Chiesa recalled to Italy’s World Cup playoff squad

Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa was recalled Friday to Italy’s squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs while Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will miss the match to undergo surgery.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso named a 28-man squad for the March 26 match against Northern Ireland in Bergamo. Should Italy win they will travel on March 31 to face the winner of the match between Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Should they fail, they will miss a third straight World Cup.

Gattuso also recalled 22-year-old Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, who suffered a serious left knee injury just before Euro 2024, and 21-year-old Roma midfielder Niccolo Pisilli, who won one cap in 2024. Cagliari defender Marco Palestra, 21, was called up for the first time.

Chiesa, a member of the team that won Euro 2021, has not played for Italy since Euro 2024 when the defending champions lost to Switzerland in the round of 16.

Spurs manager Igor Tudor announced Friday that Vicario will play through the pain in the club’s key relegation game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday but will then have a hernia operation during the international break.

Vicario started Italy’s penultimate World Cup qualifying group game, a 2-0 win in Moldova in November. He was on the bench three days later when the Azzurri, who had a slim chance of grabbing first place in Group I, were instead thrashed 4-1 in Milan by leaders Norway.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City/ENG), Alex Meret (Napoli)

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal/ENG), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Paris FC/FRA), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle/ENG)

Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Liverpool/ENG), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah/KSA), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta)