The current Adana Demirspor striker has received the call from Italy again after not doing so since September 2018. It is a call to form a group, with no scheduled clashes, in order to prepare for the playoffs at the end of March.
The current champion of the European Championship did not manage to access the Qatar 2022 World Cup as leader of Group C, falling behind Switzerland and having to go to the playoffs. There they will have to overcome a first round against North Macedonia, on the 24th of next month, and a hypothetical second round against Portugal and Turkey. If Mario Balotelli played that first match, 1,294 days would have passed since he did so in the Nations League against Poland with the following line-up:
The goalkeeper from Castellamare di Stabia, currently at Paris Saint Germain and then at AC Milan, played the seventh of the 40 games he has played to date with the senior Italian team.
The left-back from Cernusco sul Naviglio, owned then and now by Fiorentina, who months later would be on loan at Inter, played the first of the eleven games he has played as an absolute international. He has not had minutes since September 2021, where he appeared in the first half of a qualifying match for the next World Cup against Lithuania.
The defender from Pisa, at Juventus since 2005, added the 97th game of the 114 he has accumulated in the Italian team. He is the seventh highest number and is close to surpassing Andrea Pirlo (116) and Daniele De Rossi (117).
The Viterbo centre-back, who had just returned to Juventus after a season at AC Milan, was playing his 81st game out of 114 as a full international. In the same way as his partner, he is close to advancing positions in the historical table of appearances with Italy, although further away is a podium made up of Gianluigi Buffon (176), Fabio Cannavaro (136) and Paolo Maldini (126).
Sora’s right back, currently at Atalanta Bergamo and at the time defending the colors of Chelsea, was playing his 13th and last game with the national team to date. He was called up again in November 2021, but had no minutes.
The Italian-Brazilian pivot, born in Imbituba, had just arrived at Chelsea from SSC Napoli. That was the ninth of his 42 appearances for the senior team. He was in charge of signing the final tie (1-1) from the penalty spot.
The midfielder from Bergamo, already at Inter at the time, played the fifth of his seven games to date for the senior team. He was present in November 2020 for the last time in a friendly against Estonia.
The midfielder from the capital, already at AS Roma at the time, played the seventh of his 20 appearances for the senior team that day. He played the first half, before being replaced by Giacomo Bonaventura. His last international appearance was in October 2021, in third and fourth place in the Nations League against Belgium.
The left winger from Frattamaggiore, already at that time in a SSC Napoli that he will leave at the end of this exercise to land in FC Toronto, played that day the 27th of the 53 stakes that he adds as an absolute international. He played 72 minutes before being replaced by Federico Chiesa.
The Italian and Ghanaian centre-forward, born in Palermo, currently at Adana Demirspor and then playing for OGC Nice, played his 36th and last game for the Italian national team. He played 62 minutes before being replaced by Andrea Belotti.
The right winger from Carrara, already at Juventus at the time, played the 14th of the 38 games he has made with the Italian team. He last played in November 2021, in a World Cup qualifying match against Northern Ireland.
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