Italian football has a proud history and an absolutely rabid fan base. These days, Italian teams reach far beyond their own borders to pick the best of the best to keep local teams at the top of their game. As a result, some of the best players in the Italian leagues and the national team weren’t born in Italy. This article explores outstanding Italian players born in other countries as well as their stellar contributions to top-performing Italian teams.
Giuseppe Rossi
Rossi was born in the United States in Teaneck, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents. As a youth player, he crossed back over the pond and was first signed to play for several English and Spanish teams before transferring in 2013 to play for the Italians in Fiorentina and Genoa. Giuseppe was invited to the Olympics with the United States national team in 2008, but he elected to join the Italians instead. There, he helped navigate Italy to the quarterfinals by scoring an impressive four goals in four games. With his sensational pedigree, both Italian and American fans made a pretty penny placing wagers on Rossi’s scorecards on gambling websites, like those reviewed on casinos.com.
So, what was unique about Rossi’s style on the pitch? The big seller was that he could play multiple positions, including striker, second striker, midfielder, and either wing. He was also left-footed, allowing him to make the best of unusual angles.
Rossi enjoyed a season with the Real Salt Lake club of Major League Soccer in 2020 before heading back to SPAL in Italy—where he retired from football after being slowed down by repeated injuries.
Jorginho
Jorginho, also known as Jorge Filho, was born in Brazil. Although he attempted to rise through the ultra-competitive ranks of youth soccer in Brazil, he was ultimately rejected from three of Brazil’s most famous clubs before moving to Italy at age 15. He played in one match for Italy in 2016 before playing considerably more in 2021, when he had minutes in six games. Jorginho was most successful with the Italian national squad during the UEFA Euro Qualifiers in 2019, scoring three goals and earning an assist in nine matches. He was perhaps most productive outside of Italy in Chelsea, where he had plenty of time on the field and scored a career-high nine goals in the 2020/2021 season.
In his time on the field, he has played a vital role in some major wins, including helping his teams dominate the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Euro 2020. He was also named the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2021 and remains the only Italian to have ever won the award.
Other football players know Jorginho for his particularly precise lofted pass, which puts teammates in a great position to make a play. Over the years, he has indeed proven himself to be a serious playmaker.
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic is an incredibly talented Italian football player who also captains the U.S. Men’s National team. He currently plays for AC Milan and has scored seven goals in five games so far in the 2024 season in Serie A competition, earning him Player of the Month honours from the league. Before AC Milan, he helped Chelsea win the 2021 UEFA Super Cup by scoring in the penalty shootout.
Pulisic is known as “Captain America”—a fitting nickname for a player widely considered to be one of the top North America-born footballers of all time. His speed, dribbling ability, and precision kick make him a consistent scoring threat and one of the best Italian signings in the last couple of years.
Christian is still a relatively young player and will surely make major contributions to AC Milan through 2027 when his contract expires. Will he stay on? Only time will tell!
Simone Perrotta
Perrotta was born in England but has made our best-of list because he’s played a part in many winning matches for Italian teams. He played primarily for Juventus and scored 43 goals in 401 Series A matches, giving him a prolific presence. Perrotta was also on the Italian national team that won the 2006 World Cup. His unique abilities came from being an all-way player who wasn’t afraid to make his way from box to box, all while winning battles for the ball. His former coaches and teammates describe him as “all-energy and relentless” all the way up to his retirement from professional football at age 35.
So, how did an Englishman end up in Italy? Perrotta’s parents were from Italy and moved to England to open a pub. They eventually closed up shop and moved back home with Simone in 1982 when he was about seven. His football talent was discovered by age 17, and soon he was making the two-hour trip south to Reggina to compete against the best in the game.
Mateo Retegui
Retegui was born in Argentina but is one of the best up-and-coming players in Italian leagues right now. He has proven his skills with six goals in 16 international games for Italy and has played even better for Atalanta with seven goals in seven matches so far. We can certainly predict an outstanding career trajectory for this promising young player.
Conclusion
Some of these players left their home countries for Italy after trying to work their way up through local football ranks, while others were born abroad and moved to Italy while young. Either way, it’s clear that Italy offers future professional football players serious opportunities to excel at their sport. Ultimately, Italian teams also benefit greatly from incorporating these foreign-born footballers, who have played an undeniable role in keeping Italy at the top of its game.
