Roberto Mancini's Squad: Mohamed Ali Zoma's Rising Star
Roberto Mancini is preparing for his first Italy squad since returning to the Azzurri bench, and one name keeps getting louder with every passing week in Germany: Mohamed Ali Zoma.
The 22-year-old 1. FC Nürnberg winger, born and raised in Merate, is rapidly moving from intriguing prospect to near-certainty for a call-up as Italy gear up for a marathon Nations League block in September and October.
Mancini’s new era, long camp, big decisions
Italy face Belgium, Turkiye, France and then Turkiye again in an unusually long international window that will stretch to two weeks. It is more than just a set of fixtures. It is Mancini’s reset.
After a calamitous calendar year that ended with Italy missing out on the 2026 World Cup, the returning CT has both the licence and the obligation to shake things up. That means underperforming regulars are at risk, and hungry, dual-national talents are suddenly a priority. Italy cannot afford to lose another potential star to another flag.
Zoma sits right in the middle of that strategic battle.
Eligible for Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast through his parents, he has yet to be tied down at senior international level. Call him now, and Italy gain a dynamic wide option for the long term. Wait, and the door is open for someone else to move faster.
From AlbinoLeffe to a €20m asset
Zoma’s rise has not been a fairy tale out of nowhere. He came through at AlbinoLeffe, playing for both the youth and senior sides of the Serie C club, learning his trade away from the spotlight. Then came the leap.
Last summer, Nürnberg moved decisively, paying €1.5m to bring him to the 2. Bundesliga. It already looks like one of the bargains of the division.
He exploded in his first season in Germany: 19 goal involvements in the league alone — 14 goals and five assists from 29 appearances. Direct, incisive, and ruthless in the final third. Defenders struggled to read him; scouts took notice.
This season, he has started even faster. Five league games, five goals. The numbers are forcing their way into the conversation, even if Mancini wanted to take things slowly.
Nürnberg know exactly what they have on their hands. Sky Sport DE’s Florian Plettenberg reported that there was concrete interest in the winger late in the summer window, but the club shut the door. They are said to value him at around €20m, a figure that underlines how quickly his status has risen.
Mancini on the line
The speculation is not just media noise. Zoma himself has confirmed that contact with the Italy coach is real and ongoing.
“It’s true, Roberto Mancini and I have spoken. He said that he is keeping an eye on me and that I should keep going like this, and then we’ll see,” the winger told Sky.
That “we’ll see” now feels like a formality rather than a doubt. Tuttosport describes an Italy call-up as “increasingly close”, while TMW goes a step further, predicting that Zoma will be named in the next Azzurri squad.
The timing makes sense. Mancini is back in charge, the Nations League schedule is intense, and Italy need fresh energy out wide. Zoma offers pace, goals, and a clear upside, with the added urgency of his eligibility for other nations.
For a player who left Serie C for the 2. Bundesliga just over a year ago, the trajectory is remarkable. The next logical step is a blue shirt, an anthem, and a decision that will shape the rest of his international career.
If Mancini is serious about rebuilding and about protecting Italy’s future talent, Zoma’s name on that squad list feels less like a gamble and more like an inevitability waiting to be confirmed.
