Wembley 1964

Lore & Background

Riccardo Calafiori (born 19 May 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Arsenal and the Italy national team. Calafiori began his senior career with Roma. He featured sparingly for the club, and was loaned out to Genoa, before departing to Basel and later Bologna. In July 2024, he joined Premier League club Arsenal for an initial fee of £33.6 million. Calafiori has represented Italy through various youth levels since 2017, and made his senior debut in June 2024. He played for Italy during UEFA Euro 2024, starting in all three group matches.

Reader's Guide

Calafiori is a left-footed defender who started out as a left-back or left-sided wing-back, before being shifted to a centre-back role during his spell at Bologna, under manager Thiago Motta. He is known for his anticipation, aggressive and physical style, technique, shooting prowess from distance, ball-carrying ability, and effectiveness in aerial duels.

Did You Know?

• Calafiori scored his first Serie A goals by netting a brace in a 3–3 draw against Juventus on 20 May 2024.
• He scored the fastest goal in Community Shield history after 23 seconds on 16 August 2026.
• Calafiori became the third Italian player to earn a Premier League winners medal, after Mario Balotelli and Federico Chiesa.