Australian football's newest prodigy, 16-year-old Antonio Arena, made an instant impact on his debut for Italian giants Roma, scoring with his first touch just minutes after coming off the bench. The teenager was introduced in the 80th minute of Tuesday’s Italian Cup round-of-16 match against Torino and headed home to level the score at 2-2.
Despite Arena's heroics, Torino snatched a late 3-2 victory with a 90th-minute winner from Emirhan Ilkhan. Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the young Australian's performance, saying, 'He has a great competitive drive despite his young age. He has a lot of energy and is not afraid to put himself out there.'
Arena, born in Sydney and holding dual citizenship, has represented both Australia and Italy at youth international level. He began his career with A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers before moving to Italy to join Pescara, where he made his professional debut and became the youngest ever goalscorer for the club in Serie C.
In July 2025, Arena signed with Roma. His debut goal for the club came in the Italian Cup, making him the first 2009-born player to score in professional football in Italy during his time at Pescara. He has also featured for the Australian under-16 side and later for Italy's under-16 team.
