Andrea Bocelli went completely blind at the age of 12, after a soccer (football) accident worsened his already fragile vision from congenital glaucoma.

Quick Scoop: When did Andrea Bocelli go blind?

  • Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma, a serious eye condition that severely limited his vision from infancy.
  • At age 12, while playing as a goalkeeper in a soccer game, he was struck in the head/face by a ball, which caused a hemorrhage and led to total loss of sight.
  • Doctors tried to save his remaining vision, but the damage was irreversible, and from that moment he was completely blind.

So if you’re wondering “when did Andrea Bocelli go blind” , the key moment is that sports accident at 12 years old, on top of a lifelong struggle with congenital glaucoma.

A bit more background

Early vision problems

  • Diagnosed with congenital glaucoma as a baby, he underwent multiple surgeries as a child to preserve what little sight he had.
  • He could see, but only at very close range and with great difficulty, and was considered extremely short‑sighted.

The accident at 12

  • During a school soccer match, he was put in goal despite his poor vision.
  • The ball hit him hard in the head/face, causing a brain or eye hemorrhage and destroying his remaining optic nerve function.
  • Accounts describe last‑ditch medical efforts (even leeches in some reports), but nothing restored his sight.

How it shaped his life and career

  • After losing his vision completely, Bocelli learned Braille and continued his piano and music studies through touch and hearing.
  • He has often framed the blindness as a turning point that deepened his focus on music rather than as a “tragic ending.”
  • Today he’s frequently cited as one of the world’s most successful classical crossover tenors, with his blindness becoming part of his public inspirational story.

Forum and “trending topic” angle

Online discussions and forum threads about “when did Andrea Bocelli go blind” usually circle around three themes:

  1. Surprise factor – People who only knew his songs sometimes say they didn’t realize he was blind until seeing live performances or documentaries.
  1. Mandela‑effect style comments – Some users joke that they “don’t remember him being blind back in the 90s,” which sparks debates and corrections with the 12‑year‑old accident story.
  1. Inspiration and resilience – Many highlight how he turned a severe disability into motivation, especially after seeing newer documentaries and longform videos about his life.

“Latest news” and recent context

  • Recent documentaries and interviews (including film festival releases in 2024–2025) revisit the accident and his childhood surgeries, adding more personal details from his family.
  • These newer features frame his blindness in the wider story of his faith, discipline, and career longevity, keeping the topic active in celebrity and music news cycles.

TL;DR: Andrea Bocelli did not go blind at birth; he had congenital glaucoma and lost his remaining sight completely at age 12 after being hit by a soccer ball, which caused a hemorrhage and irreversible damage.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.