RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — Mario Balotelli couldn’t care less if he’s mentioned in the same breath as Neymar or Lionel Messi at this World Cup — as long as he comes away with the trophy.

Having scored the winning goal in Italy’s 2-1 victory over England and now getting ready for Friday’s match against Costa Rica, the temperamental forward has gained more attention than any other Azzurri player in Brazil.

“I hope this is Italy’s World Cup, not Mario’s. I’m not really interested in being compared with the big stars,” Balotelli said Thursday. “In the end it’s the squad that wins. I don’t want to be a big star. I want to win the World Cup.”

“Personally, I want to score as many goals as possible,” he added at the official pre-match news conference. “But the important thing is that the squad wins and advances.”

Wearing a black cap turned backward and a total of three diamond earrings — two on his right ear, one on the left — Balotelli was his usual candid self.

Asked if he minds being the lone forward in coach Cesare Prandelli’s 4-1-4-1 formation, Balotelli snapped back: “As long as I play.”

This is a first World Cup for Balotelli, who helped lead Italy to the 2012 European Championship final.

“This is the biggest event of my career and I want to give my all,” he said. “The World Cup is more important than the Golden Ball, the Champions League or the ‘scudetto’ (Serie A title), so it’s only normal that it creates a spark inside of you.”

Balotelli is coming off an up-and-down club season with AC Milan and has been the subject of rampant transfer speculation in recent weeks. There have been reports that Arsenal is offering Milan a $40 million transfer fee, and a contract for Balotelli worth more than $300,000 per week.

“My focus is 100 percent on the World Cup,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen afterward. I don’t know anything.”