Serie A tops Europe’s big five for Under-21 goals as youngsters take centre stage

ITALY - OCTOBER 28: Alphadjo Cisse of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Bologna FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 28, 2026 in Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Serie A’s young players are scoring at a rate not seen in years, and the league currently leads Europe’s big five for Under-21 goals.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, players born in 2005 or later scored 45 Serie A goals in the first nine rounds. At the same stage last season, the figure was 17. Gazzetta also counted 23 different Under-21 scorers, compared with 12 a year ago.

The trend held up in Round 10. Direttacalciomercato’s count after the weekend has Serie A on 53 Under-21 goals, ahead of Ligue 1 (49), LaLiga and the Bundesliga (39 each) and the Premier League (24).

Cissé, Varela and Lontani lead Serie A youth boom

Milan’s Alphadjo Cissé is the standout. The 20-year-old has become a key option for Rúben Amorim this season, after joining from Verona in January.

Monza’s Gustavo Varela, 21, has eight league goals and is attracting interest from clubs in Italy and abroad. Jay Robinson and Eddy Kouadio have also scored for Ivan Juric’s side.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma have relied heavily on youth, with Lulli, Rodrigo Mora and Niccolò Pisilli all making an impact. Fiorentina’s Franco Mastantuono has already scored a hat-trick against Venezia.

The youngest scorer so far is 18-year-old Parma striker Simone Lontani, who added another stunning goal in Monday’s 3-0 win at Atalanta.