Nicolò Zaniolo

Early career

Born in Massa, Tuscany, Zaniolo grew up in the Fiorentina youth system. On the final day of the 2016 mid-year transfer window, he was released by Fiorentina, and subsequently joined Virtus Entella. After several months playing for the Entella Primavera side, Zaniolo was given his professional debut in Serie B on 11 March 2017, aged 17, in a 3–2 win against Benevento. In total, he collected seven appearances for the Biancocelesti in the 2016–17 season.

Inter Milan

On 5 July 2017, Inter Milan announced they had signed Zaniolo, for a reported fee of €1.8 million, plus €1.7 million in bonuses. He played for the Primavera side in the 2017–18 season, finishing top-scorer of the team with 13 goals and winning the Campionato Nazionale Primavera. Zaniolo made his Inter debut in a pre-season friendly on 9 July 2017. On 14 April 2018 manager Spalletti selected him to the first team squad against Atalanta; however, he did not play any competitive game for Inter's first team during the season.

Roma

2018–19: Breakthrough and Serie A Young Player of the Year

In June 2018, it was reported that Zaniolo and Davide Santon had joined Roma as a part of the deal moving Radja Nainggolan to Inter. Zaniolo completed his medical on 25 June, and signed a five-year contract with the club, for a fee of €4.5 million plus 15% resell revenue. He made his first appearance for Roma and UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September, in a 3–0 defeat to Real…

Standing at 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), Zaniolo is a tall player and with a wide style of play, due to his technique, energy, and physicality, he can operate in several midfield positions, and has been used as an attacking midfielder or trequartista, as an offensive-minded central midfielder or mezzala, as a box-to-box midfielder, and even as a deep-lying playmaker. He can also play out on the flanks, offering versatility across the front line. His ability to contribute in wide areas is supported by his goal threat, chance creation, and tendency to make late runs into the box. He has shown a capability to strike from distance on occasion. Once considered one of Italy's more promising young prospects, his early reputation suggested significant potential at the European level.

Youth

With the Italy under-19 side, Zaniolo took part in the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, reaching the final of the tournament, which Italy lost 4–3 after extra time against Portugal. He made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 11 October 2018, under manager Luigi Di Biagio, in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Belgium.

Senior

On 1 September 2018, he was given his first senior international call-up for Italy by manager Roberto Mancini – without having received a cap in Serie A – for Italy's opening UEFA Nations League matches against Poland and Portugal later that month. He made his debut with the senior team on 23 March 2019, entering as a substitute for Verratti in a 2–0 home win over Finland in Italy's opening UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match. He made his first start for Italy on 15 October, in a 5–0 away win against Liechtenstein, in a Euro 2020 qualifier (the opposition that day included Yanik Frick, a childhood friend). His first international goals came on 18 November, a brace in a 9–1 home win over Armenia, in Italy's final Euro 2020 qualifier; he also set up Ciro Immobile's second goal during the match. On 7 September 2020, after being called up for the start of Italy's campaign in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, he suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury in eight months, this time in his left knee, in an eventual 1–0 away win over the Netherlands. On 17 May 2024, it was confirmed that Zaniolo would miss UEFA Euro 2024 after…

Zaniolo is the son of Igor Zaniolo, a former professional footballer who played as a forward in Serie B and Serie C. He has a son, Tommaso, born in 2021 to his former girlfriend Sara Scaperrotta. The pair broke up in 2020 before the birth of their son and later got back together in 2024.