Mateo Retegui (born 29 April 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Atalanta. Born in Argentina, he plays for the Italy national team.[3] He is nicknamed "il Re tigre" ("the tiger king").[4]

Mateo Retegui
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 25)[1]
Place of birth San Fernando, Argentina
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Atalanta
Number 32
Youth career
2014–2016 River Plate
2016–2018 Boca Juniors
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2023 Boca Juniors 1 (0)
2019–2020Estudiantes (loan) 21 (4)
2020–2021Talleres (loan) 24 (4)
2022–2023Tigre (loan) 48 (30)
2023–2024 Genoa 29 (7)
2024– Atalanta 12 (11)
International career
2018 Argentina U20 5 (0)
2023– Italy 17 (6)
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Italy
UEFA Nations League
Third place 2023 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:30, 3 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2024

Early life

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Retegui was born and raised in Argentina. His maternal grandfather Angelo Dimarco emigrated to Argentina from Canicattì, Sicily. His father's grandparents on one side of the family were also Italian, specifically from Genoa, while the paternal ancestors were originally Basque (the surname Retegui being from Guipuzcoa, Spain).

He is the son of former field hockey player Carlos Retegui, who represented Argentina as a player and coach at various Pan American Games and Olympic Games.[5] His sister Micaela is also an Olympian in the sport.

Club career

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Retegui began his senior career with Boca Juniors, who signed him years prior from River Plate.[6][5] He was first promoted into the club's first-team by manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto during the 2017–18 Argentine Primera División season, appearing as an unused substitute on occasions against Arsenal de Sarandí and Estudiantes in December 2017.[3][7] His professional debut arrived on 17 November 2018, with the forward being substituted on for the final moments of a 1–0 home win over Patronato.[3]

January 2019 saw Retegui loaned to Estudiantes for eighteen months.[2][3] He appeared eight times in 2018–19, before scoring five goals in twenty-one appearances in 2019–20.[3]

In February 2022, Retegui joined Tigre on a loan deal until the end of 2023.[8]

On 26 July 2023, Retegui joined Serie A club Genoa on a five-year deal,[9] for a reported fee of €15 million.[10] On 11 August 2023, he scored his first two goals for the club in a Coppa Italia match against Serie B side Modena.[11]

Retegui moved to fellow Serie A club Atalanta in a deal worth a reported €28 million on 8 August 2024, following an anterior cruciate ligament injury to Atalanta forward and Italy teammate Gianluca Scamacca.[12][13]

International career

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Retegui represented Argentina at U19 and U20 level, including for the latter at the 2018 South American Games.[14][15]

Being eligible to play for Italy through descent, in February 2023 it was reported Retegui was pre-selected by Roberto Mancini to join the Azzurri team for the first UEFA Euro 2024 qualification games.[16] Retegui received his first official call up to the Italy national team on 17 March 2023,[17] and proceeded to score in his international debut on 23 March against England in a Euro 2024 qualifying match lost 2–1 in Naples.[18] He would tally again in his subsequent appearance on 26 March, netting the winner in a 2–0 win over Malta in a Euro 2024 qualifier in Ta' Qali,[19] to become the first player to score in his first two competitive matches for the national side since Pierino Prati accomplished the feat in 1968.[20]

On 21 March 2024, Retegui scored twice in a 2–1 victory over Venezuela. He was the first Genoa player to score a brace for Italy since Virgilio Levratto at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[21][22] In June 2024, Retegui was included by manager Luciano Spalletti in Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[23] Later that year, on 6 September, he was named player of the match, in which he also provided an assist, in a 3–1 away win over France during the UEFA Nations League, helping his country to secure their first win against their opponent in Paris since April 1954.[24][25]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 10 November 2024[3]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Boca Juniors 2017–18 Argentine Primera División 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018–19 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Estudiantes (loan) 2018–19 Argentine Primera División 3 0 1 0 4[c] 0 8 0
2019–20 18 4 3 1 21 5
Total 21 4 4 1 4 0 29 5
Talleres (loan) 2020 2 0 11 1 13 1
2021 Argentine Primera División 24 4 4 0 14 2 6[d] 0 48 6
Total 24 4 6 0 25 3 6 0 61 7
Tigre (loan) 2022 Argentine Primera División 27 19 1 0 13 3 1[e] 1 42 23
2023 21 11 1 0 6[d] 1 28 12
Total 48 30 2 0 13 3 6 1 1 1 70 35
Genoa 2023–24 Serie A 29 7 2 2 31 9
Atalanta 2024–25 Serie A 12 11 0 0 4[f] 0 1[g] 0 17 11
Career total 135 56 14 3 38 6 16 1 6 1 209 67
  1. ^ Includes Copa Argentina and Coppa Italia
  2. ^ Includes Copa de la Liga Profesional
  3. ^ Appearances in Copa de la Superliga
  4. ^ a b Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
  5. ^ Appearance in Trofeo de Campeones
  6. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  7. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International

