Pietro Salvai only needed half an hour to make his mark for Italy U17. The 16-year-old Juventus attacker came off the bench against South Korea and finished the afternoon with two goals and an assist, helping the Azzurrini turn a 2–1 lead into a 5–2 victory.
Salvai scored twice in the space of two minutes, first cutting inside from the right to finish with his left before converting from close range for his second. He later created Giuseppe Pipitò’s fifth, completing an impressive appearance from the bench.
The performance continues a year of rapid progress. Salvai came through Juventus’ academy and helped the club win the Italian U16 title in June, opening the scoring with a free kick in the 3–0 final victory over Inter. Juventus announced his first professional contract the following day.
Moving up an age group has not interrupted that momentum. Salvai has continued to score for Juventus U17, including twice against Parma earlier this month, and has now brought that production into an Italy shirt.
At 16, there is little value in trying to predict what Salvai will eventually become. What matters is what he is doing as the level rises. A decisive goal in a national final, a first professional contract and now two goals and an assist for Italy are significant steps in a short period of time. For Salvai, the progression is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
