Tigre striker Mateo Retegui could be in line for a call-up to Roberto Mancini’s Italian national team for the upcoming EURO 2024 Qualifiers against England and Malta: here’s a profile of the Argentina-born forward.
Born in San Fernando, Argentina, Retegui has represented Argentina in the U-19 and U-20 categories, but has not yet featured for the senior side. He possesses Italian citizenship and is fully eligible to play for the Azzurri in their upcoming matches, should he be selected.
Retegui is a prolific goalscorer in the Argentine Primera Division, with 37 goals from 46 league appearances to his name since arriving at Club Atletico Tigre on loan from Boca Juniors in February 2022.
Parent club Boca have sent him out on loan on two previous occasions; to Talleres, where he bagged 11 goals in 49 outings in 2020-21 and to Estudiantes, where he averaged a goal every three games from his 21 appearances the season prior.
Since August 2020, Retegui has been represented by Francesco Totti’s agency CT10 Management.
Upon signing with the legendary Roma forward, Retegui told Argentine network TyC Sports: “It is a great pride and joy that an important person like him noticed me, it was something very nice.”
“I’m happy that he is my agent. He knew everything about my family, even that my sister played hockey. He even knew how she played.”
Field hockey runs in the Retegui family. Mateo’s father Carlos represented Argentina at three different Olympic Games and has served as the manager of both the men’s and women’s national sides since his retirement.
Like father, like son, Retegui junior was also useful with a stick in his hands, so much so that he stopped playing football altogether for a brief period to focus on a potential career in hockey.
In 2016, Retegui made the switch from River Plate, where he had been playing as a midfielder, to Boca Juniors, where he eventually developed into a goalscoring centre-forward.
In 2018, aged 19, he was introduced for his professional debut, replacing Carlos Tevez for the final moments of a 1-0 league win over Patronato.
Retegui hasn’t turned out for Boca since then, although an impressive few years away from La Bombonera might change that come the start of next season.