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As of match played 14 November 2024[26]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 2023 4 2
2024 13 4
Total 17 6
Italy score listed first, score column indicates score after each Retegui goal.[26]
List of international goals scored by Mateo Retegui
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 23 March 2023 Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy 1   England 1–2 1–2 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying [27]
2 26 March 2023 National Stadium, Attard, Malta 2   Malta 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying [28]
3 21 March 2024 Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States 5   Venezuela 1–0 2–1 Friendly [29]
4 2–1
5 10 October 2024 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 15   Belgium 2–0 2–2 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A [30]
6 14 October 2024 Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy 16   Israel 1–0 4–1 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

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Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Mateo Retegui - Italy - European Qualifiers". UEFA.com. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Mateo Retegui, de jugar en la Selección argentina de hockey a ser refuerzo de Estudiantes". 0221. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Italy - M. Retegui". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Genoa, il Re tigre e il Folletto: la coppia Retegui-Gudmunsson che fa sognare i tifosi rossoblù". ilsecoloxix.it. ilsecoloxix.it. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Hockey? No, fútbol! Quién es Mateo Retegui, el hijo del ex-DT de Los Leones?". Goal. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Estoy cumpliendo el sueño de mi papá". Olé. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Conocé a Mateo Retegui, el juvenil que se perfila como titular en Boca". TyC Sports. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  8. ^ TIGRE HIZO OFICIAL LA LLEGADA DE MATEO RETEGUI, elgrafico.com.ar, 8 February 2022
  9. ^ "Mateo Retegui è un giocatore del Genoa" [Mateo Retegui is a Genoa player] (in Italian). Genoa CFC. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  10. ^ "CALCIOMERCATO - UFFICIALE: MATEO RETEGUI È UN NUOVO GIOCATORE DEL GENOA. OPERAZIONE DA OLTRE 15 MILIONI. SORRIDE MANCINI" [TRANSFER MARKET - OFFICIAL: MATEO RETEGUI IS A NEW GENOA PLAYER. OPERATION WORTH OVER 15 MILLION. MANCINI SMILES]. Eurosport. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Genoa, è già Retegui mania: esordio, doppietta e Modena al tappeto". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 12 August 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Mateo Retegui: another (ner)Azzurro in Bergamo!". Atalanta BC. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  13. ^ Campanale, Susy (8 August 2024). "Official: Retegui joins Atalanta from Genoa in 28m deal". Football Italia. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Argentina superó 3-0 al Shandong Luneng". AFA. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  15. ^ "La Selección se entrenó por la tarde". AFA. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Bomber Retegui dice sì all'Italia grazie al nonno di Canicattì: "È un onore e un orgoglio"" (in Italian). Fanpage.it. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Nazionale, Mancini chiama l'argentino Retegui. Prima anche Falcone e Buongiorno" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  18. ^ "ENGLAND AND PORTUGAL WIN ON RECORD NIGHT FOR KANE AND RONALDO".
  19. ^ "🔥 Retegui has had zero issues settling into life with the Azzurri". OneFootball. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  20. ^ Campanale, Susy (26 March 2023). "Video: Retegui first to score in both first competitive games since 1968". Football Italia. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  21. ^ Young, Peter (22 March 2024). "Retegui breaks 96-year Genoa record with brace in Italy-Venezuela". Football Italia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  22. ^ Redazione Pianetagenoa (22 March 2024). "Levratto ultimo genoano a realizzare una doppietta in Nazionale nel 1928: Il famoso centravanti segnò due reti alle Olimpiadi di Amsterdam". pianetagenoa1893.net. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Ufficializzati i convocati per EURO 2024, esclusi dalla lista Provedel, Ricci e Orsolini". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  24. ^ "France 1-3 Italy: Kylian Mbappe fails to fire as Didier Deschamps' side make losing start to Nations League campaign". Eurosport. 6 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Italy shatter series of football records with first Paris win for 70 years". Football Italia. 6 September 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Mateo Retegui". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Italy vs. England 1–2: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Malta vs. Italy 0–2: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Italy vs. Venezuela 2–1: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Italy vs. Belgium 2–2: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Mateo Retegui "EA Sports FC Player of the Month" for October" (Press release). Serie A. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
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