Alex Meret
A commanding Italian goalkeeper whose steady hands and crucial saves anchored Napoli's first Serie A title in over three decades.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Italian footballer·Birthday: March 22·Generation Z
Biography
Alex Meret won the 2022-23 Serie A title as Napoli's starting goalkeeper. A product of Udinese's academy, he moved to Napoli in 2018 in a high-profile transfer. His early seasons tested his resilience: injuries and competition for the starting spot limited his appearances. Meret does not rely on flashy saves. His game depends on intelligent positioning, calm distribution, and unusual anticipation. During Napoli's Scudetto campaign, these qualities became essential. Behind a thrilling attacking team, he provided crucial stability, making decisive saves in tight matches. His consistency helped close out a historic championship. He became Italy's first-choice goalkeeper through quiet authority rather than spectacle.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Alex was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Alex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Serie A title with Napoli in the 2022-23 season, the club's first league championship in 33 years.
- Member of the Italy national team that won UEFA Euro 2020, serving as a backup goalkeeper.
- Won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in the 2019-20 season.
Did You Know?
He kept a clean sheet in his senior debut for Udinese in a 3-0 win over Palermo in 2016.
Meret is known for his skill with the ball at his feet, a key attribute in Napoli's possession-based style.
He was born in Udine, Italy, and joined Udinese's youth system at the age of nine.
“A clean sheet is not just my success; it is the work of the whole team.”
