Mateo Retegui: A Surprising New Talent in Italian Soccer

• Sports

Recently, a new name has emerged in the world of soccer, capturing the attention of fans and experts alike. Mateo Retegui, the Argentine-born Italian striker, has made a big impression in his first two games for the Azzurri, scoring two goals and becoming a fan favorite in the process.

This article will explore Retegui's journey from an unknown player to a key figure in the Italian national team.

From Argentina to Italy:

Until just a few days ago, nobody in Europe knew about Mateo Retegui, but after he scored two goals in two games for Italy, he already became a favorite of Azzurro fans.

When the Italian national team's roster was announced for the first two rounds of qualification for Euro 2024, fans were left wondering, "Who on earth is Mateo Retegui?"

Mateo Retegui has never lived in Italy, played in Italy and can't speak the Italian language...

He just became only the fourth player ever for @Azzurri_En to score in his first two games for the nation.

🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/AG7w50tnIq — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 26, 2023

Retegui has been making a name for himself in the Argentine league, playing for Tigre on loan from Boca Juniors.

This season alone, he has hit 29 goals in 51 games, including six in eight games, which caught the attention of Italian coach Roberto Mancini.

A New Philosophy for Italian Soccer:

Mancini's decision to call up Retegui for the national team goes against one of his own beliefs from years past.

In an interview with The Times, Mancini stated, "Years ago, I said that [only] players who are born in Italy should play for the national team. But the world has changed. Every national team in Europe and in the world generally has players coming from abroad or originally from other nations." Mancini continued, "We have players who played with us in the youth teams but were eventually picked by their countries in the senior team.

[Gareth] Southgate has complained about the same thing, but our situation is even worse. If there is a possibility of taking new players, we will take them."

An Immediate Impact:

Mancini's risk in calling up the little-known forward has already paid off.

In his first two games for Italy, Retegui showed his skill, scoring an ice-cool finish against England and a smart header against Malta. The 23-year-old striker, who was born in San Fernando, near Buenos Aires, and represented Argentina at youth level, received Italian citizenship through his maternal grandfather.