Andrea Pirlo, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI[1][2] (born May 19, 1979 in Flero, Lombardy), is an Italian footballer with Sinti Roma origins,[3][4] winner of the World Cup and the Champions League who currently plays for Serie A club A.C. Milan and the Italian national team.

Pirlo was born in the province of Brescia. His brother Ivan plays for a Serie C2 club in Brescia. He has played for his hometown team Brescia (1994-98 and 2001), Internazionale (1998-99 and 2000) and Reggina (1999-2000). With Milan, he won one Scudetto and two Champions League titles. He also won an Italian Cup and two UEFA Super Cups with Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Pirlo started his career as an offensive midfielder until coach Carlo Ancelotti developed for him a deep-seated playmaking role at A.C. Milan. He led Milan in minutes played for the 2006-07 season with 2,782. In October 2007, he was nominated for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year Award.[5] He is widely regarded as one of the best free kick takers in the world.[citation needed]