With the 2026-27 season's first international break now active, we highlight Serie A players whose national team call-ups could have easily been overlooked.
The September-October break sees most European nations playing four matches. Italy faces Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2, and Turkiye again on October 5 as part of Nations League fixtures.
A significant number of Serie A players, 160 in total, will represent their senior national teams. Among them, some selections might have gone relatively unnoticed. These include Inter's Josep Martinez for Spain, Douglas Luiz's return to the Brazil squad, and Santiago Castro potentially earning his first cap for Argentina.
Five Serie A Call-Ups That Went Under the Radar
Josep Martinez (Inter): Spain
Martinez, 28, has taken over as Inter's primary goalkeeper from Yann Sommer this season. While he technically has one senior Spain cap, it was earned over five years ago under unusual circumstances. During June 2021, he debuted in a friendly against Lithuania in a squad composed mostly of U21 players due to COVID-19 isolations within the main team.
This current call-up, however, is a true selection based on merit for the Inter stopper. He is expected to serve as the third-choice keeper behind Unai Simon and David Raya.
Mandela Keita (Parma): Belgium
Parma's Keita also has one cap for Belgium, earned two years ago before his move to Serie A from Royal Antwerp.
He has featured in all of Parma's opening five Serie A matches, playing the full 90 minutes in the last four. He will now compete for playing time with players like Youri Tielemans, Romeo Lavia, and Nicolas Raskin under new coach Mark van Bommel. At 24, he represents a potential asset for Belgium's present and future.
Santiago Castro (Roma): Argentina
Castro is among several Roma players selected for the current Argentina squad, alongside Matias Soule and Leonardo Balerdi. Notably absent are Paulo Dybala, who has not played for Argentina since 2014, and the suspended Nahuel Molina.
This marks the former Bologna striker's first call-up to Lionel Scaloni's squad, coinciding with what is expected to be Lionel Messi's final national team camp. Scaloni's decision to include Castro shows faith, especially as the player has been patient for opportunities behind Donyell Malen at Roma. Castro is still seeking his first goal and first Serie A start since his €35 million transfer from Bologna this summer.
Lucas Da Cunha (Como): France
Como has had a strong start to 2026-27, despite a recent loss to Frosinone. Their captain, Da Cunha, has received his first call-up to the France squad under new manager Zinedine Zidane.
He will be joined by goalkeeper Jean Butez, who at 31 becomes the oldest French player in over 50 years to receive a first national team call-up.
Douglas Luiz (Juventus): Brazil
Douglas Luiz is experiencing a resurgence. After a difficult first season following his €50 million transfer from Aston Villa two summers ago, he was loaned out to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in 2025-26.
This season (2026-27), with midfield injuries at Juventus, coach Luciano Spalletti has relied on Luiz. This period has now earned him his first call-up to the Brazil squad since the Copa America in the summer of 2024.
