In March 2023 Italy called up a striker who had never played in Italy. Mateo Retegui was Argentine, but his maternal grandfather came from Canicattì, in Sicily. On his debut he scored against England. Two years later he was Serie A's top scorer.
A hockey family
Retegui was born in San Fernando, Argentina, on 29 April 1999. His father Carlos is a field hockey coach and former player, and his mother played hockey too. His Italian citizenship comes from his maternal grandfather, born in Canicattì.
River, Boca and the loans
He came through the academies of River Plate and Boca Juniors. As a professional he struggled at first: 4 goals at Estudiantes, 4 at Talleres. Then a loan at Tigre changed everything: 30 goals in 48 games and the Argentine league's top scorer title.
Italy
On 17 March 2023 national coach Roberto Mancini called him up. On 23 March he made his debut against England and scored; three days later he also scored against Malta.
Genoa and Bergamo
In summer 2023 he came to Italy, to Genoa: 7 goals in 29 Serie A games. In 2024 he joined Atalanta and in the 2024-25 season he scored 25 goals in 36 games: Serie A's top scorer. In summer 2025 he moved to Saudi Arabia, to Al-Qadsiah.
What you can learn if you're a striker
The tips below are ideas taken from this story, not promises: every career is different.
- Playing other sports as a child (like hockey) trains coordination and vision.
- A loan at a club where you start every week can change your career.
- If you have Italian roots and play abroad, check the citizenship rules and FIFA's national team eligibility rules: they change over time.
Sources
Facts checked on 29 September 2026 against public sources. No sentence is invented or put in the player's mouth. Found a mistake? Write to us.