The Esposito family could yet add an unusual chapter to Italy’s international story. With Roberto Mancini preparing for four Nations League fixtures, Pio and Sebastiano Esposito may have the chance to become the first brothers to share the pitch for the Azzurri since Filippo and Simone Inzaghi did so in 2000.
There is already an international thread running through the family. Salvatore Esposito, the third brother, is not among the current call-ups, but he was the first of them to play for the senior national side, appearing against England in the Nations League on 11 June 2022. If Pio and Sebastiano were used together in the coming matches, the three brothers would be linked to a rare part of Italy’s history rather than simply to the same generation of players.
Only three pairs of brothers have appeared together for the senior Italy team. The earliest were Giuseppe and Felice Milano of Pro Vercelli, who played alongside each other on three occasions between 1912 and 1913. Aldo and Luigi Cevenini followed, both scoring in Italy’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland on 31 January 1915. Then came a long wait before the Inzaghi brothers were reunited in the national shirt.
Giovanni Trapattoni brought Simone and Filippo Inzaghi together during a 1-0 friendly win over England at Turin’s Delle Alpi on 15 November 2000. Simone replaced Alessandro Del Piero in the 61st minute, while Filippo remained on the field until the 72nd, when he was substituted. Their 11 minutes as teammates remain the most recent such occasion for Italy.
Other famous brothers have reached the squad without sharing an international appearance in the same match. Giuseppe and Franco Baresi were both selected by Enzo Bearzot for the 1980 European Championship, although neither played during the tournament, and their subsequent call-ups came separately. Twins Cristian and Damiano Zenoni were included for a February 2001 friendly against Argentina under Trapattoni, but only Cristian entered the match while Damiano stayed on the bench.
Italy’s wider record contains several family connections spread across different periods. Carlo and Alessandro Rampini were early Pro Vercelli representatives, while Cesare and Dario Martin featured in the 1920s. Juventus teammates Mario and Giovanni Varglien were internationals during the following decade. More recently, Fabio Cannavaro captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup and won that year’s Ballon d’Or, while his brother Paolo received one senior call-up from Roberto Donadoni for a friendly in which Fabio had been rested.
For the Espositos, therefore, the immediate prospect is not merely a pair of selections. It is the possibility of ending a 25-year wait and placing their name beside a small group of families who have shared Italy’s most demanding stage at the same time.
