Marco Verratti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko verˈratti]; born 5 November 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail.
A technically gifted playmaker, Verratti began his career with Italian club Pescara in 2008, where he soon rose to prominence as one of the best young midfielders in Europe, helping the team to win the 2011–12 Serie B title, and winning the 2012 Bravo Award. His playing style drew comparisons with Andrea Pirlo, due to his passing ability, vision, and control, as well as his similar transition from the role of trequartista to that of a regista. In July 2012, he transferred to French side Paris Saint-Germain, where he won a then-record nine Ligue 1 titles, among other domestic and individual trophies, and established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. He ranks third for all-time appearances for the club.
At international level, Verratti represented the Italy under-21 football team at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, winning a runners-up medal, and being named to the all-star squad for the tournament. At senior level, he made his Italy debut in 2012, and represented his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020, winning the latter tournament.
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Early life
Verratti was born in Pescara, and grew up in Manoppello. As a child, he supported Juventus and idolised Alessandro Del Piero, the team's Italian international offensive playmaker. Verratti's talent was noticed at an early age, and he was made offers to join the youth academies of Atalanta and Internazionale, but joined his local club Pescara for €5,000. After an impressive performance for Pescara's under-16 team against AC Milan, the Lombardy club offered €300,000 to sign the midfielder, but Verratti decided to remain at Pescara.
Club career
Pescara
The first youth team Verratti was affiliated with was that of Manoppello, a historic team of Pescara, that in 2001 merged with the newly born Manoppello Arabona. He remained there until 2006 when he entered the youth of Pescara.
Verratti made his first team debut in the 2008–09 season at the age of 15 years and 9 months. In the 2009–10 season, he appeared more regularly for Pescara, and since then became a key player in the first team. His performances generated national media coverage as a potential star of the future and Italian international.
With Zdeněk Zeman as manager, Verratti excelled as a deep-lying playmaker in a Pescara team which won the 2011–12 Serie B title playing "the best football in Italy", earning promotion to Serie A the following season. After helping Pescara to promotion to Serie A, Verratti received the 2012 Bravo Award for the best player under the age of 21 in Europe, and was reportedly wanted by Napoli, Roma and Juventus, as well as Carlo Ancelotti's Paris Saint-Germain. At the 2012 AIC Gran Gala del Calcio, he was elected the best player of the 2011–12 Serie B season, along with former Pescara teammates Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne.
Paris Saint-Germain
On 18 July 2012, Verratti signed a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. On 2 September 2012, Verratti made his competitive debut for PSG in an away Ligue 1 match against Lille. Twelve days later, he assisted Javier Pastore's opening goal in his first competitive appearance at the Parc des Princes, a 2–0 Ligue 1 defeat of Toulouse.
On 18 September 2012, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 4–1 group stage defeat of Dynamo Kyiv. He ended his first season in the French capital by winning the 2012–13 Ligue 1 title. On 20 August 2013, Verratti signed a one-year extension to his contract with PSG, keeping him at the club until 2018.
Verratti's second season with PSG was even more successful than the first as the team retained its Ligue 1 title and won the Coupe de la Ligue and the 2013 Trophée des Champions. Verratti was named as the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the 2013–14 season.
On 30 September 2014, Verratti scored his first competitive goal for PSG, a header in a 3–2 home win over Barcelona in the group stage of the Champions League. On 18 January 2015, Verratti scored his first goal in Ligue 1, in a 4–2 home win over Evian.
In August 2016, Verratti signed a three-year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2021.
On 6 March 2018, Verratti was sent off after acquiring a second yellow card in the second leg of a Champions League round of 16 fixture against the eventual champions Real Madrid. Real Madrid went on to win the game 2–1 and eliminated PSG with an aggregate score of 5–2.
On 3 April 2019, Verratti scored the opening goal from a Kylian Mbappé assist in a 3–0 home win over Nantes in the Coupe de France semi-finals, which allowed PSG to advance to the final of the competition; during the same match, he also provided an assist for his team's final goal, which was scored by Dani Alves. This goal was Verratti's first of the 2018–19 season for PSG, and also his first goal ever in the competition.
Al-Arabi
On 13 September 2023, Verratti signed a three-year deal with Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi, for a reported transfer fee of €45m.
Al Duhail
On 7 June 2025, it was confirmed that Verratti had signed for Al-Arabi's rivals, Al Duhail.
International career
Youth
Verratti took part with the Italy U-21 side at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where the Azzurrini finished as runner-up to Spain. His performances saw him included in UEFA's all-star squad for the tournament.
Senior
The uncapped Verratti was included into Cesare Prandelli's preliminary 32-man Italy squad for UEFA Euro 2012, being one of only two Serie B players (the other being Torino's Angelo Ogbonna) to be part of it. He was subsequently cut from the squad on 28 May 2012.
