Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati has completed a move from Serie A side Parma to Portuguese giants Benfica, signing a five-year contract until 2031. The 22-year-old, who played in all four of Australia's World Cup matches, is the latest in a wave of Socceroos securing lucrative European transfers following the tournament, joining teammates such as Lucas Herrington at Hull City and Nestory Irankunda at Sporting.

The transfer, reportedly worth 20m euros ($33m), takes Circati to Benfica's Estadio da Luz, with the defender describing the move as "a huge honour" and "a privilege". Born in Italy, he came through Perth Glory's youth ranks before joining Parma in 2021, later becoming a standout performer as the club finished 12th in Serie A. He now has 17 international caps and says he can adapt across centre-back roles in either a back-four or back-three formation.