Dybala made his senior international debut for Argentina in 2015 at the age of 21, and has since earned over 30 caps, including appearing at the
2018 FIFA World Cup,
2019 Copa América, and
2022 World Cup, winning the latter title.
Early life
Dybala was born in
Laguna Larga,
Córdoba, Argentina.[6] His grandfather, Bolesław Dybała, was from the village of
Kraśniów in Poland; he fled from his country of birth to Argentina during
World War II.[7][8] Some of his grandfather's family moved to Canada.[9] Dybala's family also has partial Italian origins through his maternal great-grandmother, who was from the
Province of Naples.[7][10][11][12]
Club career
Instituto de Córdoba
Nicknamed "La Joya"[13] or "El pibe de la pensión",[14] Dybala made his professional debut in the
Primera B Nacional (Argentine second division) with his hometown club
Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba at age 17. In total, he played 40 matches with the club, scoring 17 goals.[15][16] He was the youngest to score a goal, beating the record of
Mario Kempes. Dybala was also the first to play 38 consecutive matches in a professional league in the country (again edging Kempes), and was also the first to score two hat-tricks in a season. Dybala also scored in six consecutive games, surpassing the previous record of four matches.[17]
Palermo
On 29 April 2012,
US Città di Palermo president
Maurizio Zamparini announced the signing of Dybala stating, "We have got Paulo Dybala – the new
Sergio Agüero."[18] Later the same day, however, Instituto's general secretary José Teaux stated that the man who had completed the negotiations with Palermo did not have the mandate to sell Dybala. Nonetheless, on 20 July 2012 Palermo released a press announcement confirming the signing of Dybala, who signed a four-year deal with the Sicilian club.[19] According to the financial filing of the club, the transfer fee was €8.64 million.[20]
Dybala made his debut for the club in a
Serie A match against
Lazio. He scored his first and second goal in Italy on 11 November 2012 when Palermo defeated
Sampdoria at home, 2–0.[21] Dybala had his breakthrough season in the
2014–15 Serie A where he scored ten goals in the first half of the season, forming a successful striking partnership with fellow Argentine–Italian
Franco Vázquez and being linked with several top European clubs.[22] He finished the season with 13 goals and 10 assists, which made him one of the top assist providers in the league.[23]
Juventus
2015–2018: Transfer and three domestic doubles
On 4 June 2015,
Juventus announced the signing of Dybala on a five-year deal for a fee of €32 million (plus €8 million in add-ons).[24][25] He was assigned the number 21 shirt, previously worn by
Andrea Pirlo, who left the club that summer.[26] On 8 August, he came on as a 61st-minute substitute for
Kingsley Coman against Lazio in the
2015 Supercoppa Italiana. He scored the second goal in the 73rd minute in a 2–0 win in
Shanghai.[27] On 30 August 2015, Dybala scored his first league goal for the club in the 87th minute in a 2–1 defeat to
Roma.[28] In his first 16 appearances of the season, Dybala managed six goals and two assists in all competitions, with a ratio of a goal every 151 minutes, which was superior to
Carlos Tevez's and
Alessandro Del Piero's goalscoring ratios in their debut seasons with Juventus. In the club's history, only
Roberto Baggio maintained a superior goalscoring record in the opening games of his debut season.[29]
Dybala scored his first career
Coppa Italia goal in a 4–0 win over
cross-city rivalsTorino on 16 December.[30] On 23 February 2016, Dybala scored his first
UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–2 home draw to
Bayern Munich in Juventus' first round of 16 leg.[31] On 15 March, it was announced Dybala would miss the second round of 16 leg of the Champions League against Bayern on 16 March due to an edema overload of his left
soleus muscle.[32] He returned to action four days later in a 4–1 away win over Torino,[33] but was substituted after sustaining yet another injury.[34] On 21 April, Dybala scored two goals in a 3–0 home win over Lazio, which took his league tally to 16 goals in 31 appearances and also saw him score his 20th goal of the season in all competitions in the process.[35] He finished the season as Juventus' top scorer with 23 goals in all competitions and 19 goals in Serie A, as the club celebrated their Serie A title victory.[36][37]
Following the departure of
Paul Pogba to
Manchester United in the summer of 2016, Dybala was offered the
number 10 jersey by Juventus, although he turned it down, preferring to keep the number 21 jersey that he had worn during his previous season.[38] Following manager
Massimiliano Allegri's switch to a
4–2–3–1 formation, the
2016–17 season saw Dybala operate in a deeper playmaking role behind the club's new signing
