicenza on 19 October 1997, he scored his first goal in Serie A during the 1997–98 season.

Pirlo was identified by Inter Milan coach Lucescu, who signed the playmaker due to his success with Brescia. Pirlo was unable to make the first squad permanently, but Inter finished eighth in the 1998–99 Serie A competition. Pirlo was a loaned Pirlo from Reggina for the 1999-2000 season, as did young Inter teammates Roberto Baronio and Mohamed Kallon. After an excellent season, he returned to Inter, but he was forced to return to Inter but made only four league appearances. He spent the second half of the 2000–01 season on loan at Brescia, where he competed with his childhood hero, offensive playmaker Roberto Baggio. Carlo Mazzone, the first coach to deploy Pirlo as an attacking midfielder rather than an offensive midfielder, a deeper creative role in which he excelled due to his long-running abilities. Despite struggling against relegation this season, Brescia would eventually finish seventh in Serie A, while still qualifying for the 2001 Intertoto Cup. His long pass, which aided Baggio's late equalizer against Juventus at the Stadio delle Alpi, was a pivotal point in Pirlo's Brescia career.

Pirlo was sold to AC Milan for 33 billion Italian lire (€17,043,078) on June 30, 2001, the last day of 2000-01 financial year, after three seasons on the Inter books. The transfer fee was partially funded by Dr. En Brn's travel, which was in the opposite direction for an undisclosed fee. Cristian Brocchi (25 billion lire; €12.9 million) for Guly was exchanged for Guily by Inter in the same window (undisclosed charge; €8.537 million gain) and Matteo Bogani for Paolo Ginestra. The players' values were later reported by the Italian press to have been used to create "false revenue" by inflating the players' values in the transfer fees. Both clubs received an estimated €3.5 million "profit" from the deal, but this only came in the form of ineffective registration rights.

It was during Milan's time as a player and set-piece specialist in the country, where Pirlo made strides in becoming a world class player and one of the best deep-lying playmakers and set-piece specialists. Pirlo recalled the time he spent in Milan with Ancelotti: "He changed my career, putting me in front of the defence." We've all had unforgettable experiences. We had a wonderful time together. Milan boss Fatih Terim and, in particular, Carlo Ancelotti continued to play with Pirlo during the previous season, in particular. Pirlo was sent as a deep-lying playmaker in Ancelotti's 4–3–1–2 and 4–3–1 formations, allowing him to play alongside other talented attacking midfielders, such as Rivaldo, Rui Costa, and eventually Kaká, closing the void left by Milan legend Demetrio Albertini in the deep midfield playmaking role. He'll play a key role in Rossoner's midfield, forming a strong alliance with Gennaro Gattuso, as well as with Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini, who also endorsed his playmaking duties defensively. During his time with the club, Pirlo was given the nickname "autonome" because of the way in which he set the team's rhythm.

After going forward for Massimo Donati, Pirlo made his Milan debut on September 20, 2001 in a 2–0 victory over BATE Borisov in the UEFA Cup. He helped the team win a fourth-place finish in UEFA Champions League qualifying, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, the club's best ever result in the competition. In a 3–1 home victory over Parma over the 30th of March 2002, he scored his first goal with Milan.

Pirlo dominated Serie A in 2002-03 in four categories: passes played (289), ball ownership (123 hours played and 39 minutes), successful balls (661), and high passes (1993); he averaged nearly 90 passes per game throughout the season. Milan finished third place in the league this season, his second with the club, as well as winning the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League, beating out Italian rivals and 2003 Serie A champions Juventus in the final 3–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw after extra time. Pirlo won the 2003 UEFA Super Cup with Milan over Porto, although Rossoneri lost on penalties in the 2003 Supercopa Italiana after extra time; Pirlo scored on a penalty in extra time and again in the shoot-out. Milan would also miss out on the 2003 Intercontinental Cup after losing out on penalties once more to Boca Juniors after a 1–1 draw after extra time; on this occasion, Pirlo missed his penalty in the shoot-out after setting up Milan's opening goal of the match. Pirlo will win his first Serie A title with Milan during the 2003–04 season, but he will reclaim his position with the 2004 Supercoppa Italiano over Lazio.

