For as much as we laud the U-23s on the men’s side of the AS Roma aisle, pound-for-pound, there may be no player as talented as Giulia Dragoni. You may know her as the youngest Italian to ever play in the World Cup, debuting for the Azzurre at only 16 years old during the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Dragoni was also the first non-Spanish player to join the women’s academy at La Masia—Barcelona’s famed developmental academy.
However, despite all those impressive plaudits, young Dragoni
found playing time in Barcelona hard to come by. After logging only 192 total minutes between 2022 and 2024, first with Inter Milan and then Barca, Dragoni joined the Giallorosse on loan last season. And to say that she found her sea legs, so to speak, would be a dramatic understatement. In 43 appearances last season, Dragoni scored six goals (including three in the Champions League) and provided one assist in approximately 1,600 minutes.
But with Barcelona still retaining her rights, Dragoni’s immediate future remained up in the air—but worry no more, the soon-to-be 19-year-old Milan native is back for another go around with the Giallorosse.
I can only presume that Roma will work every angle to keep Dragoni permanently, but for now, she should loom large in new manager Luca Rossettini’s midfield, joining the likes of Manuela Giugliano, Giada Greggi, and Valentina Bergamaschi as Roma seeks to reclaim their Serie A crown.
Dragoni and the rest of the Giallorosse will play on Wednesday in the Champions League against Kazakhstani side FC Aktobe, which will be broadcast on the club’s YouTube page at 15:00 CET/9:00 EDT.
