Samuele Inacio confirms commitment to Italy over Brazil

Samuele Inacio, one of European football’s most exciting young talents, has officially committed his international future to Italy. The 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward, who holds eligibility for both Italy and Brazil, will represent the Azzurri at senior level under coach Roberto Mancini, ending months of speculation about where his allegiances would ultimately fall.

A dual identity, a singular choice

Born on April 2, 2008, in Bergamo, Italy, to a Brazilian father and an Italian mother, Inacio grew up straddling two footballing cultures. Brazil reportedly expressed interest through the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Italy, meanwhile, had been nurturing Inacio through their youth system for years.

Inacio made his feelings unambiguous, describing himself as “Italianissimo.” His senior debut came on June 3, 2026, when he entered as a substitute in Italy’s 1-0 friendly victory against Luxembourg. Friendly caps, though, don’t lock a player into a national team under FIFA eligibility regulations. Competitive matches do.

Mancini is reportedly planning to include Inacio in the squad for matches against Belgium on September 25, 2026, and Turkey on September 28, 2026. If Inacio steps onto the pitch in either of those competitive fixtures, his commitment to Italy becomes irrevocable under FIFA rules.

The résumé that sparked a bidding war

At the 2025 UEFA Under-17 Championship, Inacio was the tournament’s top scorer with 5 goals. He followed that up at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup with 4 goals, helping Italy secure a third-place finish.

His versatility adds another layer. Listed as a forward, Inacio is equally comfortable operating as an attacking midfielder or winger.

At club level, Inacio joined Borussia Dortmund in 2024 and quickly progressed through the German club’s development pathway. He made his Bundesliga debut in February 2026, becoming one of the youngest players to feature in Germany’s top flight in recent seasons.

What this means for Italy’s World Cup ambitions

Italy’s relationship with World Cup qualification has been, to put it diplomatically, complicated lately. The Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia and then missed again in 2022 in Qatar.

The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, represents a critical opportunity for Italy to restore its reputation on the global stage. Roberto Mancini, who guided Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 before departing and later returning to the role, understands the stakes.

If Inacio features against Belgium or Turkey, Italy will have locked in a player who, at 18, has already scored at a World Cup, topped a European Championship scoring chart, and debuted in the Bundesliga.