Paulo Dybala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paulo Dybala

Dybala with Roma in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1993-11-15) 15 November 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth	Laguna Larga, Córdoba, Argentina
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Forward, attacking midfielder, winger
Club information
Current club	Roma
Number	21
Youth career
2003–2011	Instituto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2011–2012	Instituto	38	(17)
2012–2015	Palermo	89	(21)
2015–2022	Juventus	210	(82)
2022–	Roma	71	(30)
National team‡
2015–	Argentina	40	(4)
Honours Men's football Representing  Argentina FIFA World Cup Winner 2022 Qatar CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions Winner 2022 England Copa América Third 2019 Brazil
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:36, 17 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 September 2024

Paulo Exequiel Dybala (born November 15, 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for the Italian club Roma and the Argentina national team. People call him "La Joya," which means "The Jewel," because he is so good at dribbling and scoring goals.

Dybala started his club career in 2011 with Instituto de Córdoba. In 2012, he moved to Palermo, where he helped them win the Serie B title. In 2015, Dybala joined Juventus, one of Italy's biggest clubs. With Juventus, he won many Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia cups. He was even named the Most Valuable Player in the 2019-20 season. He is also one of Juventus's top goalscorers of all time. In 2022, Dybala moved to another Serie A club, Roma.

Dybala first played for the Argentina national team in 2015 when he was 21. He has played in 40 games for his country. He represented Argentina in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 Copa América, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He helped Argentina win the World Cup title in 2022.

Early Life and Family Roots

Paulo Dybala was born in Laguna Larga, a town in Córdoba, Argentina. His family has interesting roots from different parts of Europe. His grandfather, Bolesław Dybała, came from a village in Poland. He moved to Argentina to escape World War II.

Some of his grandfather's family also moved to Canada. Dybala's family also has Italian heritage. His great-grandmother on his mother's side was from the Province of Naples in Italy.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Argentina

Dybala was nicknamed "La Joya" (The Jewel) or "El pibe de la pensión" (The Boarding House Kid). He started his professional football journey at age 17. He played for his hometown club, Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba, in Argentina's second division.

He played 40 matches for Instituto and scored 17 goals. He broke a record by being the youngest player to score a goal for the club. He also set records for playing many games in a row and scoring multiple hat-tricks in one season.

Moving to Italy with Palermo

Dybala taking a corner for Palermo in 2015

In 2012, US Città di Palermo signed Dybala. The club's president called him "the new Sergio Agüero," a famous Argentine player. Dybala signed a four-year deal with Palermo. The transfer fee was about €8.64 million.

He made his debut in Serie A, Italy's top league. On November 11, 2012, he scored his first two goals in Italy, helping Palermo win 2–0 against Sampdoria. The 2014–15 Serie A season was a big one for him. He scored ten goals in the first half of the season. He also worked well with his teammate Franco Vázquez. Dybala finished that season with 13 goals and 10 assists. This made him one of the best players for setting up goals in the league.

Joining Juventus: A Star is Born

Winning Titles and Scoring Goals

On June 4, 2015, Juventus signed Dybala for €32 million. He was given the number 21 shirt. This number was previously worn by the legendary player Andrea Pirlo. In his first game for Juventus, he scored a goal in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana, helping his team win 2–0.

He scored his first league goal for Juventus on August 30, 2015. In his first 16 games, he scored six goals and made two assists. This was a great start, even better than some Juventus legends. Dybala scored his first Coppa Italia goal in a 4–0 win against Torino.

On February 23, 2016, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal against Bayern Munich. He finished the season as Juventus's top scorer with 23 goals. Juventus also won the Serie A title that year.

Dybala warming up for Juventus in 2017

After Paul Pogba left Juventus in 2016, Dybala was offered the famous number 10 jersey. But he chose to keep his number 21 shirt. In the 2016–17 season, Dybala played in a deeper role. He helped create plays for new teammate Gonzalo Higuaín. This meant he scored fewer goals but helped the team in other ways.

On April 11, 2017, Dybala scored two goals against Barcelona in the Champions League. Juventus won that game 3–0. A few days later, he signed a new contract with Juventus until 2022. On June 3, he played in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. However, Juventus lost to Real Madrid.

In August 2017, Dybala was given the number 10 shirt for Juventus. On August 26, he scored his first hat-trick in Serie A against Genoa. He scored another hat-trick on September 17, in his 100th game for Juventus. On March 11, 2018, he scored two goals against Udinese. His first goal in that game was his 100th career goal.

Challenges and Comebacks

Dybala (left) in action for Juventus in 2021

On September 1, 2018, Dybala played his 100th Serie A game for Juventus. On October 2, he scored another hat-trick in the Champions League against Young Boys. Later that month, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Manchester United.

When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus, Dybala sometimes played in a different position. This, along with some injuries, meant he scored fewer goals in the 2018–19 season. He scored five goals in 30 league games. But Juventus still won the Serie A title.

After this tough season, many thought Dybala might leave Juventus. But he stayed for the 2019–20 season. He started playing well again under the new manager, Maurizio Sarri. On October 6, 2019, he scored his first goal of the season against rivals Inter. This helped Juventus take the top spot in the league.

In the 2020 Coppa Italia final, Juventus lost to Napoli in a penalty shootout. Dybala missed his penalty kick. However, at the end of the season, Dybala was named the Serie A MVP for the 2019–20 season. He scored 11 goals and made 6 assists, helping Juventus win their ninth league title in a row.

In the 2021–22 season, Dybala became the team's vice-captain. On March 21, 2022, Juventus announced that Dybala's contract would not be renewed. This was because the club's plans changed after they signed striker Dušan Vlahović.

