Mateo Retegui's journey to starting for Genoa and Italy is just the start: 'I want more, I'm just starting'

CBS Sports sat down with the Genoa striker who spoke about his first Serie A season, and the call that changed his life

Mateo Retegui has known what the expectations are since he was a kid, and they've only grown since then. A year ago the, now former, Italy coach Roberto Mancini called him to join the Italian National Team. It was a surprising decision that left many doubtful around the country. Mancini was trying to rebuild the team after failing to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but still, Retegui had to deliver immediately to seize his opportunity. And he did. In his first game, with the Azzurri playing at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples against England, the forward started and scored, making his debut in style, despite the 2-1 defeat. Three days later, he scored again against Malta. Despite the initial doubts, thanks to his performances on the pitch, he won fans over in just two games. There was a reason why Mancini wanted Retegui to join the Italy so bad, he needed strikers who could deliver under pressure. 

Mancini had been following Retegui since he was playing in Argentina, in particular at Tigre where he scored 35 goals in 70 games between 2022 and 2023. Retegui, born in Buenos Aires in 1999, was eligible for Italy because two of his grandparents were Italian and he already had Italian citizenship. His father, Carlos, is also a sporting champion who won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics as manager of the men's field hockey team for Argentina. His performances over the past three years and also his impact for Italy attracted the interests of multiple European clubs, but Genoa was the one that emerged as the most interested one and signed him for around €15 million in the summer 2023. So far this season he has scored eight goals in 24 games played in all competitions and he's considered one of the best strikers around the league, and has had an exceptional impact in the Italian Serie A. 

"Mancini's call was a wonderful surprise for me," he told CBS Sports. "A unique moment that surprised me as I couldn't believe it, now I'm happy and proud to represent this country. I will do everything to stay there. I know it's difficult, and if they don't call me I'll cheer for my teammates."

Retegui still looks back at that moment with a smile on his face, and seems fully aware that it was a key moment for his career so far. "I had just finished training with Tigre, I went out and my father called me telling me the news. It was an incredible surprise. After the goal scored against England my career changed a lot, but I feel it is normal for me. I have been training since I was a child to experience this, to play football in Europe and with the Azzurri. Today I'm doing it and I'm happy to enjoy this moment, but I want more. I'm just starting."

Luciano Spalletti, who replaced Mancini at the National Team, called Retegui for the upcoming Italy friendlies against Venezuela and Ecuador that will take place in the United States: "I have to be grateful to both Mancini and Spalletti, as he called me when he arrived. I haven't seen much Spalletti, but I like him for his personality and we will get to know each other more these days together."

Genoa is the perfect place for Retegui. It's a club, a city and a fanbase that know how to discover talents, especially when it comes to strikers. The coach, Alberto Gilardino, was a world champion with Italy in 2006 and can only improve Retegui on the pitch with his advice. Genoa was one of the newly promoted teams from Serie B, and is the only promoted side that is not at risk of relegation this season. They are currently 12th in the table, ten points ahead of the relegation zone, and last weekend drew away against Juventus. "My decision to play for Genoa was for the coach and also to be close to the National Team as I want to play for them. I knew being here makes things easier for the National Team, I needed to play in Italy. I really want to play for the Azzurri, this is why I'm here.

"My first days here were fantastic, how the people and the Genoa fans received me.. it was emotional. Then, as the days went by, I adapted to the team and the city, knew my teammates. I'm happy in this city and with this team, we're doing well and I'm happy with this. I'm calm, I come to training every day with a smile and we have to continue in this way. Gilardino and the staff help me a lot, he is a great coach and they are a great group to work with. The fact that he was a striker helped me to fix some details, but also the team is helping me to be a stronger player and a better person. The stadium where we play, Marassi, is incredible. It certainly reminds me of Argentinian football stadiums, one of the hottest for the fans that I've played." 

And what about the comparison with Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, Inter's striker from Argentina and the most prolific scorer currently in Italy? "He's a great player, a world champion and I respect him a lot, but I don't really like the comparisons in general. Diego Milito was my example as a footballer, while today Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are the ones I like more. However, my childhood idols were my father and my mother, they were an example of life for me."