Tresoldi stuns Inter at San Siro: hat-trick ignites Italy-Germany battle
Club Bruges striker scores three goals in Champions League and reignites Italy's pursuit. The 22-year-old faces a crossroads between the Azzurri and Germany's call.
San Siro will not forget Nicolò Tresoldi. The Belgian-based striker delivered a hat-trick against Inter in the Champions League, cementing his status as an elite profile across European football. A perfectly taken penalty and two genuine centre-forward finishes, in a performance that will inevitably return to the centre of debate over his national team future.
At 22, Tresoldi has already posted staggering numbers: nine goals in eleven appearances this season, following 23 in all competitions during the previous campaign alongside the Belgian championship top-scorer award. His three-goal haul matches an illustrious precedent: Gareth Bale had scored a hat-trick at San Siro against Inter in 2010, also in a 4-3 result.
The dilemma remains unresolved. Tresoldi was born in Cagliari but raised in Hannover, where he obtained German citizenship. He has already represented Germany in youth categories, with 16 goals in 27 Under 21 appearances. Italy attempted to call him up during the Nations League, but the striker declined: he will first complete his cycle at the German Under 21 Euros, then reassess his path. His father has acknowledged ties of gratitude toward Germany while confirming the family's Italian roots. At the final whistle, Tresoldi spoke with humility to reporters, admitting that «there are stronger strikers than me both in Germany and in Italy».