Antonio Vergara became the latest player to make their debut for the Italy national team during Friday night’s 1-1 Nations League draw away against France , which means that Roberto Mancini has now handed first caps to 66 different players across two spells as CT.

Mancini has already handed debuts to seven new players after three games of his second stint in charge of the Nazionale.

Vergara was the latest against France, Michael Kayode, Matteo Ruggeri and Sebastiano Esposito were given the nod for the first time against Turkey and Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia and Mohamed Ali Zoma got their first Italy caps against Belgium last Friday.

There are still four more players in the current Italy squad who are still hoping to make their first Italy appearances. Goalkeepers Marco Carnesecchi and Massimo Pessina may have to bide their time to dislodge the in-form Gianluigi Donnarumma, but Daniele Ghilardi and Eddy Kouadio will be hoping to feature against Turkey in the Nations League on Monday night.

Below is the full list of players, in chronological order, who were given their first appearances for Italy under Mancini.

(Bold denotes players who were called up to the Italy squad for Nations League fixtures in September and October.)

Matteo Politano (Saudi Arabia 1-2 Italy, May 2018)

Domenico Berardi (France 3-1 Italy, June 2018)

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Vergara becomes Italy’s latest debutant: All 64 players to receive first caps from Mancini" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "Vergara becomes Italy’s latest debutant: All 64 players to receive first caps from Mancini" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.