Gonzalo Higuaín, which saw a decrease in his goalscoring output as he took on increasing defensive and creative duties.[39][40][41] After struggling to score at the beginning of the season, Dybala scored his first goal of the 2016–17 campaign on 27 September, in a 4–0 away win over
Dinamo Zagreb in the
Champions League.[42] He scored his first
Serie A goal of the season that weekend, on 2 October, in a 3–0 away win over
Empoli.[43]
On 11 April, Dybala scored two goals in Juventus's first-leg Champions League quarter-final fixture against Barcelona, helping the club to a 3–0 home victory.[44] On 13 April 2017, Dybala renewed his contract with Juventus until 2022.[45] On 3 June, Dybala started in the
2017 Champions League final, but Juventus were defeated 4–1 by defending champions
Real Madrid, missing out on the treble.[46]
On 4 August 2017, Dybala was named one of the three finalists for the Forward of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League season award.[47] On 9 August, Dybala was confirmed to wear the number 10 shirt for Juventus.[48] On 13 August he scored two goals in a 3–2 defeat to Lazio in the
2017 Supercoppa Italiana.[49] On 15 August, Dybala placed sixth in the
2017 UEFA Best Player of the Year Award.[50] On 26 August, Dybala scored his first hat-trick in Serie A in a 4–2 away win over
Genoa.[51] He repeated the feat on 17 September, in his 100th appearance for Juventus, scoring all three goals, including one free-kick, in the club's 3–1 away win over
Sassuolo, marking his second hat-trick in Serie A.[52] On 11 March 2018, Dybala scored a brace in a 2–0 home win over
Udinese in Serie A; his first goal of the match was also his 100th career goal.[53] He made his 150th appearance in Serie A in a 0–0 away draw against
SPAL, on 17 March.[54]
2018–2022: Struggles and return to form
On 1 September 2018, Dybala made his 100th Serie A appearance for Juventus, coming on as a late second-half substitute in a 2–1 away win over
Parma.[55][56] On 2 October, Dybala scored a
hat-trick in a 3–0 home win over
Young Boys in the
Champions League.[57] In Juventus's following Champions League group match on 23 October, Dybala scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 away win over
Manchester United.[58] With the arrival of
Cristiano Ronaldo, Dybala was often deployed out of position in a deeper role by manager Allegri during the 2018–19 season; as a result of this positional switch, as well as struggles with injuries, and difficulties with his manager, Dybala suffered a loss of form, and his goalscoring output decreased significantly, as he managed to score only five goals in 30 league matches, and 10 goals across 42 appearances in all competitions. However, Juventus managed to retain the Serie A title.[59][60]
Following a disappointing 2018–19 campaign, Dybala was initially linked with moves to
Premier League sides
Manchester United and
Tottenham, although he ultimately remained with Juventus for the 2019–20 season.[59][60][61] Although he was initially not expected to start under the club's new manager
Maurizio Sarri, he eventually broke into the first XI and scored his first goal of the season on 6 October 2019, in a 2–1 away win over
rivalsInter, to help his side overtake the Nerazzurri at the top of the Serie A table.[61][62] On 7 December, he made his 200th appearance for Juventus in a 3–1 away defeat to Lazio in Serie A.[63]
In the
2020 Coppa Italia final against
Napoli on 17 June, following a 0–0 draw after regulation time, Dybala missed Juventus's first spot-kick in the resulting shoot-out, with his shot being saved by
Alex Meret; Napoli ultimately won the match 4–2 on penalties.[64] At the end of the season, Dybala was awarded the
Serie A MVP award for the
2019–20 season.[65] He finished the campaign with 11 goals and 6 assists, helping Juventus win their 9th consecutive title.[66]
On 20 October 2020, Dybala made his first appearance of the new season in Juventus's opening
Champions League game, coming on as a second–half substitute in a 2–0 away win over
Dynamo Kyiv.[67] Dybala scored his first goal of the season on 4 November against
Ferencváros in a 4–1 win during a Champions League group stage match.[68]
Prior to the start of the
2021–22 season, he was named
vice-captain of the team.[69] On 21 March 2022, Juventus chief executive officer
Maurizio Arrivabene announced that the club had decided not to renew Dybala's contract which would expire in the summer, citing changes in the club's project following the arrival of striker
Dušan Vlahović earlier that year.[70] After being sidelined for months due to injury,[71] Dybala made his return on 7 April 2021, scoring the winning goal of a 2–1 home win over Napoli.[72] On 12 May, he scored a goal in a 3–1 away win over Sassuolo, to reach his 100th goal for Juventus in all competitions, hence he became the first non-European player in doing so.[73][74] On 15 May 2022, Dybala announced on social media that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season.[75] Dybala played his final
