Pietro Pellegri (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjɛːtro pelˈleːɡri]; born 17 March 2001) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Empoli, on loan from Torino, and the Italy national team.

Pietro Pellegri
Personal information
Full name Pietro Pellegri[1]
Date of birth (2001-03-17) 17 March 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Genoa, Italy
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Empoli
(on loan from Torino)
Number 9
Youth career
2011–2016 Genoa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Genoa 9 (3)
2018 Monaco B 1 (0)
2018–2022 Monaco 22 (2)
2021–2022Milan (loan) 6 (0)
2022Torino (loan) 9 (1)
2022– Torino 42 (3)
2024–Empoli (loan) 8 (2)
International career
2015–2016 Italy U15 4 (0)
2015–2016 Italy U16 11 (1)
2016–2017 Italy U17 13 (1)
2017 Italy U19 1 (0)
2021–2023 Italy U21 8 (3)
2020– Italy 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:02, 8 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 June 2023

In 2016, at the age of 15 years and 280 days, Pellegri joined Amedeo Amadei as the joint-youngest player to appear in Serie A at the time.[3]

Club career

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Genoa

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Born in Genoa, Pellegri is a youth product of the Genoa youth academy. On 22 December 2016, he made his debut with the senior team in Serie A in a 1–0 away loss against Torino, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Tomás Rincón.[4][5] At the age of 15 years and 280 days, he equalled the record as the youngest ever Serie A debutant, held by Roma's Amedeo Amadei since 1937 (Wisdom Amey would later surpass this record on his debut for Bologna in 2021).[4][5][6] In doing so he also became the first player born in the 21st century to appear in Serie A, and the second player born in the 2000s to make his Italian top-flight debut after Moise Kean.[6] On 28 May, he scored his first Serie A goal in a 3–2 away loss against Roma, becoming the first player born in the 21st century to ever score in Serie A,[7] and the third youngest goalscorer ever in the Italian top flight, after Amadei and Gianni Rivera.[3]

On 17 September 2017, he became the first 16-year-old to score twice in a single major European league game in a 3–2 home loss to Lazio;[8][9] his brace also made him the youngest player ever in Serie A to have managed to do so.[10]

Monaco

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On 27 January 2018, Pellegri signed with Monaco for a reported fee of €25 million,[11] the second largest transfer fee for a 16-year-old.[12] He made his Monaco debut on 16 February in a 4–0 home win against Dijon in Ligue 1, coming on for the final four minutes in place of Keita Baldé. At 16 years, 10 months and 30 days, he became the youngest league player in the club's history, breaking Kylian Mbappé's record by eleven days and receiving congratulations from the French forward.[13]

On 26 August, he scored his first goal for Monaco to equalise in a 2–1 loss at Bordeaux.[14] As a result, he became the first player born in the 21st century to score in France's top division.[15]

Loan to AC Milan

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On 25 August 2021, AC Milan announced the signing of Pellegri from Monaco on a temporary loan basis, with the option to make the deal permanent, which becomes an obligation if certain conditions are met.[16]

After making only six appearances with the first team, AC Milan terminated the loan deal on 27 January 2022.[17]

Loan to Torino

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On 27 January 2022, Torino signed Pellegri on loan from AS Monaco, with an option to buy.[18]

Torino

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On 28 June 2022, Torino signed Pellegri on a permanent deal.[19]

Loan to Empoli

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On 30 August 2024, Pellegri was loaned out to fellow Serie A club Empoli for the 2024–25 season.[20]

International career

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With the Italy under-17 team, Pellegri took part at the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, scoring once.

He was given his first senior international call-up for Italy in September 2018 by manager Roberto Mancini for Italy's opening UEFA Nations League matches against Poland and Portugal later that month.[21] He missed the matches through a minor injury.[12]

Pellegri made his senior debut for Italy on 11 November 2020, aged 19, featuring as a substitute in a friendly match won 4–0 against Estonia in Florence.[22]

Personal life

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Pellegri is the son of Genoa assistant manager and team administrator Marco Pellegri. He has stated that his idol and main influence is Zlatan Ibrahimović, whom he hailed as the best striker in the world.[3][12]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 9 November 2024[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[nb 1] League cup[nb 2] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Genoa 2016–17 Serie A 3 1 0 0 3 1
2017–18 6 2 1 0 7 2
Total 9 3 1 0 10 3
Monaco 2017–18 Ligue 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2018–19 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
2019–20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020–21 16 1 1 0 17 1
Total 22 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 2
AC Milan (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 6 0 0 0 6 0
Torino (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 9 1 9 1
Torino 2022–23 Serie A 18 2 2 2 20 4
2023–24 Serie A 24 1 2 0 26 1
Total 51 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 6
Empoli (loan) 2024–25 Serie A 8 2 1 0 9 2
Career total 96 11 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 103 13

International

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As of match played 11 November 2020[23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 2020 1 0
Total 1 0

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 61" [Official Statement No. 61] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 3 October 2017. p. 4. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ https://www.torinofc.it/prima-squadra/2023-2024/attaccante/pellegri-pietro [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b c Horncastle, James (7 October 2017). "Pietro Pellegri: The 'next Messi' who is breaking Serie A records". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Francesco Oddi (22 December 2016). "Genoa, Pellegri esordio record in Serie A: eguagliato il record di Amadei" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Genoa, esordio record per il 2001 Pellegri: debutto in A a 15 anni". Goal.com (in Italian). 22 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b Ben Gladwell (23 December 2016). "Genoa's Pietro Pellegri makes debut aged 15, equals Serie A record". ESPN FC. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Roma 3–2 Genoa". BBC Sport. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  8. ^ Bandini, Nicky (18 September 2017). "Genoa's Pietro Pellegri sets Serie a record, sparking tears and transfer talk". The Guardian.
  9. ^ Chris Wright (18 September 2017). "Pietro Pellegri's father cries in dugout after Genoa striker's brace vs. Lazio". ESPN FC. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  10. ^ Giuseppe Di Giovanni (17 September 2017). "Pellegri, storia di un predestinato: "Non posso neanche fare il figo a scuola..."" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. ^ "OFFICIAL: Pietro Pellegri signs with AS Monaco | IFD". www.italianfootballdaily.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Pietro Pellegri: Monaco's Italian striker in focus". BBC Sport. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  13. ^ Borne, Fabien (16 February 2017). "AS Monaco : Kylian Mbappé félicite Pietro Pellegri pour son record de précocité" (in French). Eurosport. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Bordeaux vs. Monaco – 26 August 2018 – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Pellegri makes Ligue 1 history". Football Italia. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Official Statement: Pietro Pellegri". AC Milan. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Official Statement: Pietro Pellegri". AC Milan. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Pellegri al Toro". Torino F.C. (in Italian). 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Pellegri al Toro". torinofc.it (in Italian). Torino FC. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Pietro Pellegri è un nuovo calciatore azzurro" (in Italian). Empoli FC. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Chiellini rejoins Italy squad; Pellegri called up". www.sportsnet.ca. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  22. ^ "A Grifo brace and goals from Bernardeschi and Orsolini secure a comfortable win against Estonia". www.figc.it. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  23. ^ a b "P. Pellegri". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
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Pietro Pellegri at Soccerway.com