proposal of Inter, Milan and Juventus. International career Mazzola made his debut for the national side on 5 April 1942, in a 4–0 friendly home win over Croatia. He scored his first international goal on 19 April, in a 4–0 friendly home win over Spain. Overall, Mazzola played 12 matches with the Italy national team between 1942 and 1949 and scored 4 goals, also serving as the side's captain between 1947 and 1949. Style of play Mazzola is considered one of the best football players of all time, and perhaps the first modern all-around footballer; a well-rounded, versatile, and hardworking player, he was capable of playing in any position on the pitch, and was known for his strong character and winning-mentality, as well as his ability to lead his teammates to victory with his charismatic presence and leadership (Mazzola was famous for raising his shirt's sleeves when his team was not playing well as a signal to his teammates and the fans). Mazzola was a quick, strong and energetic midfielder, with excellent technical qualities and dribbling skills, as well as notable stamina, positional sense, vision, creativity, and accurate shooting and passing ability with both feet. Because of his tactical intelligence and many attributes, he was capable of both scoring and creating goals for his team. He was also an excellent playmaker, and highly regarded for his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking moves. Although he was usually deployed as an attacking midfielder, he was also capable of playing in more offensive roles, as a main forward, as a winger on either flank, or as an inside or supporting striker. Despite his small stature, he excelled in the air, due to his power, timing, heading accuracy, and elevation, which allowed him to beat larger players for the ball. Although he was mainly renowned for his offensive and creative capabilities, Mazzola was also highly competent defensively, often pressing and tackling opponents in order to win back possession, and was even capable of being deployed as a central midfielder, or as a defender. In the Milan area, players who insist on dribbling rather than passing are called "Veneziani" (Venetians). This is a reference to when Mazzola played for Venezia, as well as his penchant for undertaking individual dribbling runs. José Altafini, a forward who won the 1958 World Cup with Brazil and also played for Italy, is called "Mazzola" in his home country