On This Day at the World Cup – June 27: Fourmidable Christian Vieri Sinks Norway

Norway may have thrashed Italy home and away in the World Cup qualifiers, but 28 years ago today it was the Azzurri who had the last laugh over the Scandinavians.

Christian Vieri’s 18th minute goal at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille was the difference between the two sides as Italy advanced to the quarter-finals, where they would ultimately lose to host and eventual world champions France.

Vieri’s goal was his fourth in as many games at the tournament and came after a spectacular season in Spain, where he finished as top scorer with 29 goals in 35 league games in his only campaign with Atletico Madrid.

Weeks following Italy’s exit from the World Cup, he signed for Lazio, winning the Cup Winner’s Cup in his only season in Rome before joining Inter Milan for a then-world record fee of £32m.

Vieri eventually put down roots at the San Siro, spending six seasons with the Nerazzurri – the most out of any of the seven clubs Serie A he played for during the course of his career – scoring 103 goals in 143 Serie A appearances with Inter.

The former Italy star lives in Milan and he named Osteria del Corso, a restaurant on Corso Garibaldi between the Brera and Moscova districts, as one of his favourites.

“It’s the best pasta in Italy,” he told Destination Calcio. “And if it’s the best pasta in Italy, it’s the best pasta in the world.”