AS Roma striker Antonio Arena (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during an Italian Cup Round of 16 loss to Torino on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium in Rome. Photo by Fabio Frustaci/EPA
Australian Antonio Arena, 16, wasted no time in finding the net for his first goal as a professional soccer player, scoring on his first touch for Roma.
Arena scored with a header in the 81st minute of Roma’s 3-2 loss to Torino in an Italian Cup Round of 16 match Tuesday at Olympic Stadium in Rome.
“He’s certainly a player who has a great competitive drive despite his young age,” Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini told reporters. “He has a lot of energy to offer and he’s not afraid to put himself out there.”
The rookie striker entered the match in the 80th minute, when Roma trailed 2-1. Seconds later, Roma winger Wesley Franca received a short pass in the left corner to start the scoring sequence. He allowed the ball to roll onto his right foot before curling a pass toward the back post.
Arena hovered about 6 yards from the net, elevated between two defenders and headed the ball past diving Torino goalie Alberto Paleari. He followed the score by sliding into the corner grass in celebration.
“I went to the far post,” Arena told reporters. “I saw that Wesley was crossing the ball, it came right to my head and I scored. It was a wonderful, unforgettable feeling.”
16-year-old Antonio Arena makes a dream debut for Roma as he scores his first professional goal with his very first touch!⚽
Watch Roma vs Torino in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 streaming LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/R3XoyD4mCh— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 13, 2026
Less than nine minutes later, Torino midfielder Emirhan Ilkhan beat Roma goalie Mile Svilar with a follow-up shot from point-blank range, securing a victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.
Torino striker Che Adams scored twice in the victory. Midfielder Nikola Vlasic logged two assists for Torino. Defender Mario Hermoso scored in the 46th minute for Roma.
With his goal, Arena became the third-youngest goal scorer in Roma history. Arena, who signed with Roma in July, previously played for Serie B squad Pescara. He also appeared for the Australian Under-16 team and Italy’s Under-16 and Under-17 teams.
Torino will meet Inter Milan on Feb. 4 in the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup. Roma will get a rematch with Torino in Italian Serie A play at noon EST Sunday in Turin.
Roma (13-7-0) sits in fifth place in the Serie A standings, four points behind first-place Inter (14-4-1). Torino (6-9-5) is in 12th place, 16 points behind Roma and 20 points behind Inter.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a look at recent winners
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy after Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Final win — its third tournament trophy — at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar, on December 18, 2022. Photo by Chris Brunskill/UPI | License Photo
