Lazio’s World Cup memories, from Marcelo Salas to Miroslav Klose | OneFootball

According to The Laziali, Lazio will watch the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup as neutrals, Italy having failed to qualify, so Mattia Zaccagni, Nicolo Rovella and Alessio Romagnoli stay home.

The expanded finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States feature 48 teams, 104 matches and 39 days of action. It is the first World Cup since 1986 without a Lazio player.

Massimo Oddo and Angelo Peruzzi were in Italy’s 2006 winners, who beat France on penalties in Berlin. Buffon was first choice, Oddo featured in the 3-0 quarter-final against Ukraine, and Peruzzi, 36, was third keeper. Oddo, a trained barber, marked victory by cutting off Mauro Camoranesi’s ponytail.

Miroslav Klose arrived from Bayern Munich in 2011 at 33 and flourished across five seasons. At Brazil 2014 he scored in the 7-1 over hosts Brazil to become Germany’s leading male scorer with 71 and the World Cup record holder with 16.

Germany then beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, Klose started and later retired from international duty having met his national-team goals.

Marcelo Salas lit up France 98 with four in four, earning a £12 million move from River Plate. He struck 48 in 117 for Lazio and won the 1999/2000 Scudetto. Sold to Juventus in 2001 after the arrivals of Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez, he soon suffered a serious knee injury and never fully regained his ferocity. Laziali still cherish ‘El Matador’.

Source: The Laziali