Napoli and Georgia sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has expressed his delight at some of the remarkable milestones he has already achieved at just 23 years old, Soccernet.football reports.
The Georgian winger helped Napoli secure a historic third Serie A title in 2022, a feat 33 years in the making since Diego Maradona’s reign.
He also guided Georgia to UEFA EURO 2024, where they reached the last 16 — a significant accomplishment for his country. But for Kvaratskhelia, there’s still much more to come
Reflecting on his personal life, the Georgian star recently became a father for the first time.
“My life has changed completely! I suddenly felt a huge responsibility to become a father. The birth of my son has brought me immense happiness, and now I see things in a different way,” he told FIFA.
Kvaratskhelia also discussed one of the standout moments of his career — facing Cristiano Ronaldo in Georgia’s victory over Portugal during EURO 2024. The young playmaker opened the scoring on the day after only two minutes to guide his country to a memorable 2-0 victory.
“The match against Portugal in the Euros was the most important game,” Kvaratskhelia recalled. “I was playing against the player that I followed and idolised since I was a young kid. Before the game I said to myself ‘this is my moment’ and I knew I needed to show that on the pitch.
“Playing against your idol is a huge motivation. It was incredible. He came to me and wished me good luck. I was over the moon and even more convinced that Georgia would win. I gave everything that evening and I helped my team to achieve a historic result.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Kvaratskhelia is optimistic about Georgia’s chances. “We believe that we can qualify and that is the main thing. We have the ability and the character to turn this dream into reality.”
On working under Antonio Conte at Napoli, Kvaratskhelia praised the coach’s influence: “I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with Antonio Conte. Someone had told me that he was a great coach and I’m happy to be able to experience that first-hand.
“He is one of the best in the world and with him I’m trying to improve physically as well as tactically. I think that with his help, I can achieve the desired results at both club and international level.”
The Georgian winger has been nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award but he insists he retains loads of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“We have to respect the legends of the sport like Messi and Ronaldo,” Kvaratskhelia opines.
“They are still playing and performing at a high standard for the fans. I am fortunate to have played in the same era as them and to have experienced the spectacular football that they have gifted us along with the other legends of their generation.
