Giacomo Faticanti

Born and raised in Sora,^[3][4] Faticanti started playing football at local club Atletico Sora,^[3][5] before joining the academy of Frosinone,^[5][6] and then moving to AS Roma's youth sector in 2018.^[6][7]

Here, he won both the under-15 and under-17 national titles, respectively, in 2019 and 2021.^[5][6] Having already started featuring for the under-19 team in 2021,^[7][8] the midfielder became a regular starter of the squad throughout the 2021-22 season.^[6][9]

In the summer of 2022, Faticanti began training with the first team, under manager José Mourinho, during their pre-season.^[10] In August of the same year, he signed a contract extension with the club until 2026,^[11][12] before making his first bench appearances for Roma's senior team.^[2][13]

On 27 October 2022, Faticanti made his professional debut, coming on as a substitute for Cristian Volpato in the 78th minute of the UEFA Europa League match against HJK, which ended in a 2–1 win for his side.^[14][15] In April 2023, he was part of Roma's under-19 squad that won the Coppa Italia Primavera.^[16][17]

On 25 August 2023, Faticanti joined Serie A side Lecce on a permanent deal, signing a five-year contract with the club.^[18][19] The transfer reportedly commanded a €1 million fee, plus add-ons, and a 35% sell-on clause in favor of Roma.^[20]

On 8 January 2024, Faticanti joined Serie B side Ternana on loan until the end of the season.^[21][22] On 20 January, he made his first professional start in a 3–1 league win over Cittadella.^[23][24] He played 11 games for the club,^[25] with Ternana eventually facing relegation to Serie C after losing to Bari in the play-out.^[26]

On 30 August 2024, Faticanti joined Serie C side Juventus Next Gen, the reserve team of Juventus, on a season-long loan with an option to buy.^[25][27] On 31 July 2025, his loan-spell was extended for another year, with Juventus retaining the option to make the move permanent at the end of the 2025–26 season.^[28]

Faticanti has represented Italy at various youth international levels.

Having first played for the under-15 national team,^[7] he featured regularly with the under-16 team,^[29][30] before going on to play for the under-18,^[8] under-19^[31] and under-20 national teams.^[32] He also served as a captain for several of these sides.^[6]

In June 2022, he was included in the squad that took part in the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Slovakia,^[33] where the Azzurrini reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners England.^[34]

In December of the same year, he was involved in a training camp led by the Italian senior national team's manager, Roberto Mancini, as part of a stage aimed to the most promising national talents.^[35]

In May 2023, he was included by head coach Carmine Nunziata in the Italian squad that took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina,^[36] where the Azzurrini finished runners-up after losing to Uruguay in the final match.^[37][38]

In June of the same year, he was included in the Italian squad for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Malta,^[39] where the Azzurrini eventually won their second continental title.^[40][41]

Faticanti is mainly a defensive midfielder, who has been regarded for his reading of the game, his aerial skills and his tackling.^[8][29] He can also act as a deep-lying playmaker, thanks to his ability to dictate the tempo and his wide range of passing.^[8][42] Moreover, his stamina, work rate and leadership skills led him to wear the captain armband of his side in various occasions.^[2][6]

Although he named Sergio Busquets between his sources of inspiration,^[29] the Italian player has also been compared to Daniele De Rossi, who played in his same role and similarly started his career at AS Roma.^[6][8]

In 2021, he was included in The Guardian's yearly list of the 60 best talents born in 2004 in world football.^[2]

As of match played 23 May 2024^[43]