Tables turned? Brazil track wonderkid and could gazump Italy 💡 | OneFootball

A breeding ground for great stars over the decades, Brazil has become a major "exporter" of players — of all technical levels — to countries around the world.

For different reasons, such as dual nationality or "time at the club," Brazilian athletes of all ages wear the shirts of other national teams to compete in major tournaments, such as the World Cup, for example.

Recently, Yuri Alberto, Corinthians' center forward, who has completed the process of obtaining Italian citizenship, was reportedly "on the radar" of the Azzurra. 

But apparently, the tables have turned! That's because the CBF is monitoring Samuele Inácio Piá, Borussia Dortmund's 18-year-old forward, who holds dual Italian-Brazilian citizenship. 

The information comes from Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, a reporter for Sky Sport.

According to Di Marzio, Barcelona and PSG have also been sending scouts to Dortmund's Bundesliga matches to closely follow the striker's performances.

Born in Bergamo in 2008 and developed at Atalanta, Samuele Inácio has scored 23 goals in 39 matches for Italy's national team across the under-15 to under-19 levels.

Specifically for Italy's under-17 side, the forward scored an impressive 13 goals in 20 appearances.

With Italy set to miss a third straight World Cup — a situation that even led to the resignation of the president of the Italian Football Federation — it is possible that the four-time world champions could undergo a major overhaul, perhaps opening up space for young prospects like Samuele Inácio.

However, the CBF is keeping a close eye on the 18-year-old striker's situation and, after the 2026 World Cup, could try to "pull a fast one" on Italy if coach Carlo Ancelotti calls him up — and he agrees to the switch — for friendlies ahead of the 2030 World Cup. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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