In the 2004–05 season, Milan came as runners up in Serie A to Juventus. Pirlo finished as one of the top assist providers with four assists in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League, helping Milan reach the final. Pirlo scored Paolo Maldini's first goal, from a free kick, and combined with Kaká, giving the Brazilian forward a long pass for Milan's third goal before halftime in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final against Liverpool. Liverpool made a three-goal comeback in the second half, sending the match into extra time. The match went to penalties, and Milan was defeated by the English team in the shoot-out after a 3–3 deadlock. Despite Pirlo's success throughout the tournament and in the final, Pirlo had missed his penalty kick during the shoot-out in the final when it was saved by Jerzy Dudek. Pirlo will write a postscript to his autobiography that the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final defeat on penalties was the worst moment of his career, and he had considered retiring prematurely after the match.

Milan finished in second place in Serie A this season, just shy of losing to Barcelona, the eventual champions of the Coppa Italia and the quarter-finals. Pirlo finished ninth in the Ballon d'Or in 2006, which was won by Italy teammate Fabio Cannavaro, and was elected to the 2006 FIFPro World XI.

Pirlo dominated Milan in minutes during his second UEFA Champions League title with Milan, as well as his team's fourth-place finish in Serie A and another Coppa Italia semi-final. Pirlo set up Seedorf's goal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester United, as Milan progressed to the final. Pirlo scored In the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final in Athens, assisting Milan in defeating Liverpool 2–1. Pirlo achieved his second UEFA Super Cup with Milan in 2007, assisting Milan in the club's second goal and winning the Man of the Match award; he also helped with the club's first FIFA World Cup final in 2007, setting up Milan's second goal in the final. In October 2007, he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, and the 2007 International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) World's Best Playmaker Awards, but Pirlo placed 5th in the Ballon d'Or, 7th in the FIFA World Player of the Year, and 2nd in the World's Best Playmaker Awards, but he was first nominated for the fourth time. Despite a good start, Milan suffered a loss of form in the second half of the season, landing in fifth place in the UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia; Milan also lost out on the first round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia; this season, Milan saw eliminations in the second half of the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia. Milan, together with Juventus, secured a second-place finish in Serie A, behind local rivals Inter, after being disqualified in the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup and the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia, where they were eliminated in the round of 32.

Chelsea put Milan's resolve into question after Kaká and Ancelotti left Milan in the summer of 2009 by bidding $12 million and Claudio Pizarro for Pirlo. Pirlo was told to be considering a transfer request, but the club turned down the bid, but Pirlo was reported to be considering a transfer request. Silvio Berlusconi, the club's chairman, decided not to sell Pirlo because he was overjoyed and wanted to continue his Milan career. Pirlo scored a spectacular 30-meter goal in Milan's 3–2 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on October 21, 2009; Milan was eventually defeated in the round of 16. Milan's current manager Leonardo ended the season with a third position in Serie A and a quarter-final finish in the Coppa Italia.

Milan dominated the league this season. On September 25, 2010, Milan hosted Genoa with Pirlo's lifted ball over the top of the defense to free striker Zlatan Ibrahimoviovioviovi to score the game's solitary goal. Pirlo scored a 40-yard goal against Parma on October 2nd to give Milan their first away victory of the 2010-11 season. Pirlo played in his last match for Milan on May 14th, emerging as a half-time replacement for Ambrosini as the club celebrated their Serie A crown with a 4–1 victory over Cagliari. Pirlo announced that he would leave Milan at the end of the 2010–11 season after a mutual decision not to renew his contract. Pirlo's second Serie A title with Milan this season was won by manager Massimiliano Allegri, who also qualified in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, having appeared in the UEFA Champions League for the second time in his last season.

Pirlo made 401 appearances with Milan, scoring 41 goals. He won two Serie A titles in 2004, 2011, as well as two UEFA Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004, as well as playing a key role in Milan's first ever FIFA Club World Cup championship in 2007. Milan finished second on penalties in the 2003 Intercontinental Cup as runners-up in both Serie A's 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, as well as fifth in Serie A's 2005 and 2006 Intercontinental Cups.

