Italian football legend Luigi Riva, more popularly known as Gigi Riva, has passed away, check out his bio, cause of death, wife, net worth and more about him below
Following his death, Riva joins a list of football legends that have passed away in 2023 including Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, and Pele.
Who is footballer Luigi “Gigi” Riva, cause of death, bio, age, height, family, wife, stats and net worth
Parma expresses its condolences for the passing of Gigi Riva. The world of football is in mourning and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.
Goodbye, Roar of Thunder 🙏 pic.twitter.com/A7CuuSQaf9
— Parma Calcio 1913 (@ParmaCalcio_en) January 23, 2024
Per sempre GIGI RIVA 🖤 pic.twitter.com/ws8CePoGJ4
— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) January 22, 2024
The deceased football legend was nicknamed ‘Rombo di Tuono’ or ‘Roar of Thunder’, and he was famous for his skills, speed, and incredible composure.
Gigi Riva passes away
Gigi Riva passed away on January 22, 2024, at his home in Sardinia, Italy. He leaves behind his two children, Nicola Riva and Mauro Riva. Riva passed away at the Brotzu hospital in Cagliari, where he was admitted immediately after he fell ill.
Cause of death
Gigi Riva passed away after falling ill and being diagnosed with some complications in his heart. He was set to undergo a heart operation, but sadly died before it happened.
Gigi Riva bio
Luigi “Gigi” Riva was an Italian professional footballer who was born on November 7, 1944, in Leggiuno, Italy. He recently passed away on January 22, 2024, in Cagliari, Italy. Gigi was born to his parents, Ugo Riva and Edis Riva and had a sister named Fausta Riva. Despite growing up in Leggiuno, he spent most of his life in Sardinia where he also constructed a new home. During his time as a player, he primarily played as a centre-forward and was considered as one of the best players of his generation. He was also regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time.
Gigi Riva has two children, Mauro Riva and Nicola Riva who he had with Gianna Tofanari but the two had never officially wed.
Age and height
Gigi Riva was 79 years old at the time of his death and stood at a height of 1.8 m.
Gigi Riva career and achievements
Riva spent almost all of his entire career playing for the Italian club Cagliari, as the Italian legend spent just one year playing for Legnano before moving on to Cagliari. Throughout his career, Riva won the Serie A as well as the UEFA Euros with Italy and also featured in the team that secured the runners-up spot in the 1970 World Cup. Notably, Gigi Riva was the runners-up in the 1969 Ballon d’Or. Riva is currently the top scorer in Italy’s history, with a total of 35 goals from 42 international matches. Following his retirement, he served as the head coach and director for the Italian national team for 25 years, from 1988 to 2013.
Tributes
Following his tragic death, condolence messages and tributes of support started pouring in from all sources. Italian giants Inter Milan, Napoli, AC Milan, as well as Riva’s former club Cagliari, all paid tribute to Riva. Aside from them, legendary Italian goalkeeper and Riva’s former teammate Dino Zoff also paid tribute. The former footballer mourned the loss of a “great friend”.
Gigi Riva net worth
According to sources, Gigi Riva had an estimated net worth of around $1-10 million at the time of his death.