The Italy nationwide crew are heading for the World Cup play-offs for the third cycle in a row, which leaves Gennaro Gattuso with a number of huge choices to make forward of the essential one-off fixtures developing in March.
Here’s a have a look at the gamers who might be known as as much as the Azzurri squad for the play-offs.
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Italy make World Cup play-offs
Italy needed to accept second place in Group I of UEFA’s World Cup qualifying, ending on 18 factors from eight video games with six wins and two losses (each towards Norway) over that interval. Erling Haaland and his compatriots topped the group with a 100% win report, ending their marketing campaign with in San Siro on Sunday evening.
Subsequent up on the agenda for the Italy nationwide crew is the play-off draw, which can happen at FIFA’s headquarters in Switzerland on Thursday, starting at 12.00 GMT (13.00 CET).
MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Pio Esposito of Italy celebrates scoring his crew’s first objective through the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photos)
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Italy are a prime seed and will likely be drawn towards one of many lower-ranked sides within the one-legged play-off semi-finals on March 26. Ought to they win that match, they may progress to the play-off finals on March 31, which, once more, will likely be a single-legged affair.
On condition that there are not any worldwide breaks earlier than the play-offs start, the FIGC are taking a look at methods for the Italy nationwide crew squad to get collectively informally earlier than then so as to higher their probabilities of qualifying.
Who might make the Italy World Cup play-off squad?
Gattuso known as up for the November worldwide break, however did make a few alterations following the withdrawals of Moise Kean and Nicolo Cambiaghi.
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It’s unlikely that Gattuso leaves out any main names from the November squad: The likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella are all ensures.
There have been, nevertheless, a number of helpful gamers in Serie A and past that had been disregarded and will probably be in with an opportunity of being known as up in March.
In defence, that features the likes of Federico Gatti of Juventus, who was not included in November, and may he be match, Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini.
As per , Gattuso might be tempted into selecting Atalanta teen Marco Palestra, at the moment on mortgage at Cagliari, if he’s in want of an alternative choice at proper again or proper wing-back. Leonardo Spinazzola might be an choice on the left.
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Nicolo Rovella, assuming that he’s again in time from his surgical procedure, might be an choice to bolster Italy’s choices in midfield.
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: Nicolò Rovella of SS Lazio reacts through the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Photos)
In assault, there has nonetheless been no call-up for Federico Chiesa: He has not performed for Italy since EURO 2024, regardless of his promising type, albeit in glimpses, for Liverpool at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Federico Chiesa of Liverpool through the Carabao Cup Third Spherical match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photograph by Jan Kruger/Getty Photos)
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An alternative choice that has been in wonderful type at the beginning of this marketing campaign is Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi, who has give you 4 targets and three assists from his 9 Serie A appearances this time period.
Nicolo Zaniolo has additionally been on respectable type over the previous few weeks with three targets from his final 5 outings within the league.
And whereas Italy’s choices at centre-forward are pretty strong with Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui and Francesco Pio Esposito as issues stand, there might probably be call-ups for the likes of Lorenzo Lucca or Roberto Piccoli ought to both of them hit type heading into March.