Juventus signed Pirlo's resignation from Milan in 2011 after his release from Milan in 2011. Juventus's first match against Sporting CP, in which they lost 2–1. He lost his first competitive match with Juventus, 2011, 12 Serie A opening matches against Parma, in which he had two assists for Stephan Lichtsteiner and Claudio Marchisio, the latter of which was the first ever goal in the Juventus Stadium, a 4–1 triumph. Antonio Conte teamed with younger midfielders Marchisio and Arturo Vidal in a three-man midfield, allowing Pirlo to function as a deep-lying playmaker, while Marchisio and Vidal bolstered him defensively. Pirlo's first goal for Juventus was a free kick against Catania on February 18, 2012, securing a 3–1 victory for Juventus and moving the club back to the top of the Serie A table, ahead of his former club Milan. Pirlo defeated Fiorentina 5–0 on March 18th, and shortly after the game dedicated to Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Bolton Wanderers during a match against Tottenham Hotspur on the same day, he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Pirlo completed the season by winning the 2011–12 Serie A title, after assisting Juventus in defeating Cagliari 22-0. With 13, he had the most assists in the Serie A this season, and he also found the back of the net three times in the league. Pirlo had over 100 attempts and completed 2643 passes last season, with an 87% pass completion rate and 500 more passes than any other player in Serie A; the only player to have more passes than him was Xavi; He was named to the Serie A Team of the Year by virtue of his performances throughout the season and his important role in leading Juventus to their first Serie A title in nine years. Vidal, his Juventus midfielder, was named to the Serie A Team of the Year. In the Coppa Italia final that season, Pirlo and Juventus also finished runners up to Napoli. Pirlo's fine form in the 2011–12 season, in which he led Juventus to the league title, the Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia Final, as well as leading Italy to the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe award, in which he finished 4th. He was also selected to be a member of the 2012 ESM Team of the Year and the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year.

Pirlo defeated Napoli in the 2012 Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing on August 11, 2012, helping Juventus to a 4–2 win in extra time. He cut off a free kick to seal a 2–0 victory over Parma on the first day of the new Serie A season. The goal sparked a lot of controversies, as Parma players protested that it had not gone over the line, and replays proved inconclusive. Pirlo helped win a penalty and assisted Sebastian Giovinco's second goal of the game on September 2nd as Juventus advanced to defeat the home team 4–1. Pirlo opened the scoring on September 29 with a pointless free kick, sending Juventus on a 4–1 victory over Roma. Following their success throughout the calendar year, Pirlo was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or alongside Juventus and Italy teammate Gianluigi Buffon. For the first time since the 2008–09 tournament, Pirlo had three assists for Juventus on the group stage, assisting them in remaining undefeated and advance to the knockout stages for the first time since the 2008–09 tournament. Pirlo was also named the 2012 Serie A Footballer of the Year and the best midfielder of the season, as well as the 2012 Guerin d'Oro award. He was selected as one of the 2012 Serie A team of the Year for his contributions. Pirlo has also received the Pallone Azzurro Award, which is given to the best player of the year in the Italian National Team, as well as placing fourth in the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker of the Year Award and seventh in the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Pirlo and Juventus also won the Serie A title of the season. Juventus was defeated by Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League and Lazio's semi-finals; both of these teams were the champions of these respective competitions.

Pirlo was involved in Juventus's 4–0 victory over Lazio in the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana, beating Lazio in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on August 18, 2013. In the twenty-third minute of play, Pirlo assisted with Paul Pogba's opening goal. Pirlo was the first Italian to be nominated for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, and he was also listed for the 2013 FIFPro World XI. Pirlo sustained a knee injury on December 1st that would keep him off the field for more than a month. Pirlo joined Juventus on January 12, 2014, keeping him at the club until 2016. Pirlo was named Serie A Footballer of the Year for the second year in a row, and was also included in the Serie A team of the Year on January 27. Juventus secured their 30th league title this season with a record of 102 points and 33 wins; it was also their third straight title since Pirlo's arrival. Juventus also reached the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, losing out to Roma. In the round of 16 against Fiorentina, the Turin club suffered a group stage elimination in the UEFA Champions League but came to a semi-final finish in the UEFA Europa League, losing to Benfica. Pirlo was selected to be a member of the 2013-14 Europa League Team of the Season for his work in the tournament.

