Italy are as soon as once more conspicuous by their absence from the World Cup, however loads of stars who name the nation dwelling whereas enjoying in Serie A can be on present.
The Azzurri misplaced within the play-offs to Bosnia & Herzegovina, the third successive time that Italy have didn’t qualify in such a fashion.
We’ve picked an XI of Serie A gamers going to the World Cup whereas the four-time champions lick their wounds at dwelling.
GK: Mike Maignan
The person tasked with changing Gianluigi Donnarumma (no World Cup for him, after all) at AC Milan 5 years in the past, Maignan now captains the Rossoneri.
And regardless of them turning into one thing of a disaster membership by the tip of the season, he nonetheless managed to concede fewer targets than the variety of video games he performed in 2025-26.
With 14 clear sheets to his title from his 37 Serie A appearances, Maignan was one of many league’s extra dependable keepers.
He missed out on the league’s seasonal award for the most effective goalkeeper to Roma’s Mile Svilar, who doesn’t play at worldwide degree after turning into cap-tied to Serbia and being unable to modify to his nation of start, Belgium.
RB: Denzel Dumfries
Dumfries gained’t be a Serie A participant for for much longer as Actual Madrid shut in on signing him from Inter, however we’re basing this lineup on gamers who have been enjoying in Italy this season.
The Dutch wing-back was in his fifth season with Inter, profitable his second Scudetto.
Dumfries solely performed in 20 league video games this season as a consequence of an ankle harm, however has been one in all Serie A’s greatest wing-backs when at his peak and can be hoping to start out for the Netherlands at his second World Cup.
CB: Gleison Bremer
Bremer has been enjoying in Serie A for eight years now, 4 with Torino after which 4 with Juventus.
Spookily, he has the very same look and purpose tallies within the league for the 2 Turin rivals: 98 and 11 for every.
The Brazil worldwide performed twice on the final World Cup, which have been solely his second and third caps for his nation.
Now 29, Bremer at his greatest is a dominant defender, sturdy within the air and in one-v-one duels.
CB: Evan Ndicka
Born in France and capped 20 occasions by them at youth degree, Ndicka switched allegiance to the Ivory Coast in 2023, the identical summer time he joined Roma.
The left-footed centre-back performed in each single minute of the 2024-25 Serie A season, earlier than serving to his facet to Champions League qualification by the tip of 2025-26.
Ndicka is often good at studying the sport and respectable with the ball, traits that Ivory Coast can be hoping will help them at their first World Cup since 2014.
LB: Mathias Olivera
This spot ought to have been for Ndicka’s Roma teammate Wesley, one of many revelations of the season in Serie A. Alas, an harm in one in all Brazil’s friendlies earlier than the World Cup has cruelly dominated him out of the event.
One Serie A-based South American left-back who’s heading to the event unscathed is Napoli and Uruguay man Olivera.
Napoli signed him 4 years in the past and he has since performed greater than 100 occasions in Serie A, profitable the league twice.
With 35 caps to his title for Uruguay, he’s anticipated to be their beginning left-back, since Marcelo Bielsa likes to make use of Maxi Araujo additional ahead.
CM: Luka Modric
You’ve heard of him.
Now set for his sixth World Cup after serving to Croatia grow to be runners up in 2018 and the third-ranked facet in 2022, a 40-year-old Modric has simply accomplished his first season in Serie A with AC Milan.
Regardless of his age, the previous Actual Madrid icon began 32 Serie A video games for Milan over the season.
There are some claims Modric may retire after the World Cup, so take pleasure in it whereas it lasts. What a profession he’s had.
CM: Scott McTominay
Truthful play to McTominay for turning into a cult hero at Napoli since escaping Manchester United.
He took to Serie A like a duck to water final season, scoring 12 targets and serving to Napoli to the Scudetto.
They completed second this time round, however McTominay’s type – he scored 10 targets within the league and truly bettered final season for targets in all competitions – shouldn’t be missed.
He’ll now be a part of Scotland’s first World Cup since 1998 and one in all three Serie A-based gamers of their squad together with Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson and Torino’s Che Adams.
AM: Nico Paz
The gem of the Como facet which have secured Champions League soccer for subsequent season – though he may not be part of it if Actual Madrid purchase him again – Paz was named the most effective midfielder in Serie A this season.
He doesn’t but have double figures of caps to his title for Argentina, however is now set for his first style of event soccer, following within the footsteps of his father Pablo, who performed on the 1998 World Cup.
On the age of 21, the junior Paz is arguably an even bigger star already and has an enormous future forward of him.
RW: Donyell Malen
Malen headed from Aston Villa to Roma in January with a degree to show: that he may play as a striker.
Continuing to attain 14 targets from his first 18 Serie A video games, Malen ended up because the league’s second high scorer this season, regardless of solely being there for half of it. His level, very a lot confirmed.
So it’s a disgrace we’ve needed to stick him again on the wing to correctly match into our XI, however that’s additionally the place he may very well be enjoying for the Netherlands this summer time.
Malen has greater than 50 caps to his title for his nation, however this can be his first World Cup after being omitted in 2022.
LW: Kenan Yildiz
Juventus’ rising star, Yildiz scored 10 targets in Serie A this season – the identical quantity because the one he wears on his again for his membership.
That’s an enormous signal of approval for a participant who’s nonetheless solely 21, when you think about the greats to have come earlier than him in Turin.
He isn’t the quantity 10 for Turkey – that’s Hakan Calhanoglu, one other Serie A-based star unfortunate to overlook out on this XI – however can be one of many gamers they pin their hopes on of their first World Cup of his lifetime.
CF: Lautaro Martinez
Taking the striker function as a substitute is the one participant to outscore Malen in Serie A this season, Inter captain Martinez.
For the previous eight years, Martinez has been inspiring Inter up entrance. Strike companions have come and gone, however he has remained fearsome. His 132 Serie A targets are essentially the most by an energetic international participant within the league proper now.
A part of the Argentina squad that gained the final World Cup, he truly didn’t rating in Qatar, however did convert the profitable penalty within the quarter-final in opposition to the Netherlands.
On the entire, Martinez has a file of 36 targets from 75 caps for Argentina. To say he’s often overshadowed by who, that’s not dangerous in any respect.
READ MORE: An unimaginable XI of World Cup stars getting into the ultimate 12 months of their contract in 2026
TRY A QUIZ: Are you able to title each membership to have gained the Serie A title?
