Simone Pafundi Explained

Simone Pafundi
Full Name:Simone Pafundi[1]
Birth Date:14 March 2006
Birth Place:Monfalcone, Italy
Height:1.66 m
Position:Attacking midfielder, winger
Currentclub:Lausanne-Sport
(on loan from Udinese)
Clubnumber:30
Youthclubs1:UFM Monfalcone
Youthyears1:2011–2014
Youthclubs2:Udinese
Youthyears2:2014–2022
Years1:2022–
Clubs1:Udinese
Caps1:10
Goals1:0
Years2:2024–
Clubs2:Lausanne-Sport (loan)
Caps2:17
Goals2:1
Nationalyears1:2021
Nationalteam1:Italy U16
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2021–2022
Nationalteam2:Italy U17
Nationalcaps2:5
Nationalgoals2:4
Nationalyears3:2023–2024
Nationalteam3:Italy U19
Nationalcaps3:13
Nationalgoals3:7
Nationalyears4:2023–
Nationalteam4:Italy U20
Nationalcaps4:5
Nationalgoals4:1
Nationalyears5:2022–
Nationalteam5:Italy
Nationalcaps5:1
Nationalgoals5:0
Club-Update:27 May 2024
Nationalteam-Update:25 July 2024

Simone Pafundi (born 14 March 2006) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Swiss Super League club Lausanne-Sport, on loan from club Udinese.

Club career

Born in Monfalcone, the city his parents had moved to from Naples,[2] Pafundi started his footballing career with his hometown club UFM Monfalcone, until he got noticed by Udinese scouts during a youth tournament in 2014, and was signed by the Serie A side soon thereafter.[3]

Throughout the 2021–22 season, Pafundi emerged as a star player and a regular for the club's under-19 team, having scored six goals and provided seven assists in 16 games in the Campionato Primavera 2 at just sixteen years of age: around this period of time, he signed his first professional contract with Udinese and received his first call-ups to the club's first team.[4] [5] [6]

On 22 May 2022, at 16 years old, Pafundi made his professional debut for Udinese, coming on as a substitute for Roberto Pereyra at the 68th minute of the team's final league game of the season, a 4–0 away win over Salernitana. In the same occasion, he became the first player born in 2006 to take part in a Serie A match.[7]

In October 2023, Pafundi was included in The Guardian's list of the 60 best talents in the world born in 2006.[8]

On 25 January 2024, Pafundi joined Swiss club Lausanne-Sport on loan until the end of the year,[9] [10] with the deal including an option-to-buy reported to be in the region of 15 million. On 10 March 2024, Simone Pafundi scores his first professional goal in the Swiss Super League during his 7th match played.

International career

Youth

Pafundi represented Italy at several youth international levels, having played for the under-16 and under-17 national teams.

In May 2023, he was included in the Italian squad that took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina,[11] where the Azzurrini finished runners-up after losing to Uruguay in the final match.[12] [13]

Senior

In May 2022, Pafundi was called-up by head coach Roberto Mancini to join a training camp with the Italy senior national team, as part of a stage reserved to the most promising players in the country.

In November of the same year, he received his first official call-up to the senior national team for two friendlies against Albania and Austria.[14] [15] He eventually made his debut with the Azzurri on 16 November 2022, at 16 years old, playing the final minutes against Albania, thus becoming the third-youngest debutant in the history of the Italy national team, and the youngest debutant in the last 100 years.[16]

Style of play

A short, left-footed trequartista, Pafundi has been regarded mainly for his ball control, vision and pace, which allow him to be a frequent threat in the final third, both as an assist-man and as a finisher.[17] He has been compared to former Udinese captain and striker Antonio Di Natale.Some even believe he has the potential to be the heir of Lionel Messi, given his stature and ball handling skills who resemble the Argentinian phenom.

Personal life

Pafundi has an older brother, Andrea (b. 2004), who played with him in the youth ranks of Udinese, before retiring in 2023 to start a career in futsal.[18]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Udinese2021–22Serie A100010
2022–23800080
2023–24101020
Lausanne-Sport (loan)2023–24Swiss Super League17100171
Career total2711000281

International

Honours

Italy U20

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Italy (ITA) . FIFA . 14 . 22 May 2023 . 29 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Pietrella . Francesco . 24 May 2022 . Il "mancino di Maradona" e l'esordio in Serie A a 16 anni e due mesi . 2 June 2022 . Cronache di spogliatoio . it-IT.
  3. Web site: Il primo 2006 della storia in Serie A: chi è Simone Pafundi. 22 May 2022. 24 May 2022. Gianlucadimarzio.com. Italian.
  4. Web site: Nalesso . Pietro . 14 March 2022 . Udinese, Pafundi da record: primo contratto da professionista . 2 June 2022 . MondoPrimavera . it.
  5. Web site: Sala . Federico . 21 May 2022 . Simone Pafundi, chi è il classe 2006 convocato in Nazionale da Mancini . Simone Pafundi, who is in the class of 2006 called up for the national team by Mancini . 22 May 2022 . . it.
  6. Web site: Nalesso . Pietro . 14 May 2022 . Udinese, scatta l'ora Pafundi: prima chiamata tra i grandi . 2 June 2022 . MondoPrimavera . it.
  7. Web site: Bergantini . Luca . 22 May 2022 . Udinese, per Pafundi arriva la ciliegina sulla torta. Esordio in Serie A . 2 June 2022 . MondoPrimavera . it.
  8. Web site: Christenson . Marcus . Bloor . Steven . Blight . Garry . Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football . .
  9. Web site: Favrod . David . 25 January 2024 . Simone Pafundi est Lausannois! . 25 January 2024 . FC Lausanne-Sport . fr-CH.
  10. Web site: 25 January 2024 . Udinese, Pafundi passa al Losanna: è ufficiale . 25 January 2024 . Gianluca Di Marzio . it-IT.
  11. Web site: 11 May 2023 . Ufficializzata la lista dei 21 convocati per il Mondiale in Argentina . 11 May 2023 . . it-IT.
  12. Web site: 11 June 2023 . Returning Rodriguez snatches Uruguay maiden title . 12 June 2023 . FIFA.
  13. Web site: Di Chiaro . Michael . 11 June 2023 . Uruguay-Italia Under 20 1-0: Luciano Rodriguez stende gli Azzurrini, sudamericani Campioni del Mondo . 12 June 2023 . Goal.com . it-IT.
  14. Web site: 2022-11-11 . Trentuno convocati per le amichevoli con Albania e Austria: torna Chiesa, prima chiamata per Fagioli, Miretti e Pafundi . 2022-11-13 . Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio . it.
  15. News: Chi è Simone Pafundi, il trequartista mancino che Mancini ha portato in Nazionale nonostante una sola presenza in A . 12 November 2022.
  16. Web site: 16 November 2022 . Pafundi diventa il più giovane esordiente azzurro da 100 anni. La Top 10 . . it.
  17. Web site: Dafirbillah . Karim . 3 April 2022 . Simone Pafundi, l'X Factor della Primavera dell'Udinese . 2 June 2022 . MondoPrimavera . it.
  18. Web site: Andrea Pafundi giocherà a calcio a 5 con le Eagles Futsal: il comunicato. TuttoUdinese.it . it . 14 October 2023 . 22 November 2023 .