With her constant determination, she wants to push as much as possible. Agnese Bonfantini’s life is made of important goals, smile, fashion and blue, the colour of the dreams of a young girl who grew up chasing the international strip. From her first kicks of a football in Verbania to one of two goals that sealed Italy’s first ever away win against Germany last December. Calmness and fun that turn into ambition and awareness, with one goal above all: becoming a source of inspiration for young girls alongside her teammates: “You can’t put it into words, it’s a huge honour: as a little girl I used to aspire to players, but now young girls are inspired by us”.

A PASSION BORN IN VERBANIA. “To a baby me I would say… thank goodness you’ve calmed down”. Bonfantini’s interview with Vivo Azzurro TV began with laughter, and like normal she doesn’t take herself too seriously. It is a character trait that has over time become one of the 25 year old from Verbania’s strengths. The Fiorentina player stated, “I was born into a family of volleyball players but I always preferred playing football with my classmates. At 6 years old, my mother signed me up for another team as she thought that I would have got bored without my friends. Instead I made new friends and from then on, I never stopped”. 

Everything seemed to be running smoothly, but ‘smoothy’ is not a word in Bonfa’s vocabulary: “At 10 years old, I tried volleyball for a while. When I was there, I always used my feet, and then when I played football, I started using my hands, I even got a red card for it once. From that point, I told my parents that I wanted to focus on the sport that I liked more and they started supporting me immediately. I have to thank them as they made many sacrifices and I am happy to have repaid their effort”.

FROM MIDFIELD TO THE ITALY DREAM. She began her career in midfield and with the number 4 on her back (her favourite number). “Because I liked to score, one day I asked the manager if I could play more forward. He said yes and from that point on I have always played on the wing”. It is a position change that made her more like her idol Alex Morgan (“an example of a great mum and a great player”) and this opened the opportunity up with the Italy Under-16s. “When I was called up for the first time I was so happy, then I progressed right to the top. I will never forget my first EUROs in 2022: it didn’t go like we wanted it to, but it was one of my dreams and I am happy that it came true”.

Her biggest dream is to go to a World Cup, but before thinking about the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, she needs to earn Andrea Soncin’s call up for the 2025 EUROs. “I hope to be there as together we want to push as far as possible. Italy is very united and we play as a team. We are trying to create a positive path to close the Nations League well in order to be ready for Switzerland”.

A FUTURE BETWEEN FASHION AND THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL. Flair and imagination on the pitch, but not only. Her passion for football has always been alongside her love for clothes. “From a young age I shut myself in my room creating outfits. A few years ago, I signed up to a fashion school to become a stylist and I must say that I really enjoyed it. When I stop playing, I want to launch my own brand and stay in the world of football, sponsoring clubs or players”. It is a love at first sight that she talks about a lot on her socials, without any filter, showing her true personality. “I like enjoying myself and making others have fun. I don’t take it too seriously and I post things even if they’re not perfect”.