I just discovered a fascinating story about one of the most peculiar characters in world football: Aldo Donelli, a guy who literally eliminated Mexico from a World Cup with a performance that seems straight out of a movie.

It all started in Rome, May 24, 1934. The Mexican National Team was facing the United States in an elimination match for the Italy World Cup, and no one expected what was to come. Donelli, nicknamed "The Buffalo," scored four goals in that game. Yes, four. In a single match. That places him among the top all-time scorers in the Mexico-U.S. rivalry, only behind Landon Donovan.

The interesting thing is that Donelli was not a professional soccer player. He was born in Morgan, Pennsylvania in 1907, into a family of Italian immigrants, and trained in the amateur leagues of Pittsburgh. But here’s the curious part: while playing soccer for the Heidelberg Soccer Club, where he scored five goals in an Amateur National Cup final, he was also building a parallel career in college football with Duquesne University. That’s what makes him unique. Two sports, two passions.

Coach David Gould saw him practicing at Duquesne, was impressed by the power of his left leg, and included him in trial matches. Donelli responded with a hat trick in the 8-0 victory against the Pennsylvania League All-Stars. That sealed his spot in the final roster.

The match in Rome was chaotic. Days earlier, two Mexican players were detained by Italian authorities after a Blackshirts demonstration. Benito Mussolini was in the stands watching everything. Mexico took the lead first with a goal from Manuel Alonso, but Donelli equalized five minutes later. Then he scored two more times. Antonio Azpiri was sent off trying to stop The Buffalo. The final score was 4-1 for the United States.

Three days later, the U.S. faced Italy in the Round of 16 and lost 7-1. Donelli scored the only U.S. goal. Those were his only two international matches.

What’s fascinating is that after the World Cup, Donelli made a radical turn. He dedicated himself entirely to American football. Coach at Duquesne, undefeated seasons in 1939 and 1941. In 1941, he made history by coaching both Duquesne and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL simultaneously, the only coach to hold a college and professional position at the same time. Later, he served in the Navy during World War II, coached the Cleveland Rams, Boston, and Columbia.

In 1954, Donelli was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame for that epic performance against Mexico. He died in August 1994 at age 87, just weeks after the United States hosted the World Cup where Brazil won its fourth title.

That 1934 match inaugurated a rivalry that would transcend decades. The U.S. took 46 more years to beat Mexico again. But The Buffalo Donelli’s feat was etched into World Cup history.