Javier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ aðelˈmaɾ saˈneti], Italian: [dzaˈnetti]; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer.

Regarded as one of the best right-backs of all time, Zanetti is well known for having dedicated almost his entire career at Inter Milan,[3][4] having a key role in the historic treble-winning 2009–10 season.

Zanetti was known for his versatility as well as his adeptness on both the left and right wing, having played mostly as a full-back or wing-back on both flanks, but also spending considerable time as a midfielder.

With the Argentina national team, Zanetti played in 145 games,[7][2] a figure that makes him the player with the joint-third most appearances in the history of La Albiceleste, having formerly held the record from 2007 to 2018.

[8] He has been named an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages project in Argentina by FIFA, and in 2005 he received the Ambrogino d'Oro award from the city of Milan for his social initiatives.

Instead, he concentrated on school and worked as an assistant to his father with masonry as well as odd jobs such as delivering milk and helping out at a relative's grocery store.

In 1995, along with fellow Argentine Sebastián Rambert, he transferred to Italy's Inter Milan, becoming team owner Massimo Moratti's first-ever purchase.

After two years, in which he consistently wore the captain band in place of the injured Ronaldo, Zanetti was rewarded with the club captaincy in late 2001.

During that period, Mourinho played him in the midfield due to the presence of Maicon, Lúcio, Walter Samuel and Cristian Chivu in the back four.

[23] This was Zanetti's 700th appearance for Inter,[24] and it made him the first player to captain an Italian club to a treble of the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Champions League.

[25] On 20 October 2010, at 37 years and 71 days, Zanetti became the oldest player to score in the Champions League when he netted in the opening minute of Inter's 4–3 group stage win over Tottenham Hotspur at the San Siro.

[31][32] He came on as a substitute for Jonathan Moreira in the 52nd minute and wore a special armband featuring the names of every player he had played with during his career at Inter.

[35] He was called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, making his competitive debut in team's opening group match against Japan which finished in a 1–0 victory.

[36][better source needed] During the 1998 World Cup run, he neatly finished off a Juan Sebastián Verón free kick in the round of 16 match against England making the score 2–2.

[37] Zanetti celebrated his 100th cap by helping Argentina win their 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final over Mexico on 26 June 2005, in which he won the Man of the Match award.

[38] Despite having been part of the team during the qualification rounds, Zanetti was not called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by coach José Pékerman in a controversial decision.

[43] Zanetti's place in the starting line up was taken by Jonás Gutiérrez, who had spent the previous season playing on the wing for Newcastle United in England's second-tier Football League Championship.

[44] On 20 August 2010, Argentina coach Sergio Batista recalled Zanetti to the squad for a friendly match against Spain played on 7 September 2010 at the River Plate Monumental Stadium, where he and fellow legend Gabriel Batistuta were honored by the Argentine Football Association for their outstanding careers with more than 48,000 people giving them a standing ovation.

[46] Zanetti was a member of Argentina's squad for the 2011 Copa América on home soil, starting in all four of the team's matches as they were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

Zanetti earned the nickname El Tractor for his stamina and tireless energetic runs up and down the wings to aid both attack and defence.

As a captain for both his club and international sides, he was well-respected by both fans and the opposition for his leadership, calm demeanor and conduct both on and off the pitch; in his entire 22-year career, he only received two red cards.

[51] Defensively, he excelled at reading the game, and he was a good ball-winner and man-marker, although he was also effective at distributing the ball to teammates, due to his passing range and vision.

They live near Lake Como, and they also own a restaurant called El Gaucho in Milan in the Navigli district, a popular tourist area.

[56] Zanetti's mother, Violeta Bonazzola, died from a heart attack hours after Inter's triumph in 2011 Coppa Italia final.

Zanetti is FIFA ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages project in Argentina,[65] and has declared his support for the Mexican Zapatista rebels.

The aim of the organization is to help children who were left impoverished by the country's economic crisis by giving them educational opportunities, as well as taking care of their nutritional requirements.