On 15 August 2012, Verratti debuted for the Italian senior team in a 2–1 friendly loss against England in Bern. He made his first competitive appearance in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, appearing as a second-half substitute for Emanuele Giaccherini in a 2–2 draw against Bulgaria on 7 September.
On 6 February 2013, Verratti scored his first international goal in a friendly match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam, an equalizer at the 91st minute that ended in a 1–1 draw.
On 1 June 2014, Verratti was selected in Italy's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In Italy's opening match of the tournament, he made his first competitive start for the Azzurri on the left side of a midfield diamond with Juventus players Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio and Roma vice-captain Daniele De Rossi in his team's opening game of the tournament, a 2–1 victory over England in Manaus. During the match, he was involved in Marchisio's opening goal; after receiving Antonio Candreva's short corner, he passed the ball out wide towards Pirlo, who drew his marker with him. Pirlo let the ball pass in between his legs to Marchisio, leaving him with space to score with a low drive from outside the area. However, Verratti did not appear in Italy's second group match, a 1–0 defeat against Costa Rica; he started in Italy's final group match against Uruguay, which also ended in a 1–0 loss, and as a result, Italy were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.
On 6 May 2016, it was confirmed Verratti would miss Euro 2016 after a long lasting injury from a sports hernia which would require surgery on 16 May, sidelining him for two months. Upon recovering from his injury, Verratti returned to the team under Italy's new manager Gian Piero Ventura for an international friendly match against France in Bari on 1 September, making a substitute appearance in the Azzurri's 3–1 loss.
On 26 March 2019, Verratti scored his second international goal in a 6–0 home win over Liechtenstein in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match.
Player profile
Style of play
Verratti is a central midfield playmaker. He is known for his confidence and composure on the ball, as well as his ability to retain possession in tight spaces when under pressure, due to his low centre of gravity and resulting balance. He often succeeds in creating chances for teammates with accurate long passes, or control the tempo of his team's play in midfield through precise, short exchanges. Although naturally right-footed, he is capable of playing with either foot. Due to his attributes and playing style, Verratti has been compared to one of his influences, Italy legend Andrea Pirlo, in particular after making the same transition from trequartista to regista that the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner had also made earlier on in his career, although he has also been deployed in a new, more advanced role alongside Pirlo on occasion, as a false-attacking midfielder, in particular under Cesare Prandelli's tenure with the Italy national team. He has also been deployed as a metodista ("centre-half", in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively, or as an offensive minded central or box-to-box midfielder, known as the mezzala in Italian football jargon, due to his ability to carry the ball and push forward.
In addition to his playmaking skills, he is a capable midfielder, who is known for his aggression, defensive skills, and ball-winning abilities, despite his small physique and diminutive stature, which also enables him to be deployed in a holding role.
Reception
Initially regarded as one of the most talented young players of his generation, Verratti quickly developed into one of the best and most complete playmaking midfielders in the world. In 2017, Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta labelled Verratti as his "successor", while in 2021, his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi stated that Verratti was on the same level as the former's past Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta, describing him as a "huge player, one of the best in the world in his position", and as "a phenomenon". In 2022, Neymar said: "I knew Verratti was an excellent player, but I didn't know he was so spectacular. A genius. He is one of the best midfielders I have played with, along with Xavi and Iniesta."
Despite his ability, he has also drawn criticism from some in the sport over his disciplinary record, as well as his tendency to commit an excessive number of fouls, argue with officials, and pick up unnecessary bookings. Verratti has also highlighted his offensive qualities and lack of goalscoring as weaknesses in his game. Moreover, he has also often struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Personal life
Family and relationships
Verratti was in a relationship since 2009 with a childhood friend, an Italian woman Laura Zazzara, whom he later married and with whom he has two sons, Tommaso and Andrea; the pair separated at the beginning of 2019. On 15 July 2021, four days after Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, Verratti married model Jessica Aidi in Paris.
Legal issues
On 30 October 2018, Verratti was arrested after being caught drunk driving on the Boulevard Périphérique. He was subsequently fined by Paris Saint-Germain.
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 15 January 2026
International
As of match played 18 June 2023
Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Verratti goal.
Honours
Pescara
Serie B: 2011–12
Paris Saint-Germain
Ligue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23
Coupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21; runner-up: 2018–19
Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
Trophée des Champions: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20
Italy
UEFA European Championship: 2020
UEFA Nations League third place: 2020–21, 2022–23
Individual
Bravo Award: 2012
Serie B Footballer of the Year: 2012
UEFA U-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013
UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: September 2013, February 2017
UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2013–14
UNFP Ligue 1 Foreign Player of the Year: 2014–15