Italy’s upcoming June friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece will feature a remarkably young squad, with 19 out of 24 players set to make their senior international debut. This new generation also boasts a significant number of players who have yet to experience Serie A football.
Caretaker coach Silvio Baldini has announced a 24-man roster that includes only one established player, captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, alongside a handful of emerging talents with prior 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 remaining 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.
Notably, three players from Borussia Dortmund – Filippo Mane, Luca Reggiani, and Samuele Inacio – have been included. While they may lack Serie A experience, all three have made their Bundesliga debuts this season, with Reggiani and Inacio also scoring their first league goals.
The average age of this newly assembled squad is 20 years and 6 months. Of the 24 players, 19 are receiving their first senior call-up. Only four players have previously represented the senior national team: Donnarumma, Palestra, Pisilli, and Esposito.
Italy is scheduled to play Luxembourg on Wednesday, June 3, followed by a match against Greece on Sunday, June 7, marking the end of 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).
