As the first international break of the 2026-27 season gets underway, here is a look at some of the Serie A players whose call-ups might’ve flown under the radar.
Monday signalled the start of the September-October international break, which will see most European nations play four international fixtures instead of the usual two. Italy are in Nations League action against Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2 and Turkiye again on October 5.
A total of 160 Serie A players will be involved with their senior national teams over the next few weeks, and looking through the list, there may be one or two names that might have slipped under the radar, including a Spain call-up for Inter’s Josep Martinez, a return to the Brazil squad for Douglas Luiz and a potential first Argentina cap for Santiago Castro.
Five Serie A call-ups that went under the radar
Josep Martinez (Inter): Spain
The 28-year-old, who has replaced Yann Sommer as Inter’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, technically already has one cap for Spain. However, that was over five years ago, and came about due to the fact that most of the regular Spain side were in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test in the camp. Martinez made his debut in a Spain side that featured mostly U21 players for an international friendly against Lithuania in June 2021.
So, despite the fact that he has already debuted for the Spain senior side, this feels like a first ‘proper’ call-up for the Nerazzurri stopper, who is very much there on merit this time around. He is expected to be the third-choice behind Unai Simon and David Raya, though.
Mandela Keita (Parma): Belgium
Parma’s Keita also has one Belgium cap to his name, but that came two years ago, prior to his move to Serie A from Royal Antwerp.
He has started in all of Parma’s first five matches of the Serie A season and has played the full 90 minutes in the last four and will now compete with the likes of Youri Tielemans, Romeo Lavia and Nicolas Raskin for game time under new head coach Mark van Bommel. At 24 years of age, he could be one for the present and future of the Belgian side.
Santiago Castro (Roma): Argentina
Castro is one of several Roma representatives in the latest Argentina squad, along with Matias Soule and Leonardo Balerdi, but not Paulo Dybala, who hasn’t played for his country since 2014, nor Nahuel Molina, who is suspended at international level.
This is the former Bologna striker’s first call-up to Lionel Scaloni’s side, and what an honour it will be to be included in Lionel Messi’s final ever national team camp.
It is a show of faith from Scaloni to include Castro as well, given that he has had to be patient for opportunities behind the in-form Donyell Malen at the Stadio Olimpico. He is still waiting for his first goal and first Serie A start after joining in a €35m transfer from Bologna earlier this summer.
Lucas Da Cunha (Como): France
It has been a largely positive start for Como in 2026-27, despite a shock at the hands of Frosinone over the weekend, their first defeat of the season. Their captain, Da Cunha, has been called up to the France squad for the first time as a result, Zinedine Zidane’s first in charge of Les Bleues.
He will be joined by goalkeeper Jean Butez, who has become the oldest French player in over 50 years to be handed their first call-up, aged 31.
Douglas Luiz (Juventus): Brazil
Douglas Luiz is on a redemption arc: Signed from Aston Villa at a cost of €50m two summers ago, the Brazilian had a dreadful first season in Italy, which led to his being bombed out of the squad and sent out on loans to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in 2025-26.
Now into 2026-27, and with a stack of midfield injuries at the Allianz Stadium, Luciano Spalletti has been reliant on Douglas Luiz to get him through a difficult period in the early stages of the season.
He has now been rewarded with his first call-up to the Brazil squad since the Copa America in the summer of 2024.
