The game of life

The Book

What Does It Really Mean to Win?

From the outside, Ornella D. Bellia had everything many people dream of: an international career at the highest levels of world football, working alongside some of the sport’s biggest names and working in FIFA World Cups.

Then a life-threatening illness forced her to stop, question everything she believed success meant, and begin the most difficult journey of all: the one within.

The Game of Life is an inspiring true story about resilience, purpose, faith, leadership, and the invisible battles we all face.

Using football as a powerful metaphor, Ornella explores the lessons that no trophy, promotion, or title can teach:

What does winning really mean?
Can our greatest setback become our greatest gift?
And what if success has never been what we thought it was?

Filled with moving personal experiences, reflections, and stories from the world of football, this book is not only for football fans.

It is for anyone who has ever experienced fear, loss, uncertainty, or change, and is searching for hope, meaning, and the courage to keep playing.

Because life is not measured by the goals we score, but by the person we become while playing the game.

All proceeds from this book are donated to charitable causes.

Get your copy

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In soccer, as in life, true champions aren't those who never fall, but those who always find the strength to get back up. Ornella's story is one of courage, resilience, and faith. It's a powerful testament that reminds us all to keep fighting until the final whistle.

FABIO CANNAVARO

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Here we go... but this time it's not about a new signing. It's about life. It's about fighting when everything is against you and still finding the strength to believe. This story goes beyond soccer. It reminds us that behind the game, behind the titles and careers, there are human beings facing battles that no one sees. The Game of Life is moving, inspiring, and deeply authentic.

FABRIZIO ROMANO

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Leadership is tested not only in times of success, but especially in times of difficulty. This book reminds us that sensitivity is not a weakness. True strength often comes from vulnerability, self-awareness, and the courage to keep going despite fear.

ROBERTO DI MATTEO

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Some people inspire through what they achieve. Others inspire through the way they face life. This book is not only a story of resilience; it is the story of a woman who chose to keep believing, keep fighting, and keep living with light even in the most difficult moments. Thank you, Ornella, for reminding us that true courage is not found in the victories we celebrate, but in the battles we choose not to abandon.
With love and admiration,
We care for you more than words can express.

Guillermo Ochoa and Karla Mora

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Ornella reminds us of something we often forget in football and in life: the most important matches are not played in a stadium, but within ourselves. This book is an invitation to look beyond results and reconnect with what truly helps us grow as human beings.

Juan Mata

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In football, we learn to compete, to fall, and to get back up. But only rarely do we come across stories that remind us that the greatest victory does not always take place in a stadium. In this book, Ornella courageously shares a deeply human journey. A story of resilience, purpose, and transformation that transcends sport and invites us to reflect on what it truly means to win in life.

Juan Pablo Ángel and Maria Paula Gutierrez

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I have known Ornella for many years, since the beginning of her journey in football. What has always impressed me was not only her professionalism, but also her ability to lead with empathy and make people feel seen. In this book, she shares something even more powerful: the courage to redefine success, embrace vulnerability, and discover strength through a more holistic perspective. It is a story that reminds us that life, like football, is not only about winning, but about growing through every challenge.

Magda Pozzo

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Ornella came into my life through football. She calls me ‘Mestre,’ a title I have never quite known how to respond to, because when I see the courage with which she faced everything she went through, I realize that the word belongs far more to her than to me.

Football brought us together, and her story of resilience reminds me that this sport is much more than a game; I am deeply grateful for that inspiration.

Marcos Motta

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In a world as fast-paced and sometimes as cold as football, Ornella has brought intelligence, soul, and love. She has shown that it is possible to achieve professional excellence without losing one’s humanity, and that true leadership is born from the ability to care for, inspire, and elevate others.

Her light is felt wherever she goes. And her example of resilience, courage, and human generosity is a constant source of inspiration for all of us who are fortunate enough to know her.

Javier ‘Flaco’ Pastore and Chiara Picone

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Working alongside Ornella, we have learned that the standard set by a leader is measured less by what they demand of others than by what they continue to demand of themselves. In every challenge, she has kept pushing beyond her own limits and, in doing so, has raised ours as well. This book conveys the same conviction we witness in her every day: that the way we choose to play matters just as much as the result.

FIFA Professional Football Relations & Development Team

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Ornella’s journey is about so much more than football or illness. It is about purpose, identity, and the extraordinary power of the human spirit to transform pain into something meaningful.

Alexandre Pato

Meet the author

Ornella Desirée Bellia

Ornella Desirée Bellia is a football executive and lawyer, international speaker, and advocate for a more sustainable and conscious vision of success. She currently serves as Director of Professional Football Relations & Development at FIFA.

Throughout her career, she has worked at the intersection of sports governance, professional football development and institutional relations on a global scale, collaborating with clubs, leagues, players and industry leaders around the world.