From the shoreline of Castellammare di Stabia to the international stage, Pio Esposito’s rise is giving Italy fresh hope at centre-forward. The 21-year-old Inter striker has scored twice during the latest international gathering, including in Monday’s 3-1 win in Turkey, and the comparisons are beginning to grow louder.
The Ligue 1 news
France faced an Italy side on Friday featuring an unusual connection to the coastal town opposite Naples. Three of the Italian starting XI were born in Castellammare di Stabia, a city of around 60,000 people: goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and brothers Sebastiano and Pio Esposito.
Sebastiano, 24, is now a Sassuolo forward, while Pio remains with Inter, the club where he was developed. Italy have spent years searching for a reliable No. 9 and the younger Esposito is increasingly viewed as a possible answer.
Roberto Mancini spoke enthusiastically after the victory in Turkey, where Esposito registered his second goal of the camp. “Within one or two years, he can become a major striker, one of those who changes a team’s destiny,” Mancini said. He compared the forward with Christian Vieri and Luca Toni, particularly noting similarities with Toni in physique and technical quality.
Those are considerable names for a player still making his way at Inter, where Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram remain ahead of him in the attacking hierarchy. But Esposito has made himself part of the first-team rotation since returning from loan spells.
The youngest of three footballing brothers, Pio moved with his family from Castellammare di Stabia to Brescia at the age of six after Sebastiano attracted the attention of local scouts. At nine, Pio joined Inter alongside his brothers. Salvatore Esposito, the eldest at 25, is a midfielder with Serie B side Sampdoria.
Esposito’s pathway has been deliberate. He left Inter’s Primavera side for Spezia in Serie B in 2023, a move that exposed him to more demanding senior football and regular physical contests. Christian Chivu, his Inter coach and a figure who worked with him from under-14 level, praised the decision this week.
“He had the courage to leave the Primavera and go out on loan to Spezia,” Chivu said. “That experience made him understand how much work he still had to do.”
After two years away, Esposito returned to Inter and travelled with the squad for the Club World Cup in June 2025. He settled into the senior group quickly and has since become an available option in attack.
His international progress has not been without a difficult night. Having been introduced to the national team by Gennaro Gattuso a little more than a year ago, he played in the painful March play-off in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He missed a clear chance in extra time before sending his penalty over the bar.
He has responded well. Esposito now has seven goals in 13 Italy appearances, bringing a stronger record than the setback might suggest. At 1.89 metres, he offers a sizeable target but is also comfortable linking play in tight areas.
That blend particularly appeals to Mancini. During his first spell in charge, he relied on Ciro Immobile without finding the all-round striker he wanted. Immobile was more suited to running behind defensive lines; Esposito has shown the potential to combine with team-mates as well as occupy defenders.
