Who Is Antonio Arena? Erling Haaland-Like Teenager Who Scored On Roma Debut
Antonio Arena had a debut to remember for Roma.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 14 January 2026
Roma may have lost to Torino in the Coppa Italia, but teenager Antonio Arena enjoyed a debut to remember.
The 16-year-old forward came off the bench to make his debut in the 80th minute of Roma’s last-16 cup clash.
That was in itself a great milestone, but things got even better for Arena as he scored with his first touch for Roma.
He rose to head the ball past Torino goalkeeper Alberto Paleari to level the scores at 2-2 on 81 minutes.
So, who is Antonio Arena? Footitalia takes a closer look.
Antonio Arena factfile: Haaland-like striker who could represent Italy and Australia
Antonio Arena was born in Sydney, Australia on February 10, 2009.
He has dual citizenship with Australia and Italy, and has represented both countries at youth international level.
Arena began his football journey in Australia with M&U Football Academy and Western Sydney Wanderers.
He then moved to Italy in 2022 to continue his development with Serie C side Pescara.
Arena made his professional senior debut with Pescara last year in a 4-1 Serie C win over Lucchese, scoring the side’s fourth goal.
At 16 years and 25 days old, he became the first 2009-born player to score in professional Italian football.
Arena also became the youngest ever goalscorer for Pescara, writing his name in the club’s history.
He dethroned a certain Marco Verratti, the previous record-holder, in the process.
“His first touch in professional football for Roma!” 😱😱
16-year-old Antonio Arena with a fairytale moment to keep Roma’s Coppa Italia hopes alive 👏 pic.twitter.com/18j4vuyp0W
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 13, 2026
In July 2025, Arena signed for Serie A club Roma and continued his progress through the club’s youth set-up.
On the international front, Arena is likely to spark a tug-of-war between Australia and Italy for his allegiance.
In 2024, he debuted for Australia Under-16s in a 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland.
In 2025, he was then called up by Italy Under-16s for a run of international friendlies.
Standing 6ft 2in tall, Arena is a powerful striker who makes his presence felt in the box.
He also boasts impressive reading of the game, with Chiesa Di Totti noting his timing and off-the-ball movement.
‘In terms of modern players, who you can see if you squint while looking at Arena’s game, the raw versions of Gianluca Scamacca and Erling Haaland come to mind,’ they wrote in 2025.
What Antonio Arena and Gian Piero Gasperini said after Roma loss to Torino
Antonio Arena spoke to Mediaset after the match, where he talked reporters through his debut goal.
“A beautiful moment,” he said. “I felt a little nervous, but I just focused on playing. Wesley sent in a nice cross and I scored,”
Speaking about his relationship with Gian Piero Gasperini, Arena emphasized the importance of daily work.
“I’ve played four games on the bench with him and a few training sessions, but I’ve already learned a lot,” he continued.
“He’s won so many games and developed so many strong players. I want to keep working and hope to continue like this.”
Arena also earned glowing praise from the Roma coach.
“I’m happy about these very young players: one is 16 years old and it’s an important process for him,” Gasperini said.
“He [Arena] is certainly a player who has a great competitive drive, despite his young age.
“He has a lot of energy to offer and he’s not afraid to put himself out there. He’s already playing for national youth teams.”
Antonio Arena arrival a timely boost for Roma as front line future looks bright
Roma have been in pursuit of new forwards during the January transfer window.
This need to strengthen up front has become even more pressing in wake of Evan Ferguson’s injury.
Robinio Vaz is Roma-bound, and other names – like Joshua Zirkzee – have been doing the rounds.
With Arena also shining on his debut, the future looks very bright indeed for the Giallorossi front line.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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