Diego Perillo has already delivered some important moments for Italy’s youth teams. On Saturday, the 17-year-old Atalanta striker added another, scoring twice in a 2–1 victory over Chile as his impressive year in an Azzurri shirt continued.
Just a month earlier, Perillo had scored in the 96th minute against Kosovo at the Mediterranean Games, securing the result Italy needed to reach the semi-finals. It was another memorable moment in a year that had already seen him help Italy win the European U17 Championship.
At that tournament, Perillo scored the winner against France in Italy’s opening match before converting the decisive penalty against Belgium in the final. His performances came at the end of a successful season with Empoli and preceded a summer transfer to Atalanta, where he now faces the challenge of progressing through one of Italian football’s established youth development systems.
Those experiences have given Perillo an unusually eventful year for a player still at the beginning of his career. His goals have helped Italy win a European title, progress in international competition and open another international campaign with a victory. The next chapter will be shaped by his development at Atalanta, where turning that international promise into senior football is the challenge ahead.
