Mateo Retegui: The Next Great Striker of Gli Azzurri and Italian Argentines in Sport

Mateo Retegui is flying. The striker has netted 10 goals in nine Serie A appearances for Atalanta this season. A summer signing, he has added an extra dimension to the attack of the reigning Europa League champions.

Having scored in both of Italy’s most recent October fixtures, one might assume that he is a born and bred Italian striker. His life story is more complex. It follows in the line of other sportspeople and connects to a wonderful, shared history of two nations.

Italian Migration To Argentina

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of people left Italy in search of better lives in the ‘New World’. Many who abandoned their home country were poor, starving southerners. The major port of departure was the Ligurian city of Genoa.

Two million fled to Argentina between 1880 and 1920. Their desperation led them to Rio De La Plata.

Italian culture became woven into Argentine society. Italians shaped the famous area of La Boca in Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors fans call themselves Xeneize which comes from ‘Genoese’.

The link to Italy appears in many neighbourhoods, in the food of the country and in the Rioplatense Spanish spoken. The language is rhythmically more Italian, with many Italian words favoured in the vernacular.

30 million Argentines today claim to have at least partial Italian ancestry.

Retegui’s Story

Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui is a product of this history, and is now the great hope to propel Italy to the next World Cup. Mateo was born and grew up in Argentina. During his youth career, he had spells at each of the eternal Superclásico rivals, starting with River Plate and then on to Boca.

After an impressive loan spell at Argentine club Tigre, Genoa signed him in the summer of 2023. This was a perfect full circle moment for Mateo; his father’s ancestors come from the Ligurian port city.

Wearing the blue of Italy was not something he initially considered. From a sporting family, his father Carlos Retegui represented Argentina in field hockey at three Olympic Games. His sister, Micaela Retegui, won a silver medal in the 2020 Olympics in the same sport.

Mateo had represented Argentina at youth level, but in recent years he was left by the phone, waiting for a full call up from Scaloni that never came.

It is a reality for many great players who come from a footballing power like Argentina. A striker breaking into that squad is comparable to the multitude of class Spanish midfielders left in the reserves from 2008-2012.

Italian Argentines In Sport

Retegui is not the first Argentine footballer to play for Italy.

25 Argentines have played for the Italian men’s national team. Raimundo Orsi was a scorer in the 1934 World Cup final for Italy, etching him into the history of Gli Azzurri. He had already played for Argentina, the country of his birth, on 12 occasions during the 20s.

Playing for multiple national teams was common even in the 50s and 60s with players like Di Stefano playing first for Argentina and Colombia before representing Franco’s Spain.

The Argentine born Mauro Camoransei won the 2006 World Cup with Italy. After the match he said “I feel Argentine but I have worthily defended the colours of Italy. I think that nobody can say otherwise.”

Franco Vázquez was the most recent example of this torn feeling. He appeared twice for Italy before regretting it and declaring for Argentina, appearing three times for them. Roberto Mancini, the Italy coach at the time, criticised Vasquez and questioned if those born outside of Italy with Italian heritage should be allowed to represent the country. Many Argentines in Serie A begin to identify with their ancestry, with playing for Italy the natural next step.

In women’s hockey, three ex-Argentine players recently changed their allegiances to Italy, playing in FIH Olympic qualifiers at the start of this year. Lara Oviedo said on her decision: “I came to play in Europe after I got out of the Argentina squad. They then contacted me from Italy with the goal of helping them qualify for the World Cup. I was hesitating at first because Argentina is my country, but Italy is the country of my grandparents. So, I felt it was my second country. Of course, it was a hard decision, but I took it because I wanted to help them play in the World Cup.”

For some athletes, the emotional bond with ancestry and sentiment for Italy is important, but the sporting opportunity is what motivates them.

The Maradona Incident

When Argentina were drawn against Italy in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, fate laid the game down in the stadium of Napoli. Diego Maradona, the Demi God of the Neapolitans, appealed for the people of his club to support his Argentina ahead of Italy. He claimed that Northern Italians only ask for their support when Italy play, but treat them like lower class citizens the rest of the time.

It was said that some Neapolitans got behind Diego’s side, but for the most part, the people of Napoli supported their country. The Italian press turned on the audacious Maradona as Argentina progressed to the final.

Diego’s move was seen as Machiavellian, but it showed that the southerners of Italy will remain loyal to their country.

Many Southerners left Italy for Argentina over 100 years ago, like Retegui’s mother’s family who originated in Sicily. Retegui’s ancestors passed down that feeling of Italian pride to him and despite growing up somewhere else, it marked him and now shapes his destiny in sport.

Playing for Gli Azzurri

Retegui’s form for Tigre brought him to the attention of, ironically, Mancini. He awarded him his first cap for Italy against England. In a night that saw Harry Kane become England’s all-time top scorer, Retegui entered the international stage at the Stadio Maradona. He scored on his debut and has not looked back.

So far, he has scored six goals in 16 international games, two in both October Nations League fixtures. He now has the chance to go to a World Cup, something that was not likely if he held out for an Argentine call up.

On choosing to represent the country of his ancestors, Retegui told La Gazzetta dello Sport “I feel Italian. Although I’ve spent my whole life in Argentina, when I came to Italy I felt at home. Scaloni did not call me, Roberto did. I immediately said yes without hesitation. I sing the national anthem well too!”

He is the top scorer in Serie A this season. A cold and clinical finisher inside the area, with tremendous timing. He rises high above centre-backs to offer Atalanta a lethal aerial threat, but also likes to come wide, taking full backs on and whipping in dangerous crosses.

Italy have unearthed a complete forward, a position in which they have lacked serious quality in recent years. Retegui may not have all the God given natural ability of Baggio, Del Piero or Totti, but who is to say this Argentine born striker cannot make just as profound a mark on Gli Azzurri, and carry them back to the heights of world football?