*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:03, 09 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
Born in Milan, Italy,[1] Dragoni started playing football at the age of four,[2] joining grassroots club Franco Scarioni,[3][4] before moving to Cimiano,[2][3][4] and then entering the junior academy of Pro Sesto in 2015.[2][5] Here, she first came to prominence for her performances in mixed-sex junior championships,[1][6] where she played until 2019,[1] earning the nickname "Little Messi".[1][4][7]
Having first joined Inter Milan on trial for a youth tournament in 2018,[8] Dragoni officially entered the club's youth sector in the summer of 2020.[1][4][6] During the 2020–21 campaign, following the halt of several youth leagues due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic,[8] she was promoted to Inter's under-19 squad, aged just 14,[4][8] and contributed to a third-place finish in the national championship.[6][9]
Having been promoted to Inter's first team at the start of the 2022–23 season, under head coach Rita Guarino,[4][10] Dragoni made her professional debut on 20 November 2022, coming in as a substitute for Ghoutia Karchouni in the 74th minute of a goalless league draw against Fiorentina.[4][11] Having just turned 16 years old, she became the youngest player to ever feature in a Serie A match since the league had achieved full-time professional status.[7] She went on to make three more appearances for Inter's senior team before the end of 2022.[4][6][7]
Barcelona
2022–23 season
On 31 January 2023, Dragoni officially joined Spanish side Barcelona on a permanent deal, signing a contract until June 2025.[1][4][12] In the process, she became the first non-Spanish member of the women's team setup to reside at La Masia.[1][4][7] Having been registered for the club's reserve team, Barcelona B,[7][12] she scored her first goal for the side on 5 March, in a 3–0 league win over Athletic B.[13] In her first season at the club, she helped Barcelona B win the second-tier title,[7][14] having scored four goals in ten matches;[6][14] she was also included in the first team's title-winning UEFA Women's Champions League squad, despite not featuring in any of their matches.[7][15]
2023–24 season
At the start of the 2023–24 season, Dragoni was still primarily part of Barcelona B but was included as a regular training player of the first team.[16] She made her first-team debut on 26 November 2023, coming on as a substitute for Mariona Caldentey in the 83rd minute of a 4–0 Liga F win over Athletic Club.[5][17][18] In the process, at 17 years and 19 days, she became the youngest non-Spanish player to make her debut for a senior Barcelona team (in men's or women's football).[5][19] On 13 December, she made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut, coming on for Esmee Brugts in the 78th minute of a 6–0 win over FC Rosengård in the group stage,[20] and a month later she made her first start and scored her first goal for Barcelona's first team, opening the scoring in a 6–0 Copa de la Reina win over Fundación Albacete.[19][21]
Barcelona completed a quadruple, with Dragoni becoming the first Italian player to win the women's Champions League, also winning the league title, the Copa de la Reina and the Supercopa.[22][23] While she was given few opportunities to play for the first team, Spanish newspaper Sport stated that she "brought something different" every time she featured for Barcelona.[24]
Loan to Roma
On 17 July 2024, Dragoni renewed her contract with Barcelona until 2027,[25][26] and subsequently joined Serie A club Roma on a season-long loan.[26][27] Dragoni made her Serie A debut with Roma on 30 August 2024, coming on as a substitute for Benedetta Glionna in the 58th minute of a 2–2 draw with Lazio.[28]
International career
Dragoni has represented Italy at various youth international levels, having played for the under-16, under-17[1][4] and under-19 national teams.[7][29]
In March 2023 she received her first call-up to the Italian senior national team for the friendly match against Colombia.[30] In June of the same year, she was included in the preliminary squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup by head coach Milena Bertolini.[31][32] She subsequently made her debut for the Azzurre on 1 July, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a friendly match against Morocco, which ended in a goalless draw:[33][34] at 16 years and 236 days, she became the youngest person to represent an Italian senior national football team in the 21st century,[7] but did not beat the all-time record, originally established by Carolina Morace in 1978.[7][15]
The following day, she was officially included in the final 23-women squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, aged just 16;[7][35][36] in the process, she became the second youngest player to get called up for the tournament, behind only Casey Phair.[37][38] On 24 July 2023, Dragoni started in a 1–0 group stage win over Argentina:[39][40] at 16 years and 259 days,[39] she became the youngest player to ever represent the Azzurre in the competition's history,[41][42] a record that previously belonged to Rita Guarino,[41][43] while also overtaking Giuseppe Bergomi as Italy's youngest player to take part in any World Cup match, including both men's and women's football.[6][43] She also became the second-youngest European player to feature in a FIFA Women's World Cup game.[42]
Style of play
Dragoni mainly operates as a midfielder in the mezzala role;[6] she is best known for her dribbling skills,[6][8] as well as her ball control, her passing and her tactical intelligence.[6]