Pirlo signed a new deal on June 11, 2014, keeping him at Juventus until 2016. Pirlo defeated Roma 3-2 in a 3–2 home victory over 5 October 4, 2014 in his 100th league appearance for the club. Pirlo scored Juventus's first goal from a free kick in a 2-1 victory over Empoli on Nov. 1; this was his 26th goal from a free kick in Serie A, putting him two goals behind all-time record holder Sini Mihajlovi. Pirlo won by 3–2 home victory over Olympiacos in a group-stage UEFA Champions League match on November 4th. This was Pirlo's 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, marking the occasion with his first UEFA Champions League goal against Juventus. Pirlo was named the Serie A Footballer of the Year for the third year in his career, and the third year in a row since his arrival in Juventus; he was also named in the 2014 Serie A Team of the Year. Pirlo left the pitch during the first half of the UEFA Champions League's round of 16, ruled out for three weeks after losing his right calf. Pirlo was called up against Parma on April 11, 2015, after his injury. He returned to the starting lineup on April 14, 2015, assisting lvaro Morata in a 1–0 victory over Monaco in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, replacing Andrea Barzagli during the second half. Pirlo scored from free kick in a 2–1 away loss to Torino, which placed him 28 goals in Serie A from a free kick, putting him in contention with Mihajlovi as the player with the most goals from free kicks in Serie A history. Pirlo played a part in both of Juventus's goals as the Turin club defeated Lazio 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in the 2015 Coppa Italia Final, on May 20th. Pirlo played the entire 2015 UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin, as Juventus lost 3–1 by Barcelona at Olympiastadion; this was his last game of his Juventus career. Pirlo was selected to the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League Squad of the season for his performances.

He made 164 appearances for Juventus in all competitions, scoring 19 goals (15 of which were scored from free kicks) and 39 assists; 31 of his goals came from 119 appearances. He won four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppe Italiane during his four seasons with the club, as well as his fourth UEFA Champions League final appearance of his career. He made 493 appearances in Serie A over the 20 years he spent in Italy.

Pirlo had completed a transfer to Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team New York City FC as their third Designated Player on July 6, 2015. He rose to the top paid Italian player with an $8 million salary until Graziano Pellè overtook him after moving to Shandong Luneng the following year. Pirlo made his debut with the club against Orlando City on July 26, 2015; he was on as a replacement in his team's third and fourth goals and was suspended in the 88th minute as New York defeated the team 5–3. In a 3–2 home loss to the Montreal Impact on August 1, he got his first appearance for New York. Pirlo had been ranked seventh in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe rankings on August 12th. David Villa scored a goal on August 13th in a 3–1 home victory over Washington, D.C. United. Pirlo was named in the 59-player shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or in October 2015. He finished the 2015 MLS season with 5 assists in 13 appearances and ended up third in minutes per pass, though he didn't score a single goal. Despite Pirlo and two other UEFA Champions League winners, David Villa and Frank Lampard's departure from the press for their debut season in 2015, New York City's low defensive work-rate attracted skepticism; Pirlo in particular was chastised by the media. Pirlo was the first MLS player to be nominated for the FIFPro World XI in November.

In a 3–2 home win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, Pirlo scored his first assist of the 2016 MLS season on April 30th as he set up a goal for David Villa from a corner. In the 50th minute of a 3–2 home win over Philadelphia, he scored his first MLS goal from a free kick on June 18th. Pirlo was in the roster for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game in July. Pirlo's second season with the club included one goal and a team-bestowe of 11 assists in 32 appearances, finishing second place in the Eastern Conference and qualifying for the first time ever, securing a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He was ruled out of the first leg after suffering a last-minute calf injury, and New York lost the match 2–0 away to Toronto. On aggregate, he was eliminated from the Playoffs 7-0 on aggregate after a 5–0 home loss to Toronto.

Pirlo revealed on October 8th, 2017 that he will withdraw from professional football for the remainder of the season; in total, he was limited to only 15 appearances and two assists during the 2017 MLS regular season. Following a 4–3 aggregate loss, he made his last professional appearance on November 5th, ending as a 90th-minute substitute in a 2–0 home victory over Columbus Crew in the second leg of the 2017 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Semi-finals; New York was barred from the Playoffs. Pirlo made 62 appearances for New York, 60 of which were during the regular season, the other two coming in the MLS Playoffs, scoring one goal and providing 18 assists, many of which occurred during the MLS regular season. Pirlo confirmed on Twitter the following day that he had resigned from professional football. On May 21, 2018, a testimonial match – La Notte del Maestro – was held in Milan in honor of Pirlo's retirement from professional football.