Dybala scored his 100th goal for Juventus on May 12, 2022. He was the first non-European player to do so. On May 15, 2022, Dybala announced he would leave Juventus. He played his last home game for Juventus on May 16, 2022, and received a standing ovation from the fans.

Joining Roma

On July 20, 2022, Dybala signed a three-year contract with Roma. His contract runs until June 30, 2025.

He made his debut for Roma on August 14, 2022, in a 1–0 win against Salernitana. On May 31, 2023, he scored the first goal in the 2023 UEFA Europa League final. However, Roma lost the match to Sevilla in a penalty shootout.

On February 26, 2024, Dybala scored his first hat-trick for Roma. This helped them win 3–2 against Torino. On April 18, he scored his 50th goal for Roma. This was in a 2–1 win against AC Milan in the Europa League quarter-finals. Dybala stayed with Roma for the last year of his contract. Many people saw him as a key player for manager Daniele de Rossi's team.

International Career for Argentina

Dybala playing for Argentina in 2017

Because of his family history, Dybala could have played for Poland or Italy. But he always said he felt 100 percent Argentine. He dreamed of playing for Argentina. He said he wouldn't be happy playing for a team that didn't feel like his own.

Early Days with the National Team

On September 22, 2015, Dybala was called up to the Argentina senior team for the first time. He made his first appearance on October 13, 2015. He came on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay.

In May 2016, he was not chosen for Argentina's squad for the Copa América Centenario. Juventus also did not want to release him for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

On September 1, 2016, Dybala was sent off in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. On June 13, 2017, he set up a goal in a 6–0 friendly win against Singapore.

World Cup and Copa América

In May 2018, Dybala was named in Argentina's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He made his World Cup debut on June 21 against Croatia. This was his only game in the tournament. Argentina was knocked out in the round of 16.

Later that year, on November 20, Dybala scored his first goal for Argentina. It was in a 2–0 friendly win against Mexico.

In May 2019, Dybala was chosen for Argentina's squad for the 2019 Copa América. On June 23, he helped set up a goal against Qatar. This helped Argentina move to the next stage. In the third-place match against Chile on July 6, Dybala scored Argentina's second goal. This helped his team win the bronze medal.

Winning the World Cup

On June 1, 2022, Dybala scored Argentina's last goal in a 3–0 win against Italy. This game was called the 2022 Finalissima.

He was part of the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On December 13, he played his first game in the tournament against Croatia in the semi-finals. Five days later, in the final against France, he came on as a substitute just before the penalty shootout. He scored the second penalty kick, helping Argentina win the World Cup 4–2!

In May 2024, Dybala was not included in the squad for the 2024 Copa América.

How Dybala Plays Football

Dybala is a very skillful and elegant player. He is known for his strong and accurate shots. He is also great at being creative and dribbling the ball. He can beat one opponent or even many opponents at once. Because he is so good at dribbling, he is excellent at counter-attacks. He can also run past defenders to get into good scoring positions.

He is also known for his energy and how much he helps defend. Dybala is also good at creating chances for his teammates. He has great vision and can pass the ball very accurately. Even though he is not very tall, he can score goals with his head. This is because he knows how to move to get past defenders.

Dybala is a versatile forward, meaning he can play in many attacking positions. He started as a left winger in Argentina. But in Italy, he has played as a right winger or an attacking midfielder. Sometimes, his former manager at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, even used him as a central midfielder. Allegri called him a "box-to-box player."

Dybala is also good at scoring from free-kicks and penalties. His playing style has been compared to famous players like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. Many people think he is a very talented young player in world football.

After scoring a goal, Dybala often does his special "mask" celebration. He said this celebration is a message. It's like a mask that gladiators wore to fight. He got the idea after a tough loss in a game.

Personal Life

Dybala became an Italian citizen on August 13, 2012. This helped him move to Palermo more easily. It also helped the club follow rules about how many non-EU players a team can have. He first tried to get Polish citizenship because of his grandfather. But it was too complicated.

Dybala has several tattoos on his body. These include two stripes on his left arm, an Arabic tattoo, and a crowned football on his leg.

Since 2018, he has been in a relationship with Oriana Sabatini. She is the daughter of a Venezuelan actress and the niece of a famous Argentine tennis player. Paulo and Oriana got married on July 20, 2024.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dybala goal.

List of international goals scored by Paulo Dybala

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	20 November 2018	Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza, Argentina	18	Mexico	2–0	2–0	Friendly
2	6 July 2019	Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil	24	Chile	2–0	2–1	2019 Copa América
3	1 June 2022	Wembley Stadium, London, England	33	Italy	3–0	3–0	2022 Finalissima
4	5 September 2024	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	39	Chile	3–0	3–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Trophies and Awards

Palermo

• Serie B: 2013–14

Juventus

• Serie A: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
• Coppa Italia: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2015, 2018
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2016–17

Roma

• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2022–23

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup: 2022
• CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022

Individual Awards

• Serie A Team of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
• Serie A Player of the Month: July 2020, November 2023, February 2024, April 2024, December 2024
• Serie A Most Valuable Player: 2019–20
• ESM Team of the Year: 2016–17
• UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2022–23
• Coppa Italia top goalscorer: 2016–17
• Serie A top assist provider: 2014–15

Records

• Supercoppa Italiana all-time top scorer: 4 goals
• Youngest player to score a hat-trick in Serie A for Palermo at the age of 21 years, 11 months, and 16 days.
• Fastest player to reach 50 goals for Juventus in Serie A in the club's history.
• First Juventus player to score in four consecutive away games in the UEFA Champions League.
• Scored the 25,000th goal in Juventus' history in a Serie A match against Torino.
• First non-European player to score 100 goals in Serie A (excluding naturalized players)

See also

In Spanish: Paulo Dybala para niños