Francesco Camarda

Francesco Camarda

Personal information
Full name	Francesco Camarda
Date of birth	(2008-03-10) 10 March 2008 (age 16) [1]
Place of birth	Milan, Italy [1]
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	AC Milan
Number	73 [2]
Youth career
2014–2015	Afforese
2015–2024	AC Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	AC Milan	2	(0)
2024–	Milan Futuro	0	(0)
International career‡
2022–2023	Italy U15	8	(6)
2022–2023	Italy U16	7	(3)
2023–	Italy U17	17	(11)
2024–	Italy U19	3	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing   Italy UEFA European Under-17 Championship Winner 2024 Cyprus
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:57, 27 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 July 2024

Francesco Camarda (born 10 March 2008) ^[1] is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club AC Milan.

Early life

Camarda was born in Milan, Italy. As a child, he also took an interest in kickboxing. ^[3]

Club career

AC Milan

Youth

Camarda started his career with Afforese, a football school in Affori, Milan, where he grew up. ^[3] During his time with Afforese, he trained with the academy of professional side AC Milan, and went on to join the club permanently in 2015, after just over a year with Afforese. ^[3] In his first training session with AC Milan, he was deployed as a defender, but after continually dribbling through the opposition teams and scoring, he was moved up front to play as a striker. ^[3]

During his time in the academy of AC Milan, Camarda established himself as a prolific goal-scorer; at an under-9 tournament in Vienna, Austria, he was taken off due to injury with his side 2–0 down to German opposition Bayern Munich. He asked his coach to return to the field and went on to score two goals and provide an assist in the eventual 3–2 win. ^[3] His prolific form continued as he progressed through the academy, and he went on to score 22 goals in 24 games for AC Milan's under-15 side, leading them to the under-15 Scudetto title. ^[4]

Eventually, his goal-scoring feats drew the attention of international media, and he was lauded for having scored 485 goals in only 89 matches for AC Milan's academy, an average of 5.45 goals per game. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]} He trained with AC Milan's under-19 side at the age of fourteen, and scored two goals for the side in a friendly win against Eccellenza team Solbiatese. ^{[10] [11]}

Camarda made his UEFA Youth League debut against Newcastle United on 19 September 2023, scoring a brace in a 4–0 victory. ^[12] These goals made Camarda the second-youngest player to score a brace in the tournament and the youngest-ever Italian goalscorer at 15 years, 193 days, breaking Fabrizio Caligara's record of 16 years, 189 days. ^{[13] [14]}

Senior

In November 2023, amid an injury crisis, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli called up Camarda as part of the first team squad for the Serie A game against Fiorentina on 25 November 2023; in order to do so, the club had to specifically request an authorization from the Italian Football Federation, as under-16 players are normally not allowed to be part of an Italian first team. ^[2] He was eventually substituted on for Luka Jović in the 83rd minute, becoming the youngest Serie A footballer ever at 15 years, 260 days of age. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Camarda made his debut for the newly created reserve team Milan Futuro on 10 August 2024, starting for a 3–0 away win Coppa Italia Serie C first round match against Lecco. ^[18]

On 17 August 2024, he scored the two goals of a 2–1 Milan Futuro away win Coppa Italia Serie C round of 16 match against Novara. ^[19]

International career

Camarda has represented Italy at under-15, ^[20] under-16, ^[21] and under-17 levels. ^[22] With the U17 side he won the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and was named Player of the Tournament. ^[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 August 2024 ^[24]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AC Milan	2023–24	Serie A	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Milan Futuro	2024–25	Serie C	0	0	2 [lower-alpha 1]	2	—		2	2
Career total			2	0	2	2	0	0	4	2

Notes

1. Appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C

Honours

Italy U17

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2024 ^[25]

Individual

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2024 ^[26]
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2024 ^[27]

References

1. "Francesco Camarda". AC Milan. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
2. "Milan, Camarda indosserà la maglia numero 73" (in Italian). Gianluca Di Marzio.com. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
3. Carzaniga, Dennis (14 July 2022). "Camarda, il momento in cui tutto ebbe inizio: "Vieni a dare due calci al pallone invece che alla rete?"" [Camarda, the moment it all began: "Are you coming to kick the ball instead of the net?"]. sprintesport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
4. Barilaro, Andrea (25 June 2022). "Francesco Camarda, il predestinato: "Sogno la Serie A con il Milan. Scudetto? Emozione incredibile"" [Francesco Camarda, the predestined: "I dream of Serie A with Milan. Scudetto? Incredible emotion"]. sprintesport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
5. "Fixem esta cara: Francesco Camarda tem 14 anos e está a chegar aos... 500 golos" [Look at this face: Francesco Camarda is 14 years old and is reaching... 500 goals]. record.pt (in Portuguese). 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
6. Pietrella, Francesco (25 December 2022). "A 14 anni fa già gol in Primavera: chi è Camarda, il tesoro custodito dal Milan" [At the age of 14 he already scored in the Primavera: who is Camarda, the treasure guarded by Milan]. gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 22 March 2023.(subscription required)
7. "Francesco Camarda, el chico de 14 años que juega en Milan y tiene un récord increíble: hizo 485 goles en 89 partidos" [Francesco Camarda, the 14-year-old boy who plays for Milan and has an incredible record: he scored 485 goals in 89 games]. lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
8. Cardenas C., Renato (17 January 2023). "Pelé le queda chico: Camarda, la 'joya' del Milan que lleva más de 500 goles con 14 años" [Pelé is too small for him: Camarda, the 'jewel' of Milan who has scored more than 500 goals at the age of 14]. depor.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
9. Hartmann, Florian (1 March 2023). "485 Tore in 89 Spielen! Das ist Italiens neuer Wunder-Stürmer" [485 goals in 89 games! This is Italy's new miracle striker]. sport.sky.de (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
10. Asahara, Makoto (22 December 2022). "14-åringens osannolika statistik – 5.4 mål per match" [The 14-year-old's improbable statistics – 5.4 goals per game]. aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
11. Cruz Valdivia, Christian (26 December 2022). "Francesco Camarda, el jugador de 14 años destinado a romper récords: lleva más de 500 goles en un centenar de partidos" [Francesco Camarda, the 14-year-old player destined to break records: he has scored more than 500 goals in a hundred games]. elcomercio.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
12. Mzoughi, Wajih (2023-09-19). "Francesco Camarda's brace vs Newcastle; the player achieves an incredible record in the UEFA Youth League competition" . Retrieved 2023-09-21.
13. "Camarda breaks Italian record with Youth League goals against Newcastle". SempreMilancom. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
14. Heyes, Apollo (2023-09-19). "Milan starlet Camarda breaks record in Youth League win over Newcastle". Football Italia. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
15. "Camarda, 15, becomes youngest Serie A player" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
16. "Brividi Camarda: entra per il riscaldamento e dalla Sud parte il coro. E quanti applausi all'esordio" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
17. "MILAN-FIORENTINA, FRANCESCO CAMARDA DIVENTA IL PIÙ GIOVANE DI SEMPRE A ESORDIRE IN SERIE A: LA TOP 10" (in Italian). Eurosport. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
18. https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/milan-futuro/2024-08-10/winning-debut-for-milan-futuro-3-0-against-lecco
19. https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/milan-futuro/2024-08-17/camarda-brace-milan-futuro-through-against-novara-2-1
20. "Francesco Camarda". FIGC U15 profile (in Italian). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
21. "Francesco Camarda". FIGC U16 profile (in Italian). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
22. "Francesco Camarda". FIGC U17 profile (in Italian). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
23. "Italy's Francesco Camarda named 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Player of the Tournament". UEFA.com. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
24. Francesco Camarda at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
25. "UEFA Under-17 EURO final report: Italy 3-0 Portugal". UEFA.com. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
26. "Italy's Francesco Camarda named 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Player of the Tournament". UEFA.com. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
27. "2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.

External links

• Francesco Camarda at WorldFootball.net