International career

In Italy's 2–1 victory over Czech Republic in the final, Pirlo guided Italy to an Under-21 European Championship in 2000, wearing the number 10 jersey and winning the prizes for best player and top scorer of the tournament with three goals; one from a penalty and the other from a free kick. In the 2002 edition of the tournament, he also led the Italy under-21 team to a semi-final appearance. Pirlo fought for Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, scoring a goal in Italy's 1–0 opening victory over hosts Australia on September 13; he also helped Italy win the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Pirlo is the second highest goal scorer after Alberto Gilardino, with 46 matches and 16 goals.

Pirlo made his Italy senior debut under Giovanni Trattoni on September 7, 2002, beating Azerbaijan 2–0 in a Euro 2004 qualifying match; later that year, he also played in a friendly match against Turkey, which resulted in a 1–1 draw. In a 4–0 away victory over Tunisia, Pirlo scored his first goal for Italy from a free kick in a friendly friendly match against Tunisia. UEFA Euro 2004 with Trattoni, where he appeared in two major tournaments for Italy's second major tournament, the first in a 1–1 draw against Sweden and the second in a 2–1 victory over Bulgaria. Following a three-way five-point tie with Sweden and Denmark, the Italian team was disqualified in the first round, on direct encounters.

Pirlo, Italy's replacement, Marcello Lippi, became a key player in the team's starting lineup in 2006, and he was later named as a starting member of the Italian squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After scoring from two free kicks in a 2–0 victory over Scotland in a World Cup qualifier, he assured Italy's participation in the tournament on March 26, 2005.

Pirlo was named in Italy's 23-man squad for the 2006 World Cup and spent 668 minutes in total in all of Italy's matches at the tournament. Pirlo scored the first goal against Ghana on June 12th and later assisted Vincenzo Iaquinta in a 2–0 win. Gilardino's diving header was a set piece that was crucial in the 1-1 draw against the United States in the second match on June 17th.

In the semi-final against Germany on July 4, he scored Fabio Grosso's opening goal in the dying minutes of extra time and was named Man of the Match as Italy defeated the hosts 2–0. Marco Materazzi's equalizing header in the final against France on July 9th, ten minutes after France opened the scoring with a Zine Zidane penalty. Following a 1-1 deadlock at extra time, the game was decided on a penalty shoot-out in which he scored the first spot kick, assisting Italy in winning the trophy. Pirlo's midfield partnership with Milan teammate Gattuso was a success, with 475 passes out of 580 attempted throughout the tournament, while still winning 18 challenges. For a third time, he was named Man of the Match for a third time, winning more Man of the Match Awards than any other participant in the tournament. Pirlo was named the third-best player of the tournament after winning the Bronze Ball. He was selected as part of the 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament and as part of the sixth generation of the sport, placing ninth in both the 2006 and 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Awards.

Pirlo was involved in all three of Italy's group matches at UEFA Euro 2008. On June 13, he was named Man of the Match in Italy's second group match, a 1–1 draw against Romania. Pirlo's penalty helped Italy defeat France 2–0 in the final group match on June 17, 2008, knocking out of the European Championships in the first round. In the quarterfinals, Italy lost on penalty kicks to eventual winners Spain, after Pirlo and Milan teammate Gattuso were banned from the match.

Pirlo assisted Giuseppe Rossi's second goal in Italy's Confederations Cup opener against the United States on June 15, 2009, a 3–1 victory. Italy later lost the first two group matches against Egypt and Brazil, and was barred from the tournament in the first round.

Due to recent injuries, Pirlo was unable to participate in the first two games in the 2010 World Cup for Italy. He was recalled from the bench for Italy late in the match against Slovakia on June 24. And with his help in orchestrating a new Italian offensive, Pirlo was unable to prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.

Pirlo Vice Captain of the Italian squad, behind captain Gianluigi Buffon, has been named by coach Prandelli. Pirlo played in nine games as Italy qualified undefeated for the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, with many assists and netting one goal in Italy's 5–0 victory over the Faroe Islands on September 7, 2010.

Cesare Prandelli, the playmaker, was named in his 32-man provisional squad for Euro 2012, and then in Italy's final 23-man squad for the tournament due to his excellent results in leading Juventus to win the Serie A title. In the first round of group play on Sunday, Pirlo provided the cutting ball from which Antonio Di Natale scored the opening goal of Italy's 1–1 draw with World and European champions Spain. Pirlo started scoring himself from a direct free kick in Italy's second group match against Croatia on June 14th, which also ended in a 1-1 draw; Pirlo was named Man of the Match. Pirlo's goal in the final group match against the Republic of Ireland helped Italy take the lead by a corner kick. In Group C, Italy eventually defeated 2–0 and advanced to the knock-out stage of the tournament as runners-up.

