Born in Italy but Set to Play a World Cup With Cuba

Alessio Raballo has become one of the most intriguing young stories in world football. The 18-year-old striker was born in Turin, developed his skills in the Italian system, and currently plays for Cremonese’s under-20 squad, but chose to represent Cuba, his mother’s homeland.

Raballo began at CBS Scuola Calcio before moving into Torino’s youth ranks. At 17, he was called up to the senior bench for a Serie A clash against Udinese. He later played for Parma’s under-20 team, then returned to Torino before being loaned to Cremonese, where head coach Elia Pavesi quickly gave him a starting role.

Despite not making his Serie A debut yet, Raballo has already worn Cuba’s senior jersey in the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers. He came on as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago, then played full matches versus Antigua and Barbuda and Bermuda, though the Caribbean side was eliminated early.

“My goal is to take Cuba as far as possible, the dream is to reach a World Cup. I think every kid born to play football dreams of that, and we are going to fight to achieve it,” Raballo told the Cuban Football Association.

The next stage in his career will come at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile 2025, where Cuba was drawn into Group D alongside Argentina, Australia, and Italy. Facing the nation of his birth will highlight Raballo’s dual identity and underline the bold choice he has made: to commit his future to Cuba and chase the dream of returning the island to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1938.