Petar Ratkov

Official SS Lazio photo

Petar Ratkov, born on 18 August 2003 in Belgrade, Serbia, is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for S.S. Lazio in Italy’s Serie A and is capped by the Serbia national team.

Standing around 1.93 m tall, Ratkov developed his footballing skills in the youth ranks of FK TSC Bačka Topola, where he made his senior debut in the 2020–21 season and quickly established himself as a promising attacking talent. After a productive spell in the Serbian SuperLiga, he moved to Red Bull Salzburg in 2023, where over two and a half seasons he scored 22 goals in 99 appearances, showcasing his aerial ability, physical presence, and goal-scoring instincts. One highlight of his Austrian stint was scoring an incredibly fast goal, one of the quickest in league history. Ratkov has also represented Serbia at various youth levels and made his senior debut in October 2023, committing his international future to the Serbian team despite eligibility for Bulgaria and Croatia through descent.

In January 2026, Ratkov completed a transfer to Lazio, signing a long-term contract — reportedly until 2030 — in a deal worth around €13 million, making him one of the club’s first major moves of the winter transfer window and a potential successor to former striker Valentin Castellanos. At Lazio he wears the number 20 shirt and is seen as a forward with significant room for growth, expected to adapt his power, link-up play, and finishing to the tactical demands of Serie A.