Who Will Italy Play In September’s FIFA World Cup Qualifiers?

The Italy fixtures for September’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are on the horizon with the international break taking centre stage. 

New head coach Gennaro Gattuso has been installed after replacing Luciano Spalletti in June. The Milan legend has been tasked with securing the Azzurri’s place in the tournament next summer.

The 47-year-old has given maiden senior call-ups to Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni, Francisco Pio Esposito of Inter and highly-rated Bologna star Giovanni Fabbian.

Gattuso's first Italy squad is here! 📋#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/LacR6AgkYT

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) August 29, 2025

Italy Fixtures For September’s World Cup Qualifiers

After Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso called up the trio of youngsters, who could Giovanni Leoni, Francisco Pio Esposito and Giovanni Fabbian potentially debut against?

In September, Italy will play Estonia at home and Israel ‘away’. They will be the Azzurri’s third and fourth fixtures in Group I.

So far, the four-time World Cup winners have beaten Moldova 2-0 and lost 3-0 to Norway. The Scandinavians are the current leaders having collected 12 points from four games.

As it stands, Gattuso’s charges occupy third spot with three points on the board. Maximum points is the minimum requirement from September’s fixtures to get the qualification campaign back on track.

Gennaro Gattuso On Estonia And Israel

“We need to focus on preparing for the match properly. First, there’s Estonia — we have to play well and win. Our history shows that we haven’t had many big wins.

“We need to play the game, prepare it well, and go in with a sense of belonging; we must not prepare it thinking about scoring many goals.”

“I am a man of peace and it hurts my heart to see civilians and children affected, it hurts my heart. However, we are working hard, and the FIGC is also working diligently to find solutions and ensure a perfect game in Udine [October’s fixture], also from a safety perspective.

“Our duty is to do our job, but I hope a peace solution will be reached not only in Israel. It’s a thing that hits the heart and hurts the heart.”

What Did Gennaro Gattuso Say About The New Call-Ups?

“It’s hard to say if they are ready. Being ready comes from experience — the more you play, the more you grow. I called them up because I think Fabbian is similar to Frattesi: he fills the box well, he also has physicality and important timing when making runs.

“I called him because he’s similar to Frattesi. Pio has technique and is technically strong. Leoni was born in 2006 and has significant speed peaks. We’ll see them here. I haven’t given them anything as a gift; I believe they have specific qualities that can fit into this group.”