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By ANDREW PRENTICE, SPORTS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 14: 04 AEDT, 14 January 2026 | Updated: 14: 40 AEDT, 14 January 2026 View comments Australian football officially has a new star, after 16-year-old Antonio Arena scored with his first touch for Serie A giants Roma. The 16-year-old was thrown into the fray to make his club debut in the 80th minute of Roma's Italian Cup clash against Torino, and moments later found the back of the net at the Stadio Olimpico. Arena headed past Torino goalkeeper Alberto Paleari to level the scores at 2-2 in the 81st minute of their round-of-16 match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT). But despite the young Aussie's eye-catching heroics, Torino clinched a 3-2 victory thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Emirhan Ilkhan. After the Coppa Italia match, Arena was singled out by Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini. 'I'm happy about these very young players: one is 16 years old and it's an important process for him, '' Gasperini said. INCREDIBLE ? ?⚽️? AUSSIE 16-YEAR-OLD ANTONIO ARENA SCORES FOR AS ROMA WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH IN PRO FOOTBALL. After just 2 minutes on the pitch, the Sydney-born striker scores an equaliser against Torino in the Coppa Italia. "Perhaps we are witnessing the rise of a new star" ❤️ pic. twitter. com/vya LJ7LKH6 Australian football officially has a new star, after 16-year-old Antonio Arena scored with his first touch for Serie A giants Roma The 16-year-old was thrown into the fray to make his club debut in the 80th minute of Roma's Italian Cup clash against Torino, and moments later found the back of the net 'He (Arena) is certainly a player who has a great competitive drive, despite his young age. He has a lot of energy to offer and he's not afraid to put himself out there. ' Arena, who was born in Sydney, has dual citizenship and has represented both Australia and Italy at youth international level. After fine-tuning his skills as a youngster with Western Sydney Wanderers' Academy squad, Arena made the move to Italian club Pescara. He made his senior and professional debut last year in a 4-1 Serie C win over Lucchese, scoring the side's fourth goal. At 16 years and 25 days old, he became the first 2009-born player to score in professional football in Italy, and also the youngest ever goal-scorer for Pescara. In July 2025, Arena signed with Serie A side Roma, making his debut against Torino. The dynamic Australian is no stranger to the international stage. In 2024, he made his debut for the Australian under-16 side in a 4-3 win over Switzerland. The following year he was called up to represent the Italian under-16 team in a series of international friendlies, with both nations no doubt keen to secure his services long-term.
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