A tenacious and intimidating player, Benetti played for several Italian clubs throughout his career, winning titles with AC Milan, Juventus and AS Roma.

At international level, he represented the Italy national football team on 55 occasions between 1971 and 1980, and took part at the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1980, achieving fourth-place finishes in the latter two tournaments.

His breakthrough came in the 1970–71 Serie A season, after joining AC Milan in 1970, helping the club to three consecutive second-place finishes in the league between 1970 and 1973.

He also took part at the 1980 UEFA European Championship with his country, on home soil, where he helped his team to the semi-finals, eventually finishing the tournament in fourth place once again; he made his final international appearance in the third-place match, which ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Czechoslovakia following a 1–1 draw after extra-time, although Benetti was able to net his penalty in the shoot-out.

[5][6] Nicknamed Panzer (tank), El Tigre (the tiger), and Roccia (rock), Benetti was a tenacious, mobile, athletic, and complete midfielder, who was known in particular for his physical strength, stamina, charisma, determination, consistency, and leadership as footballer, as well as the trademark moustache that he bore for most of his career.