Samuele Inacio isn't just knocking on Italy's door, he is poised to throw it wide open
Roberto Mancini included him in the expanded 34-man squad for the Nations League matches against Belgium, Turkey, and France. Great talent what plays in Borussia Dortmund.
Looking at the latest Italy national team squad, one name stands out: Samuele Inacio. It is not just because he is 18 years old, nor because he plays for Borussia Dortmund—a club that knows better than most how to transform raw talent into a fully formed footballing personality. It is primarily because I see a young man already facing a decision that could define the entire course of his international career.
Roberto Mancini included him in the expanded 34-man squad for the Nations League matches against Belgium, Turkey, and France. If he gets playing time, the young forward will commit his international future to Italy, definitively leaving behind the possibility of representing Brazil—a country for which he also holds a passport.
Personally, I do not consider Mancini’s choice to be hasty or merely a publicity stunt. Inacio has already demonstrated that he can move up through the age groups without being daunted by the height of the next step.
He was born in Bergamo on April 2, 2008. He is the son of former Brazilian footballer Piá and the nephew of Joelson, while his mother is Italian. He started playing football at the age of five, passing through the academies of Mapello and Marigonda before joining Atalanta’s youth setup. In the summer of 2024, Dortmund recognized his talent early on and brought him to Germany.
The step up to the first team came on February 28, 2026, amidst the pressure of a *Der Klassiker* match against Bayern. At 17, he came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, showing no signs that the weight of the occasion was too much for him to handle. On May 8, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
I do not see Inacio as a player confined to a single position. He can play as a central striker, behind the forward, or out wide. He is two-footed, possesses a great understanding of space, and often knows his next move before the ball even reaches him. It is no coincidence that he admires Kevin De Bruyne and Neymar; his game reflects both the mindset of a playmaker and the freedom of a virtuoso.
He paved the way for this rise through his time with Italy’s youth national teams. He finished as the top scorer of the 2025 U17 European Championship with five goals and netted another four at the World Cup for the same age group, helping Italy secure third place. In June 2026, he also took his first unofficial step into senior football, playing in a 1-0 friendly victory over Luxembourg.
Alongside him, the presence of Mohamed Ali-Cho demonstrates that Mancini is making selections without prejudice. The 22-year-old Nuremberg player earned his opportunity by scoring five goals in as many appearances in the German second division.
Italy is once again seeking attacking flair, courage, and goals. Inácio is not yet a ready-made solution to all the team's problems. He is, however, a prospect full of promise. And Mancini has decided the time has come to test that potential at the highest level.
Manos Staramopoulos
Journalist and Analyst of International Football and Affairs
Chief Editor English Zone of Discoveryfootball.com
Athens (Greece).
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