Pirlo earned a Man of the Match appearance against England in the quarterfinals on June 24th, when Italy defeated 4–2 on penalties after the game had ended 0–0 in extra time. Pirlo scored in the shoot-out with an audacious chipped penalty down the center of the goal, also known as a Panenka. Pirlo referred to his eloquent penalty saying, "At the time I saw the goalkeeper doing strange things, I was waiting for him to move and hit it like that." At that time, it was much simpler for me to crack it down. "Maybe my efforts put some pressure on England." Pirlo had more passes than the entire England midfield, the most of any player during the match and the second most in a single match in the European Championship, behind Xavi with an 87% pass completion rate, as Italy finished the game with 63% ball possession. He also ran 11.58 kilometers through the match, covering more distance than any England player.

Pirlo put up a Man of the Match performance against Germany in the semi-final round on June 28, marking Balotelli's first goal of the match, as Italy defeated 2–1 to advance to the tournament's final. Italy lost 4–0 against Spain in the final after Italy's triumph in the semi-finals.

At Euro 2012, Pirlo received three Man of the Match Awards, the most prizes won by a single artist, alongside Andrés Iniesta of tournament champions Spain. Pirlo was nominated for the Player of the Tournament Award, which ultimately went to Iniesta, and he was also selected to be a member of the Team of the Tournament.

Pirlo was selected for Italy's squad to compete in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. On June 16th in Italy's opening game against Mexico, he earned his 100th cap, opening the scoring with a trademark free kick as Italy defeated 2–1, and Pirlo was voted Man of the Match. After Dino Zoff, Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, and Fabio Cannavaro, he was only the fifth Italian player to receive 100 caps after. Pirlo was assisting De Rossi's goal against from a corner in the second group stage match against Japan on June 19th, as the match ended 4–3 to Italy. For the first time, Italy gained the ability to progress to the semi-finals of the tournament. Pirlo did not participate in the third group stage match against Brazil because he had been forced to recover from a minor injury before the second match, but he would be able to play for the semi-finals. In the final group stage match on June 22, Italy was defeated 4–2 and finished second in group A, which meant they finished second in group A and group B, tournament champions Spain, will face Spain in a rematch of the European Championship Finals from last year. On June 27, Italy held Spain to a 0–0 draw as the match came to penalties. Pirlo scored his own, but Bonucci denied Spain a spot in the final after Italy lost 7–6. Pirlo was ill for the third place final, but Italy beat Uruguay 3–2 on penalties on June 30th, after a 2–2 draw. Pirlo was named to the Team of the Tournament and was nominated for the Golden Ball award, but he didn't win the tournament's top three players, as the prizes were given to Neymar, Iniesta, and Paulinho, respectively.

Pirlo scored one goal in Italy's qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which saw them at the top of their class, undefeated. As Italy defeated Armenia by a score of 3–1, Pirlo converted a penalty and scored numerous goals during the World Cup qualifying campaign. Pirlo was selected by Italy boss Prandelli as part of his 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil on June 5th. Pirlo declared on June 12th that he would withdraw from international football following the tournament.

In Group D of Death in the 2014 World Cup, Italy, Costa Rica, England, and Uruguay were placed in Group D, along with Costa Rica, England, and Uruguay, also known as the "Group of Death." Pirlo wore the captain's armband against England on June 14th, during Italy's first match against England due to Buffon's last minute injury. Italy beat Italy 2–1 in the match ended. Pirlo played a key role in Italy's victory, steering the game's flow and setting up several goalscoring opportunities as Italy dominated possession. Pirlo issued 108 passes in total, with only missing five out of a total of 96 percent, the most passes of any other player in the 2014 World Cup's first opening matches. Italy also had the highest pass accuracy percentage of any team in a World Cup match since Denmark in 1966, earning 561 of their 602 passes. Antonio Candreva's short corner was played to Marco Verratti, who later passed the ball out wide toward Pirlo, who drew his marker with him. Pirlo let the ball flow between his legs to Marchisio, leaving him with a little bit of space to score with a low drive from outside the region. Pirlo also managed to hit the crossbar from a swerving free kick in injury time. In both of Italy's remaining matches against Costa Rica and Uruguay, the country suffered 1–0 defeats, but the group was eliminated from the second round of the World Cup for the second time in a row, behind Costa Rica and Uruguay. Pirlo's appearance against Uruguay was his 112nd cap for Italy, allowing him to equal Dino Zoff's number of appearances for the Italian national team, making him the fourth most capped player for the Italian national team. Cesare Prandelli, the Italian squad's chairman, was chastised for over-reliance on Pirlo to provide goalscoring opportunities. Although Pirlo was able to set up some goal scoring opportunities and put in some exciting free kicks in the last two group games, his results were muzzled by the opposition's defensive pressure, and he was much less dominant than he had been in the first two games against England. Despite having previously stated his intention to leave following the World Cup, he announced on his return to Italy that he would still be available to play for the national team.