home match for Juventus on 16 May 2022 against Lazio, being substituted by
Martin Palumbo in the 78th minute, for which he received a standing ovation.[76]
Roma
On 20 July 2022, Dybala signed for
Roma on a three-year contract that runs until 30 June 2025.[77][78]
On 14 August, he made his debut for the club in a 1–0 away win against
Salernitana in the Serie A.[79] On 31 May, he scored the first goal of the
2023 UEFA Europa League final, which Roma eventually lost on penalties to
Sevilla.[80]
On 26 February 2024, he scored his first
hat-trick for the club, in a 3-2 home win against
Torino in Serie A.[81] On 19 April, he scored his 50th goal for the club in a 2–1 home win against
AC Milan in the
2023–24 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, which saw Roma advance to the semi-finals of the competition.[82]
International career
Due to his family heritage, Dybala was eligible to play for
Poland and
Italy, but expressly stated that he feels Argentine and had always dreamed of playing for
Argentina.[83] Dybala stated "I feel 100 percent Argentinian, I wouldn't be happy in a national team that didn't feel like mine, to hear an anthem that isn't my own, in colours that don't belong to me".[10]
Dybala was called by the
Argentina under-17 team to participate in the
XVI Pan American Games, but ultimately did not take part in the competition. On 19 July 2012, he received his first call-up for the
under-20 team, but declined the invitation.
On 22 September 2015, Dybala was called for the first time for the Argentina senior team by manager
Gerardo Martino,[84] but his first appearance was on 13 October 2015, coming off the bench to replace Carlos Tevez in the 75th minute during a
2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against
Paraguay.[85] In May 2016, he was omitted from Argentina's 23-man squad for the
Copa América Centenario.[86] Although Juventus insisted that they would not release Dybala for the
2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, he was included in Martino's 35-man preliminary
under-23 squad for the tournament on 24 May;[87] he was not included in the final squad for the tournament, however.[88]
On 1 September 2016, Dybala was sent off in the first half of a 1–0 home win over
Uruguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifier for a second bookable offence.[89] On 13 June 2017, he set up a goal for
Joaquín Correa in a 6–0 away friendly win over
Singapore.[90]
In May 2018, Dybala was named in Argentina's preliminary 35-man
squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia;[91] later that month, he was included in
Jorge Sampaoli's final 23-man squad for the tournament.[92] He made his World Cup debut in Argentina's second group match on 21 June, coming on as a second-half substitute for
Enzo Pérez in the 68th minute of an eventual 3–0 defeat to
Croatia.[93] This was his only appearance in the tournament, as Argentina were eliminated in the round of 16 on 30 June, following a 4–3 defeat to
France.[94][95]
Later that year, he scored his first senior international goal on 20 November, in a 2–0 friendly home win over
Mexico.[96]
In May 2019, Dybala was included in Argentina manager
Lionel Scaloni's preliminary 40-man squad for the
2019 Copa América.[97] Later that month, he was included in the final 23-man squad for the tournament.[98] In Argentina's final group match against
Qatar on 23 June, Dybala assisted Agüero's goal in a 2–0 win after coming off the bench for
Lautaro Martínez, which enabled them to advance to the knock-out stages of the competition.[99] In the third-place match against
Chile on 6 July, Dybala made his first start of the tournament, and scored Argentina's second goal in an eventual 2–1 win, to help his team capture the bronze medal.[100]
He was included in the final 26-man squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup by Lionel Scaloni.[102] On 13 December, he made his first appearance against Croatia, replacing
Julián Álvarez, in a 3–0 semi-final victory.[103] Five days later, in the final, he substituted
Nicolás Tagliafico right before the penalty shoot-out as the match ended 3–3 at extra-time. He made a late defensive clearance in his team's defensive area, and scored the second penalty in the shoot-out as his team eventually defeated France 4–2 to win the World Cup.[104]
A quick, creative, elegant, and agile player, with excellent technical ability and a low centre of gravity,[106][107][108][109][110][111] Dybala is known for his powerful and accurate shots from outside the box,
