Mark Bresciano (/brɛˈʃɑːnoʊ/ breh-SHAH-noh; Italian: [breʃˈʃaːno];[3] born 11 February 1980) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder.

Born in Melbourne, Bresciano played youth football for Bulleen Lions, before moving into the National Soccer League with Carlton.

From 2011, he spent the final four years of his career in the Middle East, first with UAE Pro-League side Al Nasr and then Qatar Stars League club Al-Gharafa where he last played in 2015.

His goal against Uruguay in the 2006 World Cup qualification play-off sent the match to a penalty shootout which Australia won to qualify for the first time in 32 years.

[4] He began playing football locally and later progressed to the first team of Victorian Premier League side Bulleen Lions in 1995 at the age of 15.

At the end of the 1997 season and upon completing high school at Marcellin College, he was offered a place at the Australian Institute of Sport, where he reunited with childhood pal Vince Grella.

In 1998 and 1999, Bresciano made a number of appearances for Australia in various matches at Under-20 and Under-23 level, including the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, where the Young Socceroos were eliminated in the first round.

On 1 June 2001, Bresciano received his first cap for Australia in a Confederations Cup match against France, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute for Josip Skoko.

He made a further five appearances that year for the "Socceroos," including another match against France in a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), again replacing Skoko as a substitute.

Bresciano and Grella were excused from the 2005 Confederations Cup by then-Australian manager Frank Farina[11] to allow them to take part in the play-off against Bologna — Parma went on to win the tie and remained in Serie A for the following season.

Both players returned to the Australian squad in September 2005, now under the direction of Guus Hiddink, for World Cup qualification playoff against the Solomon Islands, followed by a friendly against Jamaica where Bresciano scored the first of Australia's five goals.

The 1–0 win levelled the playoff 1–1 on aggregate after extra time and the Socceroos won the ensuing penalty shoot-out to advance to the World Cup.

[12] Buoyed by his strong club season, Bresciano played in Australia's opening game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, being substituted before the team went on to score three goals and defeat Japan.

[17] Shortly after the end of the World Cup, Bresciano was signed by Palermo on a four-year contract,[18] and made regular first team appearances in the Serie A and Europe.

[19] In an Asian Cup qualification match against Bahrain, Mile Sterjovski received a cross-field pass which was played first-time back into the penalty area, Bresciano reacting quickly to turn his body horizontally and strike the ball on the volley into the net.

A hamstring injury suffered in May caused him to miss the final round match for Palermo, Australia's friendly against Uruguay on 2 June[23] and hampered his preparations for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

[citation needed] On return from Australia's Asian Cup exit, Bresciano became a transfer target for Premier League club Manchester City.

[29] However, talks between the two clubs broke down in finalising the move, with the timing of the transfer fee given as the primary issue – as City sought to delay payment – and Bresciano returned to Palermo to rejoin their pre-season preparations.

He then established himself back in the starting line-up following the appointment of new head coach Davide Ballardini, playing both as a winger and a deep-lying forward for the rosanero, and also managing to score both goals in Palermo's second seasonal away win, a 2–0 to Sampdoria on 18 January 2009.

On 4 October 2013,[40] Bresciano was suspended for four months and fined €1,377,000[40] after the manner in which he transferred to Al-Gharafa from Al Nasr, putting serious doubt into his chances for a third World Cup.

[7] Bresciano was also popular for his "Spartacus" goal celebration, that involves the player stopping in the position from where he shot from, clenching his fists by his side and raising his chin.