Gennaro Gattuso has announced his inaugural Italy squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Israel, featuring fresh talent in Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito and Liverpool`s recent acquisition, defender Giovanni Leoni.
Gattuso`s tenure as head coach will commence with a match against Estonia in Bergamo on September 5, followed by an `away` fixture against Israel, to be held on neutral ground in Debrecen, Hungary.
Gattuso assumed the role of head coach over the summer, replacing Luciano Spalletti, who was dismissed after a challenging start to Italy`s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The team is set to gather at the Coverciano training centre, with activities kicking off on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
Among the notable first senior call-ups are Inter`s promising young striker Francesco Pio Esposito, and Liverpool`s significant €35 million signing, Giovanni Leoni.
Esposito, who turned 20 in June, has been a consistent presence in Italy`s Under-21 squad. Leoni, at just 18, brings experience from the Under-19 and Under-18 national teams.
The squad also sees the return of experienced players, with Roma defender Gianluca Mancini and Atalanta forward Gianluca Scamacca rejoining the national team after absences exceeding a year.
Despite a recent controversial transfer to Al-Qadsiah, Mateo Retegui retains his place in the squad.
Interestingly, despite Gattuso`s legendary status at AC Milan, no players from the Rossoneri squad were included in this selection.
Italy squad for Estonia and Israel matches
- Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
- Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);
- Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
- Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).