For the first time in 111 years, two brothers have started together for Italy.
Francesco Pio and Sebastiano Esposito made history in the Azzurri’s 4–1 victory over Türkiye, becoming the first brothers to start alongside each other for the national team since Aldo and Luigi Cevenini in 1915. Sebastiano marked his senior international debut by sharing the pitch with Pio, who scored Italy’s fourth goal.
Raised in Castellammare di Stabia, the brothers followed the same footballing path before their professional careers took them in different directions. Their reunion in an Italy shirt represents a remarkable milestone for a family whose connection to the national team also includes their older brother, Salvatore, a former Italian youth international.
Italian football has produced generations of celebrated brothers, but few have had the opportunity to represent their country together. More than a century after the Ceveninis, the Espositos have added their own chapter to Azzurri history.
