Italy Moves to Fast-Track Samuele Inacio Amid Brazil Interest

Italy are preparing to accelerate Samuele Inacio’s international career, with the 18-year-old forward at the centre of an increasingly tense tug of war with Brazil.

According to reports on Thursday, the Azzurri are weighing up a competitive call-up for the Borussia Dortmund youngster as early as September, a move designed to secure his international future before Brazil can act.

A dual-national gem in demand

Inacio is one of the standout talents in Italy’s youth setup, but his story stretches beyond one flag. Born in Bergamo to an Italian mother and a Brazilian father, Pia, he carries the footballing heritage of both nations. His father’s own career took in spells at Atalanta and Napoli among several Italian clubs, and now the son finds himself at the heart of a far bigger stage.

The forward left Atalanta as a teenager to join Borussia Dortmund, a club with a proven track record of polishing elite prospects. His rise has been rapid enough to catch the eye not just in Germany and Italy, but across the Atlantic too.

First Italy cap – but the door still open

Inacio already has a senior Italy appearance to his name. Interim head coach Silvio Baldini handed him his first cap in June, when he featured in a friendly against Luxembourg. It was a significant milestone, a clear signal of how highly he is rated in Coverciano.

Yet that match did not lock him in.

Because the appearance came in a friendly, FIFA rules still allow Inacio to switch allegiance. Until he plays a competitive fixture, both Italy and Brazil remain live options, and that is exactly what has set this race in motion.

Brazil step up their interest

Brazil have not been passive observers. Gianluca Di Marzio reports that scouts from the Seleção recently travelled to London to watch Inacio in a pre-season friendly between Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal at the Emirates Cup.

Under the lights at Emirates Stadium, with the new season approaching, the teenager had more than club coaches watching his every touch. Brazil’s presence in the stands underlined the seriousness of their intent: they are considering capping him in a competitive match to secure him for the long term.

For a player with Brazilian blood, Italian schooling and German development, the choice is as symbolic as it is sporting.

Italy ready to act

The pressure has forced Italy’s hand. Thursday’s reports insist that Inacio’s current “priority” remains with Italy, a stance that gives the Azzurri a crucial advantage but not a guarantee.

The response from Rome is clear: get him on the pitch in an official game, and do it soon.

Plans are being drawn up to give the 18-year-old minutes in a competitive fixture in the near future, potentially as early as the September international window. One appearance would be enough to tie him to Italy for years to come and shut the door on Brazil’s advances.

For now, Inacio continues his work at Dortmund, but his next international step will define far more than a single cap. Two giants are waiting. The decision, and the timing of that first competitive whistle, could shape the forward line of a national team for the next decade.