If you catch Umberto Pelá striding to across Grounds to class or captaining the UVA Men’s Soccer team at Klöckner Stadium, you’ll see a student-athlete who carries with him a rich set of experiences spanning countries, cultures, and ambitions. Born in Uccle, Belgium, and raised in Milan, Italy, Pelá’s journey is marked by love for the sport he has committed his life to playing, rivaled only by his dedication to his education and a passion for exploring new horizons. Now, as a third-year at the Commerce School, he’s readying himself to take on new challenges while staying true to the dreams that have fueled him since childhood.
Learning to play in Milan, Pelá says his interest in soccer blossomed at an early age, just three and a half years old. “The soccer system in Italy is programmed in a way where each club oversees the first four years of development at soccer schools or Scuola Calcio,” he explains. “At that age, you learn how to kick a ball and other techniques.” But even from those early beginnings, his intense connection to the game only grew, taking more of his time and eventually winning out over his competing interest in tennis.
At age 14, he relocated to London, attending school there for two years. While a regular center back or right back, he remembers selling himself as a striker, as his skill level proved to be above the local competition. But the experience stays with him for other reasons: “It was one of the most crucial points of my career. It made me enjoy playing [soccer] again because it was an environment where there was much less pressure,” he recalls. “I just look back at it with such fond memories,” he says, noting that he still keeps in touch with some of his teammates from his teenage playing days in the UK.
Pelá returned to Milan, where he received his first professional call-up for the Como 1907 club at age 17, playing in Italy’s Second Division, where he was named to the U16 and U17 Lombardy All-Region Team, and was the #1-ranked midfielder for the entire Lombardy region.
The Importance of Being Well-Educated
As accomplished as he was at such a young age, years before coming to play for UVA, soccer wasn’t his only aim. Education was equally important to him, and the difficulty of balancing it with athletics became a defining aspect of his life. “In Italy, it’s quite tough to concentrate on soccer and academics. Coming to UVA was a choice to pursue both dreams—the dream of becoming a professional soccer player and having that safety net of a high-level degree,” Pelá explains. UVA’s prestigious soccer program, coupled with the possibility of being accepted at the McIntire School, offered him the perfect combination to reach his aims.
And as choosing UVA over other big ACC schools represented as much about succeeding in soccer as it did about securing a future beyond the sport, the Comm School’s reputation played a significant role in his decision-making process.
As he begins his time at McIntire, he’s already seasoned by the complexities of life as a student-athlete. As one of UVA Men’s Soccer captains, he has faced the physical challenges that come with competing at a high level while maintaining academic excellence. “Playing two games a week is very taxing on your body,” Pelá admits. “But I think that understanding my role and why I came to UVA was something I probably didn’t reflect on enough in my first year. UVA for me now isn’t just soccer—it’s way more than that.”
This realization has led Pelá to broaden his experience at UVA, ensuring that he takes full advantage of all the opportunities available to him. “There are so many things that make up the UVA experience—whether that be talking to professors, exploring interesting classes, making new friends, or just seeing Grounds,” he reflects. “When I finally understood that my experience here was about more than just soccer, my time at UVA became exponentially better.”
Planning to concentrate in both Management and Information Technology, he’s driven by a desire to acquire a versatile business background and technical skills that could be applied to various industries. “One of my potential interests is a career exploring the financial side of sports,” he says. “I enjoy writing about that, and the involvement of private equity in European soccer is something that’s quite eye-catching to me.”
Respecting the Dream
Since soccer remains an integral part of his life, Pelá remains fully committed to elevating his play at UVA while advancing his ultimate goal of pursuing a career as a professional player—wherever in the world that may take him. As such, he sees his McIntire education preparing him for a wealth of career decisions to come either sooner or later, including the possibility of pivoting to a career in the financial side of sports.
Tightrope walking a careful balance between ambition and practicality, he understands the importance of time, attempting to use every moment to its fullest potential. “Planning is probably the most crucial part in terms of time management. It’s what makes the difference between a productive day and one where I don’t accomplish what I want,” he says regarding his disciplined approach that allows him to excel on the field and in the classroom.
Looking ahead, Pelá’s aims for the coming season are clear—both for the team and for himself. “Priority number one is to win something, whether that is regular season or post-season,” he declares. On a personal level, he is determined to stay healthy, but maintaining that, he also has set his sights on being named ACC Midfielder of the Year—a challenging accolade to earn, but one that reflects his drive: “It’s my ultimate goal. It’s a high bar, but you’ve gotta shoot for the stars, right?”
