Samuele Inácio: Who is Borussia Dortmund's Italian-Brazilian talent?
Samuele Inácio scored his first Bundesliga goal on just his sixth appearance for the Borussia Dortmund first team on the penultimate weekend of the 2025/26 season. Find out more on the upcoming Italian-Brazilian playmaker...
Stats correct as of 8 May 2026
Age: 18 (born 2 April 2008)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Attacking midfielder
Country: Italy (40 youth caps, 24 goals)
Key stats
The son of Brazilian footballer Piá, Italy-born Inácio came through at hometown club Atalanta, before switching to Dortmund in 2024.
Quickly adapting to his new life in Germany, Inácio - other than a handful of U17 appearances - was thrust into Dortmund’s U19 squad, where the teenager returned eight goals and five assists across 36 games, whilst representing his BVB in the UEFA Youth League, striking twice and creating three goals in 11 outings.
Having travelled to the US for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Inácio made the step up to the Dortmund pros in 2025/26, eventually debuting against Bayern Munich on Matchday 28. He made his first start on Matchday 31 and scored his maiden senior goal on the penultimate weekend of the season - his sixth pro outing.
Inácio's already shown he can do it on the international stage, after finishing as top scorer at UEFA U17 Euro 2026, with five goals in four games. That was in the colours of Italy, but he could yet opt to represent Brazil at senior level.
Plays a bit like: Florian Wirtz
Inácio has likened elements of his game to Rodrygo of Real Madrid. He has a point, but his close control in tight areas and ability to affect matches in the transition are perhaps more reminiscent of Germany star Florian Wirtz. He's also a real threat in and around the opposition penalty area.
Did you know?
Inácio’s role models are Brazilian playmaker Neymar and ex-Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who also played in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg.
What they're saying
"He's a fantastic footballer. If he stays healthy, he'll have a really great career." - Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač
"Samu is a very creative player who sees spaces and is very good at judging how often and how long he can hold onto the ball." - Dortmund’s head of player development Mathias Schiele
"Samuele has a great understanding of the game. He has excellent vision and plays passes that some players don’t expect." - former Dortmund U19s coach Mike Tullberg
