Gattuso’s first Italy squad: Pio Esposito and Leoni fresh faces for 2026 World Cup qualifiers

FERRARA, ITALY – MARCH 26: Francesco Pio Esposito of Italy U21 during the UEFA Under21 EURO Qualifier match between Italy U21 and Turkey U21 at Stadio Paolo Mazza on March 26, 2024 in Ferrara, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito and new Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni are in Gennaro Gattuso’s first Italy squad for World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Israel.

The first match for the new coach will be against Estonia in Bergamo on September 5, then an ‘away’ fixture to Israel on neutral turf in Debrecen, Hungary.

The CT took over from sacked Luciano Spalletti over the summer, following a rough start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

He will begin work at the Coverciano training centre on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Among the players who receive their first senior call-ups are Inter’s young striker Francesco Pio Esposito, and Liverpool’s €35m investment Leoni.

Esposito turned 20 in June and was a regular for the Italy Under-21 side, but Leoni is 18 and his only caps were at Under-19 and Under-18 levels.

On top of those, there are also some familiar faces, as Roma defender Gianluca Mancini and Atalanta forward Gianluca Scamacca return after more than a year out.

Mateo Retegui is still included, even after his controversial transfer to Al-Qadsiah.

Curiously, especially as Gattuso is a Milan legend, he did not call any players from the Rossoneri squad.

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).