Marco Verratti

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Verratti was born in Pescara, and grew up in Manoppello. As a child, he supported Juventus and idolised Alessandro Del Piero. His talent was noticed early, and he received offers from Atalanta and Internazionale youth academies but joined Pescara for €5,000. After an impressive performance for Pescara's under-16 team against AC Milan, the Lombardy club offered €300,000 to sign him, but Verratti decided to remain at Pescara. He made his first team debut in the 2008–09 season at age 15 years and 9 months. In the 2011–12 season under Zdeněk Zeman, he excelled as a deep-lying playmaker, helping Pescara win the Serie B title and earning promotion to Serie A. He received the 2012 Bravo Award and was elected best player of the 2011–12 Serie B season. On 18 July 2012, he signed a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He made his competitive debut on 2 September 2012 against Lille. On 18 September 2012, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 4–1 win over Dynamo Kyiv. He ended his first season winning the 2012–13 Ligue 1 title. In his second season, PSG retained the Ligue 1 title and won the Coupe de la Ligue and Trophée des Champions; Verratti was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. On 30 September 2014, he scored his first competitive goal for PSG, a header in a 3–2 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. On 18 January 2015, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 4–2 home win over Evian. In August 2016, he signed a three-year extension until 2021. On 6 March 2018, he was sent off in a Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid. On 3 April 2019, he scored his first goal of the 2018–19 season and first ever in the Coupe de France, in a 3–0 win over Nantes. Following PSG's 2–1 victory over Rennes in the 2019 Trophée des Champions on 3 August, Verratti became the player with the most titles with the club, with 22 trophies. In October 2019, he signed a three-year extension until June 2024. On 12 January 2020, he made his 300th appearance for PSG. On 18 February 2020, he became the club's all-time appearance holder in the Champions League with his 58th appearance. In April 2020, PSG were awarded the 2019–20 Ligue 1 title; this was Verratti's record seventh Ligue 1 title. PSG won a domestic treble but lost the Champions League final 1–0 to Bayern Munich on 23 August; Verratti made a subs

In Their Own Story

On March 6, 2018, Verratti faced Real Madrid in a Champions League round of 16 second leg. After receiving a second yellow card, he was sent off as PSG lost 2–1 and were eliminated with an aggregate score of 5–2. Conversely, on April 3, 2019, he scored his first Coupe de France goal from a Kylian Mbappé assist in a 3–0 semi-final win over Nantes, also providing the assist for Dani Alves' final goal. In August 2016, he signed an extension keeping him at the club until 2021. By October 2019, after winning the Trophée des Champions against Rennes, he held 22 trophies, becoming the player with the most titles in the club's history. On January 23, 2022, he scored his first league brace since May 2017 in a 4–0 win over Reims.

Reader's Guide

Marco Verratti is a central midfielder known for his technical ability, passing, vision, and control. He began his professional career at Pescara, winning the Serie B title in 2011–12 and the Bravo Award in 2012. He transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in July 2012, where he won nine Ligue 1 titles and numerous other trophies, becoming the player with the most titles in club history (22). He ranks second all-time in appearances for PSG with 416 matches, behind Jean-Marc Pilorget (435). He scored his first competitive goal for PSG on 30 September 2014 against Barcelona in the Champions League. He represented Italy at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, winning a runners-up medal and being named to the all-star squad. At senior level, he debuted in 2012 and played at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020, winning the latter. He currently plays for Al Duhail in the Qatar Stars League.

Did You Know?

• Verratti ranks second all-time in appearances for Paris Saint-Germain with 416 matches, behind Jean-Marc Pilorget (435).
• He was named to the UEFA all-star squad for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship after Italy finished as runners-up.
• His first competitive goal for PSG was a header against Barcelona on 30 September 2014 in the Champions League.