 After spending much of his childhood in Argentina, Baloncieri returned to Italy in 1913 and joined Alessandria; for which he debuted in 1914 at the age of 17 before World War I suspended league fixtures.During the conflict he was at the front as a gunner.After football resumed he distinguished himself among the most famous footballers of the 1920s with Torino, with whom he won two national titles (one was revoked for the "Allemandi Case").