As the first international break of the 2026-27 season begins, several Serie A players have received call-ups that may have gone unnoticed. Starting on September 25, Italy will play in the Nations League against Belgium, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2, and again against Turkiye on October 5. A total of 160 Serie A players are set to join their national teams during this break.
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Among the notable call-ups are Josep Martinez from Inter, who is set to return to the Spain squad. Although he has previously earned one cap back in 2021 during a match against Lithuania, this is considered his first significant call-up as he has replaced Yann Sommer as Inter's main goalkeeper. He is expected to serve as the third-choice keeper behind Unai Simon and David Raya.
Mandela Keita of Parma has also been called up to the Belgium national team. Keita, who has one prior cap, has played all of Parma's matches this season and will now compete for playing time under head coach Mark van Bommel against established players like Youri Tielemans.
Santiago Castro from Roma has received his first call-up to the Argentina squad, joining fellow teammates Matias Soule and Leonardo Balerdi. This comes as a significant opportunity since it coincides with Lionel Messi's final national team camp. Castro is still searching for his first goal in Serie A after joining from Bologna this summer for €35 million.
Lucas Da Cunha of Como has earned his first call-up to the France squad under new coach Zinedine Zidane. He will be joined by goalkeeper Jean Butez, who at 31, becomes the oldest player to receive a first call-up for France in over 50 years.
Douglas Luiz, currently with Juventus, is back in the Brazil squad after a challenging first season in Italy that included loan spells. With injuries impacting the midfield at Juventus, he has emerged as a key player for coach Luciano Spalletti and is set to make his return to international duty after his last appearance in the summer of 2024 during the Copa America.