Rising Star Antonio Arena Shines in Serie A Debut

Australia’s soccer scene has welcomed a remarkable new talent with teenager Antonio Arena making an immediate impact for Italian club Roma.

The 16-year-old made his debut from the bench in the 80th minute of Roma’s Italian Cup match against Torino, scoring with his very first touch, equalizing the score at 2-2 just a minute later.

Despite Arena’s impressive performance, Torino secured a 3-2 victory with a late goal from Emirhan Ilkhan.

After the match, Roma’s coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, expressed his admiration for Arena’s performance, stating, “I’m pleased with these young players; at just 16 years old, this is a significant milestone for him. He possesses a strong competitive spirit and brings a lot of energy. He is unafraid to showcase his abilities and has already represented national youth teams.”

Born in Sydney, Arena holds dual citizenship and has played for both Australia and Italy at the youth international level. After honing his skills with the A-League Men’s side, Western Sydney Wanderers, Arena made the transition to Italian club Pescara.

He made his senior debut with Pescara last year during a 4-1 Serie C victory over Lucchese, scoring his team’s fourth goal. At just 16 years and 25 days old, he became the first player born in 2009 to score in professional football in Italy and the youngest goalscorer in Pescara’s history.

In July 2025, Arena signed with Serie A club Roma, marking his debut against Torino. His international experience includes debuting for the Australian under-16 team in 2024, contributing to a friendly win against Switzerland, followed by his call-up to the Italian under-16 team the following year.