Mario Balotelli daughter Pia was born on 5 December 2012. Later in December 2012, Fico accused Balotelli of being "irresponsible" and "not interested" in her newborn daughter. In response, Balotelli threatened to take legal action against Fico to defend his reputation against what he considered false accusations. In February 2014, Balotelli finally acknowledged paternity of his daughter Pia following a positive DNA test. In March 2013, Balotelli became engaged to wed his Belgian girlfriend, Fanny Neguesha. They split in September 2014. On 28 September 2017, Balotelli fathered a second child, a son named Lion, born to an unidentified woman. Internazionale Manchester City
Mario Balotelli squad for the 2014 World Cup. In Italy's opening match of the tournament, he scored the team's winning goal in a 2–1 victory over England on 14 June. After the match, Balotelli said playing in the World Cup for the first time was "a wonderful sensation to experience" and dedicated the goal to his "future wife" Fanny Neguesha, whom he ultimately did not marry. Italy lost their next two matches and were eliminated in the first round, finishing third in their group. Cesare Prandelli subsequently resigned as Italy manager. Under Italy's new manager Antonio Conte, Balotelli only received one call-up