 He came to prominence during his time with Parma, joining the club in 1991; he won several domestic and European titles with the team and eventually became the club's record appearance holder in Serie A and in European competitions.At international level, Benarrivo represented Italy at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the final.Benarrivo started playing with the professional football team of his city, Brindisi, in Serie C1, during the 1986–87 season.