Nicolò Tresoldi sits at the center of a three-way international tug-of-war after scoring a hat-trick for Club Brugge in a 4-3 Champions League victory over Inter Milan at San Siro, with Sportmediaset reporting that the German national team currently leads the race for the 22-year-old forward’s allegiance. The match featured a four-goal haul for Club Brugge against Inter, with Lautaro Martínez scoring a brace for the nerazzurri alongside another defensive blunder by goalkeeper Martínez, leaving coach Cristian Chivu’s side at zero points in the premier European competition.
Nato a Cagliari da papà tedesco e mamma argentina, Tresoldi ha tre passaporti e attualmente veste la maglia dell’Under 21 tedesca. ANSA reported that the forward moved from Sardinia to Germany with his family in 2017, joining Hannover’s youth academy before moving to Club Brugge in 2025 for a reported fee of approximately eight million euros. Before committing to football, the player tested his athletic qualities in tennis. He made his professional debut in 2022, and during the summer transfer window he drew interest from Milan, Juventus, and Roma.
San Siro Treble Sparks International Pursuit
The October 2026 fixture at San Siro transformed Tresoldi from a rising club prospect into one of the most heavily contested young forwards in European football. La Gazzetta dello Sport detailed an early-morning telephone conversation between Italy manager Roberto Mancini and the player, during which the Italian coach pitched a potential partnership with Pio Esposito and pointed to the forward’s Sardinian birth as a natural tie to the Azzurri.
Youngest ever German to score a Champions League hat-trick! ⚽️🇩🇪Nicolo Tresoldi broke the record held by Karim Adeyemi. The 22-year-old is yet to decide his international future… He's played for Germany's U-21s but is also eligible for Italy and Argentina. 🇮🇹🇦🇷#UCL pic.twitter.com/dFieTTGxzB
Tresoldi acknowledged speaking with both Mancini and Germany setup figures, telling Il Fatto Quotidiano after the match, “I have spoken with both Mancini and Klopp, they know the truth.” While the player admitted he has not yet made a definitive choice, La Gazzetta dello Sport noted that he has netted 16 goals for Germany’s youth ranks and currently wears the German under-21 jersey. Sono nato e cresciuto in Italia, vediamo. Ora abbiamo un Europeo che vogliamo vincere, è un mio obiettivo. Poi si vedrà
, he explained after the match, while also admitting in television interviews that he felt more nervous after the game than he did while on the pitch, adding that he had never imagined scoring three goals at San Siro.
Beyond international duty, the forward maintains a strong personal connection to Italian football. ANSA reported that Tresoldi is a devoted AC Milan fan who received numerous messages from Rossoneri supporters ahead of the fixture against Inter, describing the European night as feeling like a derby. He also received praise from football figures Zvonimir Boban and Fabio Capello.
Family Roots and Athletic Background
In an interview with Corriere di Bologna, the elder Tresoldi revealed that Nicolò initially excelled in tennis before committing to football, crossing paths in junior tournaments with contemporaries such as Flavio Cobolli, Luca Nardi, and Holger Rune. His father, Emanuele Tresoldi, played as a defender during his career, including spells in Serie A with Atalanta and in his home region with SPAL, and was part of the Italy Under-21 squad that won the European championship in 1994 courtesy of a golden goal scored by Pierluigi Orlandini.
Emanuele Tresoldi noted that his son’s independent journey through the Hannover academy and his subsequent transfer to Belgium have shaped a mature athlete capable of handling high-stakes pressure.
Next Steps for the Contested Forward
With Club Brugge competing in the league phase of the Champions League under manager Nicky Hayen, Tresoldi’s immediate club schedule remains packed. On the international front, the forward pointed to an upcoming European Under-21 championship cycle as his immediate focus before finalizing his senior national team future between Germany, Italy, and Argentina.
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