Two assists from full-back in his last three games, both in wins. Matteo Piccardo is right in the middle of FIU’s best run of the season: the Panthers have won three straight and are unbeaten in five, and Matteo has started all five.
The assists
On Tuesday, September 29, at FGCU, FIU went behind in the 10th minute, levelled through Santi Possu in the 23rd and took the lead in the 28th when Martin Piedeleu finished a move set up by Jad Benjelloun and Matteo. It ended 4-2, the Panthers’ highest-scoring game of the season.
A week later, on Tuesday, October 6, against North Florida in Miami, Matteo unlocked the game again: in the 24th minute his pass put Sergio Perello through for the opener. FIU won 2-0 for a third straight win.
The numbers
This season Matteo has played 9 games, 8 of them as a starter, for 514 minutes and 2 assists. FIU are 6-3-2. The last five, all with Matteo in the starting lineup: Drake 1-0, Memphis 2-2, FGCU 4-2 (away), South Florida 1-0 (away), North Florida 2-0.
From Genoa to Miami
Matteo is from Genoa. He came through the youth system at Genoa CFC (2017-2020), played for U.S. Pergolettese (2020-2022) and was part of Italy’s youth national team setup from 2015 to 2019. In 2023 he moved to the US to play for the University of New Hampshire (we covered his arrival here), where he spent three seasons. In 2025 he was team captain, with 2 goals and 2 assists, a goal in the America East semifinal against Vermont and the Harvey Johnson Most Inspirational Player Award. This year he joined FIU as a graduate student and went straight into the starting lineup.
What’s next
FIU return to American Conference play on Sunday, October 11, hosting UAB at Leyva Family Field in Miami (7 p.m. local time, ESPN+).
Matteo Piccardo · Florida International University (Miami, Florida) · NCAA Division I, American Conference · Full-back, #18 · Graduate student · Genoa, Italy · Previously University of New Hampshire (2023-2025) · 2026: 9 games, 8 starts, 514 minutes, 2 assists
Source: fiusports.com. Photos: FIU Athletics.
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