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Smooth as silk and possessing one of the most well-rounded and cultured set of skills in the soccer today, Italian striker Christian Vieri is one of the game's most explosive goal scorers.
With three goals in the tournament already, Italy looks to Vieri to put his stamp on the game with his eloquent scoring skills. A goal-scoring machine, Vieri is a potent frontman who uses his considerable strength to fight off defenders and his excellent finishing skills to punish opponents.
A true journeyman, Vieri has played for nine clubs during his career, commanding world record transfer fees along the way.
Born July 12, 1973, Vieri began his career in Italy's Serie A with Torino in 1991. After a season and half with Torino, he moved on a transfer to Serie B team Pisa in 1992, netting a mere two goals in 18 games. He ended the season with Pisa, but at the beginning of the following season, he moved on to Ravenna.
Two years and two more clubs later, Vieri landed with Juventus in 1996-97, scoring eight goals and helping the Italian giants win the Scudetto.
Like all the teams he played for previously, he only spent a single season with Juventus, signing with Spanish club Atlético Madrid in 1997. Vieri had a breakout year in La Liga, scoring 24 goals and helping the Madrid club win the Spanish league title.
That same year, he made his international debut against Moldova and became a regular with the Azzurri. At France '98, he showcased his scoring skills to the world, netting five goals and finishing as one of the tournament's top scorers.
He was on the move once again the next year, signing with Lazio in 1998. After a single season in Rome, he moved on to Inter Milan on a then-record 32-million-pound transfer fee. He appears to have finally found a home at the San Siro, scoring 53 goals in the past three seasons, and helping Inter reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup this past year.
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