Gianluca Lapadula biography: the Italian who chose Peru

Few footballers have been adopted by a fanbase as quickly as Gianluca Lapadula. This striker born in Turin, trained in Juventus' academy, joined the Peru national team in 2020 barely speaking Spanish, and a few months of commitment on the pitch were enough for the public to treat him as one of their own. In 2026 he took the definitive step: he left Italian football after almost two decades and moved to Lima to play for Universitario de Deportes. Here you will find his full story, from those youth years in Turin to his first header goal at the Estadio Monumental de Ate.

Who is Gianluca Lapadula?

Gianluca Lapadula is an Italian-Peruvian footballer born on February 7, 1990 in Turin, Italy. He plays as a striker and is known for his time in Italian football and for his spell with the Peru national team, which he debuted for in 2020. In 2026 he plays for Universitario de Deportes, in Peru's Liga 1.

Gianluca Lapadula's personal details

Gianluca Lapadula's childhood and early years

Gianluca was born in Turin in 1990, the son of Gianfranco Lapadula, Italian, and Blanca Aida Vargas Higinio, a Peruvian born in Paramonga, on the coast north of Lima. He grew up in Italy, in an environment where football was the natural path for a boy with ability.

That path opened early. In 1996, at just six years old, he joined Juventus' academy, where he trained for eight seasons until 2004. Coming out of an academy like that guarantees nothing —in fact, most of those who pass through it never make it—, and Lapadula had to take the long road: lower divisions of Italian football, loans and modest clubs before he poked his head out.

The Peruvian connection, meanwhile, remained a family matter. His mother's surname and her origin would, years later, be the gateway to the stage that would change his career.

Gianluca Lapadula's professional career

His real takeoff came in Serie B. In the 2015-16 season he scored 30 goals for Pescara, a figure that earned him the division's Golden Boot and put his name on the table of the big clubs.

The reward was a transfer to AC Milan in 2016, the leap every Serie B striker chases. It did not quite work out at San Siro —competition at a club like that rarely forgives—, but his career went on with one constant: wherever he went, he scored. He played for Genoa, Lecce and Benevento before landing at Cagliari, with whom he achieved promotion to Serie A in the 2022-23 season, one of the most celebrated goals of his Italian period.

His last stop in Europe was Spezia, where he scored five goals in a campaign that ended badly for the club: relegation. That outcome is what opened the door to his next move, the one nobody had fully anticipated.

Main milestones of his career:

• 1996-2004: trains in Juventus' academy
• 2015-16: 30 goals for Pescara and the Serie B Golden Boot
• 2016: signs for AC Milan
• 2016: debuts for the Italy national team and scores 3 goals against San Marino
• 2020: debuts for the Peru national team on November 13
• 2021: 3 goals at the Copa América; best Peruvian player of the tournament according to Conmebol
• 2022-23: promoted to Serie A with Cagliari
• 2026: signs for Universitario de Deportes

Gianluca Lapadula's clubs and national teams

Gianluca Lapadula's personal life

The trait that has most shaped his public image is not a private detail but a decision: choosing to play for Peru when he had already worn the Italy shirt. Lapadula applied for Peruvian nationality on the basis of his mother's origin and presented himself to a fanbase that did not know him and that, with reason, distrusted a striker who until then had only been Italian.

The way he won them over was his work on the pitch. His commitment, the duels and his willingness to chase every ball built him a reputation as a “Spartan” player that struck a chord with the Peruvian public, used to valuing that profile above flashy talent. At the 2021 Copa América he settled the matter for good: three goals and Conmebol's distinction as the best Peruvian of the tournament.

The detail usually mentioned is the language. Lapadula joined the national team without speaking fluent Spanish and learned it as he went, in dressing rooms and press conferences, something the public read as a sign of commitment rather than a shortcoming.

His arrival in Lima in 2026 closed the circle: he went from representing his mother's country from Europe to living and competing in it, at a club with one of the most demanding fanbases on the continent.

Gianluca Lapadula trivia

• He scored a hat-trick on his Italy debut: it was against San Marino, in November 2016, and even so he ended up playing for Peru.
• He joined Juventus at six years old: he spent eight seasons in one of the most demanding academies in Europe.
• His mother is from Paramonga: a district on the coast north of Lima, a long way from Turin.
• He was the Serie B Golden Boot: his 30 goals for Pescara in 2015-16 opened Milan's door for him.
• Conmebol chose him as the best Peruvian of the 2021 Copa América: he scored 3 goals in that tournament.
• He debuted in Liga 1 at altitude: his first match with Universitario was in Tarma, against ADT.
• He opened his goal account with a header: his first goal at the Monumental de Ate came from the air, despite standing 1.78 m tall.

Gianluca Lapadula in 2026

June 2026 brought the news nobody fully expected: Universitario de Deportes made his signing official for the Torneo Clausura, with a contract of a year and a half running until the end of 2027. He came from Spezia, where he had scored five goals in a campaign that ended with the club's relegation.

He adapted quickly. He debuted on the first matchday of the Clausura against ADT, at altitude in Tarma, and did not take long to score: his first goal at the Monumental de Ate came with a header and was enough to win over the stands. In August, even the Italian press was still commenting on his scoring run in Peruvian football.

At Famosix it strikes us as an unusual case: a footballer trained in Europe who decides to finish his career competing in his mother's country, and not as a golden retirement but as a starter. You can see other Peruvian footballers in our ranking of Peruvian celebrities.

Conclusion

Gianluca Lapadula built his career by insisting: he left Juventus' academy with no guarantees, became a goalscorer in Serie B when nobody was betting on him any more and ended up choosing the Peru shirt despite having a past with Italy. His spell at Universitario is the most unexpected chapter of that story. At Famosix we follow his performances in Liga 1 and those of the other figures of Peruvian sport.

Sources consulted

• La República: Universitario confirma a Gianluca Lapadula para el Torneo Clausura 2026
• Infobae: Gianluca Lapadula alcanzó los 200 goles como futbolista
• RPP: Gianluca Lapadula, números previo a sumarse a la Selección Peruana