Serie A in the Nations League
Una pausa per le Nazionali più lunga del solito, con quattro giornate
The international break is longer than usual, with four rounds of Nations League fixtures spread across three weeks and divided into two blocks of two matches. The first half of the international window has already showcased plenty of Serie A stars, with goals, assists, records and debuts putting the league centre stage across several national teams.
Esposito brothers make history for Italy after 111 years
It was a night steeped in Serie A from the very start, with the first two goals both coming from league players: Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring with his second Italy goal, before Davide Frattesi doubled the lead with his eighth.
Serie A players also made their mark in the defeat to Belgium, this time on the opposition side. Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere created the two goals for the Red Devils, with the former assisting Godts and the latter setting up Lukébakio.
Krstović leads Montenegro, while Modrić continues to make history
Nikola Krstović has been one of the most productive players during the international break. The Atalanta striker has registered two goals and an assist across the first two rounds of the Nations League. Against Cyprus, in Montenegro’s 2-1 win, Krstović first equalised before setting up Genoa striker Milutin Osmajić for the winning goal. He was on target again in the subsequent 3-2 win over Armenia, taking his direct goal involvements to three during the international window.
Two matches, two goal involvements for Romano Schmid. The Frosinone midfielder registered a goal and an assist for Austria, scoring against Israel and directly contributing to another goal against Kosovo.
Meanwhile, Luka Modrić continues to push back the boundaries of longevity. The AC Milan midfielder scored against Czechia and became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the Croatia national team at 41. Another record for a career that continues to grow in stature with Croatia.
The second round also produced a special night for Ricardo Rodríguez. The Torino defender opened the scoring in Switzerland’s 3-0 win in Scotland with a superb free-kick from the edge of the box, netting for his country for the first time in more than five years.
Sandi Lovrić also found the net in the latest round of fixtures. The Udinese midfielder opened the scoring in the 55th minute as Slovenia beat North Macedonia 2-0.
From Højlund to Douvikas: more Serie A goals
The list of goalscorers from Italy’s top flight does not end there. Rasmus Højlund scored in Denmark’s 3-2 defeat to Norway, while Lazio’s Gustav Isaksen wrapped up Denmark’s 2-0 win over Wales.
Edon Zhegrova also scored, converting Kosovo’s only goal from the penalty spot in their 3-1 defeat to Austria. Daniel Bîrligea (Frosinone) also found the net again for Romania, almost a year after his previous goal, which was coincidentally also against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the 4-2 win in Bucharest.
Anastasios Douvikas, meanwhile, decided Serbia vs. Greece. Coming on late, the Como striker headed home in the 94th minute to make it 2-1, securing victory for his national team in Belgrade.
Da Cunha and Diouf make memorable France debuts
France’s 1-0 win over Belgium handed Lucas Da Cunha and Andy Diouf their first appearances for Les Bleus, with both players named in Zinedine Zidane’s starting XI.
The Como midfielder was one of the positives of the evening, showing personality in midfield and coming close to a dream debut: in the second half, a powerful long-range effort struck the post.
Diouf also enjoyed a notable debut. The Inter midfielder was deployed by Zidane as a left-back, putting in a solid performance and consistently supporting the attack whenever he had the opportunity to push forward.
The Brussels game also marked Pierre Kalulu’s return to the national team, starting in France’s back four. Mike Maignan retained his place in goal and was one of only two players kept in the starting XI from the previous win over Türkiye. The AC Milan goalkeeper helped Les Bleus to a second consecutive victory, keeping a clean sheet.
From Argentina to Africa: Serie A goals and assists
Serie A also made its mark on the other side of the Atlantic. Lautaro Martínez and Nico Paz both found the net in Argentina's 4-0 win over Bolivia. The Inter captain opened the scoring in the 19th minute, while the Como talent doubled the lead with a delicate lob before setting up Cristian Romero's 3-0 from a corner after the break.
Franck Kessié also registered a goal and an assist in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The Atalanta midfielder played a decisive role in Ivory Coast's 2-0 win over Ghana, first setting up Malick Yalcouyé for the opener before converting a second-half penalty to double the Elephants' lead.
Beto’s assist for Guinea-Bissau against Tanzania and Oumar Ngom’s assist for Mauritania against the Central African Republic also came from Africa.
Serie A also makes its mark at Under-21 level
Serie A players also made their mark at youth international level. Rodrigo Mora (Roma) opened the scoring for Portugal U21 against Gibraltar with a spectacular overhead kick, while Emirhan İlkhan (Torino) found the net in Turkey's 2-2 draw with Ukraine, a result that secured them at least a place in the play-offs for the 2027 European Under-21 Championship.
There was an all-Como connection for Spain U21's goal against Finland: Álex Valle provided the cross for Jacobo Ramón, who headed home.
From veterans setting records to young players taking their first steps, the first half of the international break has already highlighted the impact of Serie A across multiple fronts. The Nations League now moves on to the second block of fixtures, with two more rounds set to add further names and stories to the tally.