Esposito Brothers Make History in Italy’s 4-1 Nations League Rout of Türkiye

Pio and Sebastiano Esposito became the first brothers to start for the Azzurri since 1915 during a 4-1 win over Türkiye in Bursa.

Italy defeated Türkiye 4-1 in a Nations League match on Monday in Bursa, highlighted by 21-year-old Pio Esposito scoring his fifth international goal in 10 appearances. The fixture marked the senior debut for his 24-year-old brother, Sebastiano Esposito, who joined Pio in the starting lineup. This selection represented the first time two brothers have started a match for the Azzurri since Aldo and Luigi Cevenini featured against Switzerland in 1915.

The Esposito family became the first set of three brothers to represent Italy at the senior level, following the 2022 appearance of 25-year-old Salvatore Esposito. While Pio and Sebastiano are the fourth pair of brothers to play in the same match—joining others such as Filippo and Simone Inzaghi in 2000—they are the first to start together in 111 years.

Roberto Mancini secured his first victory in his return as head coach after Italy opened the campaign with a 2-0 home loss to Belgium. The win follows Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Azzurri are scheduled to face France on Oct. 2 before a second meeting with Türkiye on Oct. 5 to conclude the current international window. According to ESPN, Pio Esposito played for Inter Milan last season, while Sebastiano recently joined Sassuolo on loan from Cagliari.