Italy squad: Gattuso hands first call-ups to Cambiaghi, Nicolussi Caviglia | OneFootball

Head coach Gennaro Gattuso has officially announced the list of 27 players called up for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Estonia and Israel. Among the new faces, the first call-ups for Nicolò Cambiaghi and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia stand out.

Italian National Team, Gattuso’s Call-Ups: First Call for Cambiaghi and Nicolussi Caviglia

The National Team returns to the spotlight with two crucial matches in the race for the World Cup. The Azzurri will face Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday, October 11, 2025, and then host Israel on Tuesday, October 14 at the Stadio Friuli in Udine, which has already hosted previous international matches. These games follow the victories achieved in September, marking a positive start to Gattuso’s adventure as the new head coach.

The Call-Ups: 27 Players Selected by Gattuso

The training camp is scheduled for Monday, October 6 at the Federal Technical Center in Coverciano. The coach has released a list of 27 players that mixes certainties, returns, and absolute newcomers.

Goalkeepers

Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City)

Alex Meret (Napoli)

Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)

Defenders

Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)

Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal)

Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus)

Diego Coppola (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli)

Federico Dimarco (Inter)

Matteo Gabbia (Milan)

Gianluca Mancini (Roma)

Destiny Udogie (Tottenham)

Midfielders

Nicolò Barella (Inter)

Bryan Cristante (Roma)

Davide Frattesi (Inter)

Manuel Locatelli (Juventus)

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (Fiorentina)

Sandro Tonali (Newcastle)

Forwards

Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna)

Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter)

Moise Kean (Fiorentina)

Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna)

Matteo Politano (Napoli)

Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid)

Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah)

Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)

New Faces and Returns

Two absolute debuts: Nicolò Cambiaghi, striker for Bologna, and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, midfielder for Fiorentina. Both have convinced Gattuso with their recent performances in Serie A. Matteo Gabbia and Bryan Cristante also return to the squad, having been absent since October and June 2024, respectively.

The Opponents: Estonia and Israel

Estonia: The Azzurri have won all eight matches played against this national team, including the emphatic 5-0 in Bergamo. They are currently ranked 129th in the FIFA Ranking and have never reached the final stage of a World Cup.

Israel: Out of eight encounters, Italy has achieved seven wins and one draw (0-0 at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico). The last meeting, right in Udine on October 14, 2024, ended 4-1 for Italy with goals from Di Lorenzo, Retegui, and Frattesi.

Qualification Objective

With these two matches, Gattuso’s National Team aims to consolidate their lead in the group and continue their pursuit of the World Cup. The call-ups, which combine young players seeking opportunities and experienced players, demonstrate the coach’s intention to build a competitive team ready to grow.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.