As impressive as Inzaghi. Actually, even better: a new, incredible record

Pio and Sebastiano Esposito started together from the opening minute in Italy’s jersey against Turkey. This historic event allowed the two brothers to enter the national team’s record books and break a 26-year-old record.

The last time two brothers had played in the same Italy match was on November 15, 2000, in a friendly against England at the Delle Alpi Stadium in Turin, which the Azzurri won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Gennaro Gattuso. On that occasion, Simone Inzaghi entered the game in the 61st minute, while Filippo Inzaghi was substituted in the 72nd minute. The two brothers were thus on the field at the same time for eleven minutes—the last such stretch played by a pair of brothers in the same national team match.

Now the record belongs to the Esposito brothers. Pio, born in 2005 and a forward for Inter, and Sebastiano, born in 2002 and recently transferred to Sassuolo, had already been called up together to the Under-21 team in 2025. However, the match against Turkey marked their simultaneous debut as starters for the senior national team.

To find the last pair of brothers to start together from the opening whistle, one has to go back a full 111 years. The last were Aldo and Luigi Cevenini, both of whom started on January 31, 1915, in the match against Switzerland.