Despite earlier announcing his international retirement following the 2014 World Cup, Pirlo reconsidered his decision, and Pirlo's former Juventus boss Conte and Pirlo's former Italian manager Conte returned to the Italian squad. Pirlo started in Italy's second Euro 2016 qualifying match, ending in a 2–1 win over Azerbaijan and defeating Zoff in his 113th appearance for Italy on October 10th. From a corner kick, Pirlo assisted Chiellini's first goal of the match. Pirlo was called to Italy's Euro 2016 qualifiers against Malta and Bulgaria in September; he was the first MLS player to represent Italy in Italy's 1–0 home win over Malta over the third time in Italy's 1–0 home win over Malta on September 3rd; this was his first international appearance. Pirlo made four appearances under Conte, as Italy qualified for Euro 2016 over Azerbaijan in a 3–1 victory. Pirlo and fellow MLS compatriot Giovinco were left off Conte's 30-player shortlist for Italy's Euro 2016 squad on May 23. Conte expressed his dismission during a press conference: "You make a deliberate decision and commit to play in such leagues with the understanding that they could pay the consequences from a footballing perspective." Pirlo said to Sky Italia in reaction to Conte's remarks: "I have spoken to Conte, and there is no regret on my part," the former president said, "I have spoken to him, and he knows what he should do and what he should not do." During the season, we had discussions, but both sides made their own decisions. He is the coach, and it is only right that he makes his decisions and determines what is best for him. I hope Italy wins, but other nations, such as Germany, Spain, and France, are among the favorites.

Pirlo made 116 appearances for Italy, scoring 13 goals, making him the fifth-most capped player in his country's history.

Managerial career

Pirlo enrolled in the UEFA Pro Licence courses at Coverciano in August 2019. Pirlo was named head coach of Serie C club Juventus U23, the reserve team of his former club Juventus, on July 30th. Pirlo was appointed head coach of the first team nine days after the dismissal of Maurizio Sarri, a two-year player. Pirlo received his UEFA Pro Licence in September 2020. Pirlo's academic evaluation of his 30-page thesis, entitled "The football that I would love," received 107 out of 108 (Italian: Il calcio che vorei). Pirlo referred to "the Barcelona of Johan Cruyff and then of Pep Guardiola, the Ajax of Louis van Gaal, the Milan of Carlo Ancelotti, and Juventus Conte" as "the Barcelona of Barcelona [his] belief in football as "the Barcelona of Johan Cruyff and then of Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona of Pep Guardiola."

Juventus defeated 3–0 at home in his first competitive match as a head coach on September 20, 2020, beating Sampdoria 3–0 at home in a league match. On October 20, he made his Champions League debut as a manager, leading Juventus to a 2–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv; as a result, he became only the third Juventus manager after Lippi and Capello won his first away game in the competition.

Pirlo won his first trophy as boss with Juventus on January 2021, defeating Napoli 2–0 in the 2020 Supercopa Italiana. Juventus was barred from the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League by Porto in the round of 16 on the away goals rule, drawing 4–4 on aggregate on March 9th, 2021. Internazionale, the champions, ended Juventus' streak of nine consecutive titles on May 2nd. 2021: Pirlo won the Coppa Italia with Juventus on May 19th following a 2–1 victory over Atalanta in the final. Pirlo won by 4–1 away over Bologna, just one point above Napoli, who drew 1–1 with Verona, granting Juventus qualification to the following season's Champions League. Juventus reported Pirlo's departure from his managerial role at the club five days later on May 28th.

Pirlo was appointed as the head of Turkish club Fatih Karagümrük on June 12, 2022.

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