Diego Rizzi - The Alien | Petanque Player Profile

The Alien Who Landed in Pétanque

Diego Rizzi, born September 20, 1994, in Bordighera on Italy's Ligurian coast, is the most decorated Italian player in pétanque history and one of the sport's all-time greats. Now 31 years old, Rizzi lives in Vallecrosia on the Italian Riviera, just a stone's throw from the French border - a fitting home for someone who bridges the two greatest pétanque cultures in the world. Known universally as "L'Alieno" (The Alien), a nickname given to him by childhood friends who were amazed by his seemingly supernatural skill with boules, Rizzi has amassed five world championship titles, co-holds the world record in precision shooting, and has claimed 46 Italian national championship titles across youth and senior categories. He competes for Fréjus International Pétanque (FIP) in France, playing alongside elite teammates like Dylan Rocher and Stéphane Robineau.

His story is the stuff of sporting legend: a boy who first picked up boules at the age of three, introduced to the game by his father, won his first world title at just 14, and went on to become the player who broke French dominance at the highest level of competition.

Career Overview

Diego Rizzi's journey began almost before he could walk. At age three, his father placed boules in his hands, and the boy took to the game with a preternatural intensity. By the time most players are discovering pétanque in their teens, Rizzi had already spent over a decade perfecting his craft. The results came astonishingly early. In 2009, at just 14 years old, he travelled to Monastir, Tunisia, and helped Italy defeat France 13-6 in the Youth Triplette final to claim his first world championship gold. Two years later, in 2011, he added a Youth Tir de Précision world title to his collection.

The transition to senior competition only sharpened his edge. Rizzi became a dominant force in European championships, winning the Tir de Précision title in 2015, the Tête-à-tête in 2018, and then pulling off a remarkable double in 2019 - taking both the Triplette and Tir de Précision golds. In 2022, he added European Tête-à-tête and Doublette titles to his collection. He also starred at U23 level, winning Triplette titles in 2014 and 2015, along with Club titles in those same years. His precision-shooting dominance was not unbroken, though: at the 2023 European Precision Shooting Championship in Albertville, France, he was eliminated in the semifinal 32-27 by Spain's Manuel "Pirolo" Romero, who went on to win the title.

Rizzi's senior world championship story began well before his first senior title. At the 2017 World Championship in Gand, Belgium, a 22-year-old Rizzi reached the Men's Singles final, where France's Henri Lacroix - then 41 and chasing his tenth world title - proved too strong, winning 13-4 for Rizzi's first senior World Championship medal, a silver. He added a Triplette bronze at the 2021 World Championship in Santa Susanna, Spain, partnering Andrea Chiapello, Alessio Cocciolo and Florian Cometto. The breakthrough to gold came the following year: at Karlslunde, Denmark in 2022, he and partner Alessio Cocciolo claimed the Doublette title - Italy's first doublette world title in 43 years - while in the same week's Men's Singles event, Rizzi reached a second individual world final, this time losing 13-8 to Spain's rising star Jesús Escacho Alarcón. In 2024, Rizzi captured the Senior Triplette world title in Dijon, France, partnering Chiapello, Cocciolo and Davide Laforè - Italy's first world triplette gold in 45 years. Then, in September 2025 at the iconic Villa Borghese in Rome, he completed his collection by winning the Senior Tête-à-tête crown, defeating Madagascar's Joseph Ramnointiaray 13-8 in the final - the day after his 31st birthday. Eight World Championship medals in total: two youth golds, three senior golds, one senior bronze and two senior silvers.

Beyond the world stage, Rizzi proved he could conquer French domestic competition too. In 2023, he partnered with Dylan Rocher to win the French Championship Doublette in Quimper. In 2024, he helped Fréjus International Pétanque win the French Championship by team.

In March 2026, Rizzi reached another milestone by winning the PPF Grand Final (Passion Pétanque Française) alongside his Fréjus teammates Dylan Rocher and Stéphane Robineau. This victory further solidified his status as one of the most dominant shooters currently active on the professional circuit. Then, on 19 July 2026, he added a third French national crown, teaming with Rocher and Catherine Jeanroy to win the Championnat de France Triplette Mixte in Nice, beating the team of Michel Loy, Clarys Dumesnil and Yohan Cousin 13-5 in the final. That August, at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Rizzi won two golds. He beat Spain's Manuel Luque González 44-30 in the men's precision shooting final at Montemesola, then partnered compatriot Andrea Chiapello in men's doubles: the pair beat France's Yohan Cousin and Christophe Sarrio 10-6 in the semifinal, then beat Luque González and Sergi Ruiz Álvarez 9-4 in the final for a second title of the Games - see our Mediterranean Games results.

Playing Style and Technique

Diego Rizzi is a tireur (shooter) of extraordinary caliber, and the nickname "L'Alieno" captures the otherworldly quality of his game. His shooting technique is built around a distinctive "translation" motion - a smooth, linear delivery where great shoulder stability allows for repeatable accuracy at high velocity.

The numbers back up the eye test. At the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, Poland, Rizzi scored 67 points in precision shooting - a co-world record that remains one of the most impressive feats in the sport's history. At the same Games he also won gold in men's doubles, partnering Fabio Dutto.

Equipment

Diego Rizzi plays with the Boulenciel RD - a signature model bearing his initials developed in close collaboration with the brand. These are typically carbon steel boules with a very soft temper (110 kg/mm²), designed to "stick" on impact and maximize the chances of a carreau.

Shop the Boulenciel RD, Diego Rizzi's own signature boule:

Boulenciel

Boulenciel RD by Diego Rizzi Carbone

FIPJP-approved very soft carbon steel competition boule, a limited edition for Italian shooting champion Diego Rizzi. Recognisable by its engraved 'alien face' finish.

• FIPJP-approved for competition
• Very soft carbon steel for shooters
• Limited edition Diego Rizzi signature model

Specifications

Material

Carbon steel

Hardness

110 kg/mm2 (very soft)

Finish

Glossy black

Type

Shooter boule

Diameter

73 - 74 mm

Weight

680 - 700 g

Grip Pattern

Striated, with handedness-specific groove orientation

Best Price€240

Achievements and Honors

• Mediterranean Games gold: Men's Precision Shooting (Taranto, 2026)
• Mediterranean Games gold: Men's Doubles (Taranto, 2026), with Andrea Chiapello
• World Champion: Singles (2025), Triplette (2024), Doublette (2022)
• World Championship silver: Singles (Karlslunde, 2022) and Singles (Gand, 2017)
• World Championship bronze: Triplette (Santa Susanna, 2021)
• PPF Grand Final Winner (2026)
• Co-world record holder: 67 points in precision shooting
• World Games gold: Men's Doubles (Wrocław, 2017), with Fabio Dutto
• 46 Italian national championship titles
• French Doublette Champion (2023) and French Triplette Mixte Champion (2026)
• Nicknamed "L'Alieno" (The Alien)

Legacy

Diego Rizzi has fundamentally altered the landscape of international pétanque. Before his emergence, the idea of an Italian player consistently dominating the French circuit seemed far-fetched. Rizzi has made it reality. At just 31 years old in 2026, he has already secured his place among the all-time greats, and with his integration into the elite tier of French club pétanque at Fréjus, his influence on the sport continues to grow.