dribbling skills, balance, and close control in limited spaces,[111][112][113] as well as his ability to beat opponents in one on one situations and protect or hold up the ball for teammates with his back to goal.[113] Due to his speed on the ball, positioning, intelligent movement, and ball skills, he excels during counter-attacks[113] and at beating the offside trap when making attacking runs.[114][115] A hardworking player, he is also known for his stamina and defensive contribution off the ball.[113][116] Dybala is capable both of creating chances for teammates, as well as scoring goals himself, due to his vision, passing, link-up play, and ability to drop deep and play off other players, as well as his powerful and accurate ball-striking ability from both inside and outside the area.[114][115][116][117] Despite his diminutive stature, Dybala is also effective at scoring with his head, due to his acceleration over short distances, and his ability to anticipate defenders inside the box.[111][113][118]
A versatile
forward, he is capable of playing in any offensive position: he started out playing as a
left winger for Instituto in Argentina towards the beginning of his career,[106] but since moving to Italy he has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles, including as a main
striker, as a
centre-forward, as a
second striker, as an
attacking midfielder, in a free role as a
wide playmaker, as a right-sided
inside forward, as a
false attacking midfielder, as a
false 9,[106][117][119][120][121][122] or even as an
inverted winger on the right flank, where he is able to cut into the centre and
curl shots on goal with his stronger left foot.[111][113][121] He has also been used in a free attacking role on occasion, in which he is given licence to roam about the final third of the pitch, and either drop into the middle, or switch between the flanks, due to his ability to create from the left or cut inside and score from the right.[106] Because of his work-rate and involvement in the build-up of his team's attacking plays, in addition to his goalscoring ability, his former manager at Juventus Massimiliano Allegri even deployed Dybala as an offensive-minded
central midfielder on occasion (known as a "
mezzala", in Italian),[123][124] and described him as a "
box-to-box player" ("tuttocampista", in Italian) in 2018.[125] He has also operated in a
deeper playmaking role on occasion.[126] Dybala is also accurate from both
free kicks and
penalties.[127][128] His playing style has drawn comparisons with compatriots
Sergio Agüero,[18]Javier Pastore,[129]Carlos Tevez,[130]Omar Sívori,[131]Diego Maradona,[132] and
Lionel Messi,[107] as well as former Italian forwards
Vincenzo Montella,[133]Alessandro Del Piero,[134] and
Roberto Baggio;[135] the latter described Dybala as the number 10 of the future in 2017.[136] Widely considered to be a highly talented prospect in world football,[115][116][137][138][139][140][141][142][143] in 2014, Don Balón named him one of the 100 most promising young players in the world born after 1993.[144] Despite his talent, however, his mentality, consistency, and leadership qualities have come into question at times in the media.[145] Moreover, he has also struggled with injuries throughout his career.[146]
After scoring a goal, Dybala is known for using his signature "mask"
celebration; regarding the gesture, he commented: "My mask gesture isn't so much a goal celebration but rather a message. It's an ideal mask, which gladiators wore to fight. In Doha against Milan, after we lost Supercoppa, the idea of this celebration was born."[147]
Personal life
Dybala obtained Italian citizenship on 13 August 2012,[148] in order to facilitate his move to
Palermo,[149] and circumvent
FIGC regulations that permit only a maximum of two non-
EU players in any
Serie A team.[150] Dybala initially attempted to obtain Polish citizenship through ancestry from his grandfather, but the bureaucracy proved too complex.[149]
Dybala has several tattoos on his body: two stripes on his left arm, an Arabic tattoo as well as a crowned football on his leg.[151]
^Marcos Villalobo (10 October 2011).
"Los maestros de la 'joya'" [The "Jewel's" teachers] (in Spanish). La Mañana Cordoba. Archived from
the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
^"Paulo Dybala player 2" (in Spanish). Instituto Atletico Central Cordoba. 1 August 2012. Archived from
the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
^"DYBALA HA FIRMATO" [DYBALA SIGNED] (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 20 July 2012. Archived from
the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
^U.S. Città di Palermo S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2013, PDF purchased from Italian
C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
^Ivan Zazzaroni (14 December 2015).
"Paulo Dybala come il "primo" Roberto Baggio" [Paulo Dybala like the "first" Roberto Baggio] (in Italian). Sport Notizie 24. Archived from
the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.