5 hilarious stories involving footballers and FIFA

3. Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo is one of the most popular Italian footballers of all time

Andrea Pirlo is a man of skill and fancy footwork. However, what many may not know is that the midfielder is obsessed with the FIFA franchise. The Italian loves the game so much that he describes the game as the second greatest invention of all time.

In his autobiography, Pirlo mentions the FIFA duels he used to have with Alessandro Nesta, his former Milan teammate. “Pirlo v Nesta was a classic duel back in our Milanello days. We'd get in early, have breakfast at 9 am and then shut ourselves in our room and hit the PlayStation until 11. Training would follow, then we'd be back on the computer games until four in the afternoon. Truly a life of sacrifice,” it reads.

Pirlo's storied career has reached its twilight now, but the number of big games he has been part of suggests that FIFA has graced the grandest of football occasions with the Italian artist.