At 31 years old, Rafael Toloi makes his debut for the Italian national football team. A former São Paulo defender, currently at Atalanta, he was called up for three qualifying matches for the next 2022 World Cup.
Toloi is the grandson of an immigrant from Treviso, and because of this there is Italian citizenship, and consequently the right to defend Azurra.
Italy are in Group C and will face Northern Ireland on March 25. They will then face Bulgaria on March 28 and then Lithuania on March 31.
Toloi is one of two new additions to Mancini's list. Midfielder Matteo Ricci, from Spezia, was also called up for the first time.
In February, the Brazilian defender obtained special authorization from FIFA to change his “football citizenship” and defend the Italian team.
Rafael Toloi played for Brazilian youth teams, but never played for Brazil's main team.
Other Brazilians in the Italian team
Rafael Toloi is not the first Brazilian who will defend the colors of the Italian team.
José João Altafini, better known as Mazzola, was world champion with the Brazilian team in 1958. However, in the following World Cup, in 1962, he defended the Italian team.
Striker Angelo Sormani played alongside Pelé at Santos in the 1950s. However, after moving to Italian football, he played for Italy in the 1962 World Cup.
Midfielder Thiago Motta played for the Brazilian national team in 2003. However, he ended up becoming an Italian citizen and played for the Azzurri for the first time in 2011. He played for Italy in the 2012 and 2016 European Championships and in the 2014 World Cup.
The striker Éder, recently signed by São Paulo, has dual citizenship. The Italian-Brazilian was born in Santa Catarina and took his first steps on the pitch wearing the Criciúma jersey, but due to his good spells at Sampdoria and Inter Milan he was called up to the Italian national team. With the Azzurri, he played in the 2016 European Championship.
FOLLOW ITALIANISM
