retired Riva's number 11 jersey to honour him and his achievements with the club; Rocco Sabato, the last holder of the number 11 shirt, presented Riva with his jersey in the official ceremony held at the Stadio Sant'Elia of Cagliari, ahead of Italy's friendly match against Russia. Riva's jersey was the first to be retired by the Sardinian club. Style of play Regarded as one of Italy's greatest players, and as one of the best strikers of his generation, Riva was a well rounded, brave, prolific, and opportunistic forward, with an astonishing finishing skill; due to his dominance and skill, he is considered by some in the sport to be Italy's greatest player ever. He was initially deployed as a winger on the left flank early in his career, although he would often cut into the centre of the pitch in order to strike on goal; as a result, he was later played in a more offensive and central role, as a main striker, where he excelled, due to his eye for goal. A naturally left footed player, he had a very powerful and accurate shot from both inside and outside the area, which led Gianni Brera to nickname him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder); although he was predominantly left-footed, he was also capable of scoring with his right foot on occasion. Due to his height, powerful physique, elevation, and his heading accuracy, Riva excelled in the air, and he also had a penchant for scoring spectacular, acrobatic goals from bicycle kicks, courtesy of his athleticism and volleying ability. Despite his tall build and strong physical attributes, he also possessed excellent technical ability, creativity, and good dribbling skills, as well as a very delicate first touch and notable elegance on the ball. In addition to his goalscoring prowess and technique, he was also an extremely fit, hard-working, and fast player, with notable stamina, who excelled during sprints and at making attacking runs. He was also an accurate free-kick and penalty kick taker. Despite his ability, his career was often marked by injuries, which later affected his mobility, continuity, and fitness, and eventually forced him to retire prematurely. Career statistics Club International Honours Cagliari Serie A: 1969–70 Italy FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970 UEFA European Championship: 1968 Individual Serie A top scorer: 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70 Ballon d'Or: runner-up: 1969; third place: 1970 UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1968