Emanuel Benjamín

Emanuel Benjamín (born July 14, 2007) is a footballer who plays as a defender for Real Madrid youth team. Born in Brazil but raised in Spain, he represents Italy at youth level.

Early life
Benjamín was born in Blumenau, in the South Region of Brazil, to Jefferson Alvés Balbinot and Marcela Regina de Sant'ana Balbinot. In Brazil, he started playing futsal, but in 2018 he and his family moved to Spain.

He is of Italian descent; his grandparents are from Pievepelago, Emilia-Romagna, and he earned Italian citizenship as a result. His brothers, Samuel and Miguel, are also footballers for Atlético Madrid.

Club career
Benjamín started playing football instead of futsal when he moved to Spain, joining Complutense Alcalá and, one year later, Rayo Vallecano. During his first season at Rayo, he played as a forward, maintaining an average of one goal per game. However, due to his small frame, which was not suited for a true center forward, he was moved to the wing. In 2021 he moved to Getafe and then to Real Madrid "Juvenil A", making in his debuts season 4 goals in 24 games.

International career
As Benjamín holds both Italian and Brazilian citizenship, he was eligible to play for both the Italian and Brazilian national teams. In 2024, he was called up for the first time for Italy U17, with whom he won the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Honours
Italy U17
 * UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2024

Individual
 * UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2024