Italian football does not wait for its next saviour. It demands one, and demands him now. In a country where the quest for the perfect number nine is perennial, there’s a new name on the tip of every tongue: Pio Esposito.

Tall, technically adept, blessed with the poise of an old pro and the hungry eyes of a debutant, the Inter Milan star’s rapid ascent has injected rare electricity into the conversation surrounding the Azzurri’s 2026 FIFA World Cup ambitions.

Esposito’s Dream Start

For a nation weary of past cycles defined by impotent attacks and false dawns at center forward, Esposito’s emergence has been little short of revelatory.

This is a striker who, at 20, has already authored an international debut of storybook quality: summoned from the bench in the first half in Tallinn against Estonia after yet another injury to Moise Kean, the Nerazzurri academy product latched onto a low cross and applied the calmest of finishes, settling both the match and a nervous Italian faithful. 

Yet beneath the euphoria, cold reality intrudes. The Azzurri are yet to secure their spot at next summer’s North American showpiece, and it looks highly likely that they will have to embark upon a third straight trip to the playoffs if they are to ultimately punch their tickets to football’s biggest party.

As such, betting sites don’t list the four-time world champions as a contender to claim a record-equalling fifth crown next June and July. 

The latest World Cup online betting odds currently price Italy as a 33/1 fringe contender, well behind 4/1 tournament favorites Spain. Esposito leading the line may well trigger further interest from some punters, but does he have the substance to match the unquestionable style and make the starting berth his own at next summer’s World Cup?

As Italy fans dare to dream of a return to football’s grandest stage after 12 long years away, the race for the starting striker’s berth becomes one of the most genuinely captivating subplots in European football.

The Frontrunners 

Moise Kean

If ever there was a player for the grand occasion, it’s Moise Kean. The raw data is arresting: ten goals in 21 games for the national team, four of those coming in as many appearances in the current qualification cycle, as well as a 25-goal explosion for Fiorentina last term that made even the most cynical analysts sit up in awe. Match reports tell the story of a player capable of carrying a team on his back, but football’s gods are fickle. 

This season has opened with something of a whimper—just one solitary Serie A goal and persistent niggling injuries hampering consistency. Kean limped off once again in the recent round of qualifiers, making way for Esposito’s debut.

In a time where reliability is king, does Kean’s penchant for the spectacular outweigh concerns about his physical durability? Boss Gennaro Gattuso must balance the risk. 

Mateo Retegui

Lethal. That’s the word that swirls around Mateo Retegui’s game. His 25-goal haul for Atalanta last season earned him the 2024-25 Capocannoniere crown, evidence of a pure striker with cold-blooded composure in the box. With 20 international caps and six goals, plus valuable experience at Euro 2024, the Argentina-born hitman is not short of pedigree. 

But a €65 million switch to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qadsiah raises a tactical red flag—will the reduced intensity of the Pro League erode the edge that made him so unplayable in Italy’s top flight? For Gattuso, the risk is very real.

Gianluca Scamacca

Once tipped as Italy’s next great number nine, Gianluca Scamacca remains a riddle, wrapped in a strikingly powerful 1.95-meter frame.

At his best, he is the type of powerhouse striker that every top side covets—strong, elegant, dangerous from distance, and adept with his back to the goal. His fingerprints were all over Atalanta’s fairytale Europa League win two seasons back. 

But under the microscope, the numbers spell trouble: a solitary goal in 20 national appearances is a glaring concern for a position built on end product.

Mounting injury woes—most notably his recent ACL setback, which saw him miss almost the entirety of last season—cast further doubt. Scamacca is running out of time and alibis. Only a ruthlessly dominant return will thrust him back into real contention.

The Wildcards

Roberto Piccoli

Football loves a late bloomer, and Roberto Piccoli is staking a tantalizing claim. The 24-year-old’s rise from Cagliari’s mainstay to Fiorentina’s latest attacking import has been meteoric.

Ten goals in a low-scoring team last term, the kind of relentless penalty-box work rate that makes defenders wince, and a €25m price tag that underlines serious intent. 

His old-school center-forward qualities—robust in the air, aggressive in the press, ruthless with a sniff of goal—could well entice Gattuso to take a chance. Internationally, though, he’s still green, with more promise than polish.

Could he be this cycle’s Bolatti at the Maracana—the man who emerges from obscurity to seize a moment no one else saw coming?

Lorenzo Lucca

At over two meters tall, Lorenzo Lucca blots out the sun and dominates set pieces like a colossus. Last season’s 14 goals for Udinese caught champion Napoli’s eye, and now he faces a baptism by fire under the world’s brightest tactical microscope.

His five Italy caps have yet to produce a goal, but what he lacks in output, he makes up for in matchup headaches for defenders. If Napoli can unlock his confidence and service, could his physical package provide the ultimate Plan B on the world stage? 

Andrea Pinamonti

No-nonsense reliability often goes unsung, but Andrea Pinamonti’s statistics demand respect: 18 goals in 71 matches for Genoa, plus two from six at Sassuolo to start the current campaign.

At 26, he offers versatility, unselfish labor, and a knack for adapting to tactical shifts. Only one cap signals his outsider status, but don’t dismiss the forward whose work ethic has propelled him from U-20 World Cup prominence to the upper echelons of Serie A.

Should Gattuso crave steady hands, Pinamonti’s name could suddenly move up the pecking order.