Football Italia
·30 September 2026
Ruggeri, Kayode and Seba Esposito react to their senior Italy debuts on social media

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·30 September 2026

Matteo Ruggeri, Michael Kayode, and Sebastiano Esposito made their senior Italy debut against Turkiye on Monday and took to social media to reflect on the milestone.
Ruggeri, Kayode and Sebastiano Esposito started in Italy’s 4-1 win over Turkiye on Monday, making their first senior appearance with the Azzurri.
They all delivered solid performances and were praised by fans and the media alike. Brentford defender Kayode even scored Italy’s third goal and then wrote on Instagram: “A night I will never forget,” adding pictures and a video of his goal and celebration.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝑀𝒾𝒸𝒽𝒶𝑒𝓁 𝒪𝓁𝒶𝒷𝑜𝒹𝑒 𝓀𝒶𝓎𝑜𝒹𝑒✞ (@michaelkayode)
Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito started alongside his brother Francesco Pio, an Inter centre-forward, and shared a picture of their celebration in Bursa, which has already become iconic.
“Singing the national anthem alongside my brother, making my debut, and the victory. A dream come true,” the striker wrote.
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Aston Villa defender Ruggeri, who wasn’t initially part of the Azzurri squad but was soon called up to replace the injured Federico Dimarco, wrote: “A day I had been waiting for so long, and it has finally arrived. My debut with the senior national team, crowned by a great team victory.
“Thank you to everyone who has always been by my side, supporting me and believing in me as I worked towards this achievement, starting with my family and all the way to my closest friends.”
View this post on Instagram
Italy are now preparing for their next match against France in Paris this coming Friday.
They’ll end the international break next Monday, hosting Turkiye at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna.







































