Robinho Jr. Seeks Italian Citizenship, Catches Azzurra's Attention

Robinho Jr., 18, a forward who came up through Santos' youth academy and is now on loan to Genoa, traveled to Italy to formalize his Italian passport and finalize his dual citizenship. The information was confirmed by the ANSA news agency and the newspaper La Repubblica, which reported that the young player already has the Italian documentation in hand.

What happened

The son of former player Robinho, Robinho Jr. obtained Italian citizenship through his mother, Vivian Guglielmetti, who already holds Italian nationality. According to ANSA, the forward sought formal recognition of the document right as he prepares to move to Italy, where he will play for Genoa on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Getting the passport in order is not an isolated case in Brazilian soccer. Players with Italian ancestry often go through the citizenship recognition process to make their sporting and civil lives in Europe easier — a topic that Raízes Italianas follows closely in Notícias da Itália.

Possible sporting impact

According to La Repubblica, Robinho Jr.'s representatives have already been approached about the player's possible interest in representing Italy's youth national teams. So far, there has been no official call-up from the Azzurra, and the matter remains speculation within the sports market.

It's worth remembering that eligibility to represent a national team doesn't depend solely on holding a passport: FIFA has specific rules for athletes with dual nationality, which take into account factors such as which national team the player has already represented at youth level and the athlete's genuine ties to the country. Even so, Italian citizenship is a fundamental step toward opening that door, in addition to making it easier to register the athlete in competitions organized by UEFA, since players with passports from European Union countries do not take up "non-EU" slots on squads.

Details of the transfer to Genoa

Robinho Jr.'s move to Italian soccer was already underway before the passport was finalized. According to reports from the Italian press, the loan agreement with Genoa includes a purchase option set at 8 million euros, an amount equivalent to approximately R$48 million at the current exchange rate.

Should the Italian club exercise the purchase option, Santos will retain 10% of the player's economic rights in any future transfer, a common clause in transfer contracts involving Brazilian youth academy clubs.

Why this matters for people of Italian descent

Robinho Jr.'s case illustrates, in practice, how Italian citizenship is passed down through jus sanguinis via a maternal ancestor — when the mother (or father) already has recognized Italian nationality, their children can obtain the same right, subject to the rules in effect.

It's important to note, however, that the landscape for Brazilians seeking Italian Citizenship through more distant ancestors has changed significantly. Since the Tajani Decree (DL 36/2025) was converted into Law 74/2025, the transmission of citizenship to people born outside Italy has become more restricted, limiting the consular pathway to children and grandchildren of Italians. Great-grandchildren and later generations who relied exclusively on administrative recognition have lost that option in most cases, now needing to pursue the judicial pathway under the conditions set out in the new legislation.

The reform brought about a fundamental change in how the right to citizenship by descent is recognized for those born outside Italy, a topic that has even been debated in the Sezioni Unite of the Corte di Cassazione.

Cases like Robinho Jr.'s — in which citizenship comes from a mother already recognized as Italian — follow a more direct path, but they underscore the importance of organizing family documentation in advance. Those planning to pursue a similar process often turn to certificate searches in Italy to gather the documents needed for recognition, especially in families planning to live or work in the country — a topic Raízes Italianas also explores in the Vida na Itália section.

The buzz around this case highlights how soccer has increasingly become a showcase for discussions about citizenship and dual nationality among Brazilians with Italian roots — a topic that should continue to draw attention as Robinho Jr.'s transfer to Genoa moves forward.

Want to know if you're entitled to Italian citizenship? Talk to a specialized advisory service.

Source: Italianismo