Liam Duckstein
João Pedro is set to return to Serie A four years after his brief and painful international debut for Italy, with reports in Italy claiming that Pisa have activated the striker’s release clause.
The former Cagliari forward, who scored 71 goals in 281 Serie A appearances, is expected to make a comeback to Italy’s top flight after agreeing a move from Mexican side Atlético San Luis.
João Pedro set to join Pisa
According to Italian outlets, including La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pisa have agreed to pay João Pedro’s €3.5 million release clause in a bid to strengthen their struggling squad.
The Nerazzurri are said to have finalised the deal, with the 33-year-old expected to arrive in Italy on Sunday to undergo medical tests ahead of completing the transfer.
Despite his age, João Pedro has been in prolific form this season, scoring 13 goals in 18 matches in the Mexican league — a return that convinced Pisa to move decisively in the January window.
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Italy heartbreak still lingers
Born in Brazil but holding an Italian passport, João Pedro earned just one senior cap for La Nazionale, and it came on one of the darkest nights in modern Italian football history.
The striker was introduced in the 89th minute of Italy’s World Cup play-off semi-final against North Macedonia in March 2022, replacing Domenico Berardi as the Azzurri searched desperately for a winner.
Just three minutes later, Aleksandar Trajkovski scored a stoppage-time goal that eliminated Italy from World Cup contention, denying the reigning European champions a place at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
That appearance remains João Pedro’s only outing in the blue shirt, and the defeat marked a turning point in his career in Italy.
The forward left Cagliari later that summer, ending a long association with the Sardinian club before moving to Fenerbahçe, and later embarking on a new chapter in Mexico.
Now, four years on, João Pedro is poised for a return to Serie A — offering Pisa experience, goals, and a chance at personal redemption in a league where he once made his name.