Tresoldi’s grandfather links him to van Basten as the striker nears a national‑team choice

Nicolò Tresoldi, the 22‑year‑old striker who most recently captained the German U21 side, is set to decide in the summer of 2027 which senior national team he will represent, a choice that has ignited a bidding war between the German Football Association and the Italian federation.

Family roots and football heritage

Although Tresoldi progressed through the German youth set‑ups, his ties to Italian football run deep. His father, Emanuele Tresoldi, was a left‑back for Atalanta Bergamo in the 1990s, and his mother is Argentine. The striker has repeatedly called his father “my greatest role model”.

More unusually, Tresoldi’s grandfather was the golf instructor of Dutch legend Marco van Basten. The elder Tresoldi recounted van Basten’s stories to his grandson, and visits to the San Siro cemented the youngster’s love for AC Milan.

Club career and recent form

After moving to Hannover at age 13, Tresoldi joined Hannover 96’s academy at fifteen and later broke into the first team, debuting in 2022 under Hertha coach Stefan Leitl. He amassed 80 appearances for the Lower Saxony club, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists.

In the summer of 2025 he transferred to Club Brügge in Belgium, where he finished his first season as top scorer with 19 league goals, helping the side claim its 20th Belgian championship. His performances earned him a place in the Champions League, where he scored a hat‑trick against Inter Milan.

International crossroads

Currently a mainstay for the German U21, Tresoldi is two goals shy of Pierre Littbarski’s record of 18 goals at that level. Both German coach Jürgen Klopp and Italian boss Roberto Mancini have approached him, and he has spoken with officials from both the DFB and the Italian federation.

“I have spoken to the people I needed to speak to – Klopp, Mancini, the German and Italian associations – and laid out my position. They know where I stand. We shall see,” Tresoldi said after his recent Champions League performance.

Emanuele Tresoldi added, “Sure, I am Italian and Nicolò is Italian by birth and family, but there are ties of gratitude that cannot be ignored. He grew up here, speaks four languages, is a world citizen. Whoever he chooses, someone will be disappointed, but his decision must be respected.”