Liverpool 18-year-old Leoni gets 1st Italy call-up
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Aug 29, 2025, 03:22 PM ETThe 18-year-old Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni was one of three players given their first national team call-up by new Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Friday.
Also named to the Azzurri squad for the first time were Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito and Bologna midfielder Giovanni Fabbian.
It's the first time Gattuso has named his squad since taking over for the fired Luciano Spalletti in June.
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Norway, who have played four matches, lead Group I with 12 points, and Israel are next with six points from three matches.
Giovanni Leoni has yet to feature for Liverpool since joining from Parma. Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Leoni transferred from Parma to Liverpool this month but has not played for the Premier League champions yet.
Atalanta forward Gianlunca Scamacca has returned to the squad after a series of injuries, as has Roma centre-back Gianluca Mancini, who had been excluded by Spalletti.
Forward Mateo Retegui was included despite his recent move to Saudi Arabia, as was Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali despite a shoulder issue.
Italy:
Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham).
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Gianluca Mancini (Roma).
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle).
Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atlético Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.