Grosso made his debut for the Italian national football team in 2003. The former Palermo defender has impressed at left-back and convinced coach Marcello Lippi to switch the experienced
Gianluca Zambrotta to the opposite side of the backline. The
2006 World Cup was the then-28-year-old's first major tournament.
Grosso's had three international goals - one came in a qualifying match for the 2006 World Cup, an equalizer in a 1-1 draw with
Scotland at
Hampden Park in
Glasgow, and one in 2006 FIFA World Cup semifinal against
Germany. He also scored the penalty kick that clinched Italy's fourth World Cup triumph, in the Final against
France. Grosso scored his third international goal which sealed the victory against Georgia 2-0 in the EURO 2008 qualifiers on 13 October 2007.
Grosso courted controversy in a match against
Australia in the Round of 16 of the
2006 World Cup in
Kaiserslautern. Grosso went down after contact from
Lucas Neill's prone body inside the penalty area, winning a penalty in the final seconds of the match which was converted by
Francesco Totti, giving Italy a 1-0 win. There were suggestions from many that Grosso's fall was a 'simulation', with Australian coach
Guus Hiddink saying "I don't think it was any doubt that it was not a penalty". Grosso said, "My aim was to go all the way".
In the semis Grosso scored a goal in the 119th minute to put
Italy through to the final over hosts
Germany. This was the record breaking latest winning goal in the
FIFA world cup finals history, only to be surpassed minutes later by
Alessandro Del Piero. He has also become an Italian national sporting hero after scoring the fifth and final penalty shot against
France in the shoot-out to win the final which gave the Italians their fourth World Cup title, making them the most successful European nation in
FIFA World Cup history.
Fabio Grosso with wife Jessica Repetto are parents of a boy, Filippo, born on September 7, 2006
