The Italian national team’s squad for the June friendly matches is set to be heavily composed of debutants, with 19 out of the 24 selected players earning their first senior call-up. Notably, nearly half of the squad members have no prior experience playing in Serie A.
Following their failure to qualify for the World Cup, Italy is preparing for friendly fixtures against Luxembourg and Greece in June.
Caretaker coach Silvio Baldini announced his 24-player roster on Monday, which includes only one seasoned player, captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, alongside a few promising young talents with existing international experience, such as Marco Palestra and Francesco Pio Esposito.
Donnarumma, Palestra, and Esposito are among the 13 players in the squad who have featured in at least one Serie A match. The other players with Serie A experience are Honest Ahanor, Davide Bartesaghi, Pietro Comuzzo, Luca Lipani, Cher Ndour, Niccolò Pisilli, Lorenzo Venturino, Francesco Camarda, Jeff Ekhator, and Seydou Fini.
Three players from Borussia Dortmund – Filippo Mane, Luca Reggiani, and Samuele Inacio – are also part of the squad. While they may not have Serie A experience, all three have made their Bundesliga debuts this season, with Reggiani and Inacio also scoring their first Bundesliga goals.
Out of the 24 players in the Azzurri squad, 19 are receiving their first senior international call-up. The team’s average age is 20 years and 6 months. Only four players in the squad – Donnarumma, Palestra, Pisilli, and Esposito – have previously represented Italy at the senior level.
Italy is scheduled to play Luxembourg on Wednesday, June 3, followed by a match against Greece on Sunday, June 7, concluding their season.
Italy Squad for June 2026 Friendlies
Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Avellino), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);
Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Atalanta), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Costantino Favasuli (Catanzaro), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund);
Midfielders: Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Juventus), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Lorenzo Venturino (Roma);
Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Lecce), Luigi Cherubini (Sampdoria), Jeff Ekhator (Genoa), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC).