Pio Esposito Leads Italy to Victory Against France in Nations League Match
Francesco Pio Esposito expressed a feeling of ‘extra responsibility’ for his brother Sebastiano and his own past with Italy when he stepped up to take a decisive penalty in the team’s 3-1 win over France. He stated, ‘I couldn’t hide forever.’
The match began poorly for the Nazionale at San Siro, as Gianluigi Donnarumma made a critical error while playing out from the back, allowing Michael Olise to score the opening goal within just 10 minutes.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Lucas Da Cunha of France heads the ball under pressure from Pio Esposito of Italy during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Despite the shaky start, Pio Esposito managed to flick in a pull-back from Nicolò Cambiaghi. However, Sebastiano Esposito’s subsequent penalty kick went wide.
Davide Frattesi turned the tide with a goal assisted by Federico Dimarco, and when the referee awarded another penalty, Pio Esposito made sure to convert this one successfully.
Pio Esposito Crucial for Italy
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Pio Esposito of Italy scores his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match against France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
The striker now boasts nine goals in 14 appearances for the senior Italy team, an impressive tally for a 21-year-old.
He shared, “It makes me very happy because this is a truly special jersey, the one that we all wear from the moment we start kicking the ball. It is always an honor to wear it, and we must prove we deserve to wear it every single time,” Pio Esposito told RAI Sport.
Regarding his penalty, he noted the additional responsibility to make up for his brother’s earlier miss. “When I saw it go wide, that was tough for me as well as for him. I had to score and finish the game for him.”
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Sebastiano Esposito of Italy misses from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match against France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
There was some uncertainty on the sidelines when Sebastiano Esposito went to take that first penalty. “On the sheet, both our names were there. Seba has more penalties converted in his career than anyone else in the squad. It can happen to anyone, then I scored the second,” Pio explained.
Adding to the pressure, Pio recalled the last penalty he took for Italy, which he missed during the World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “When I stepped up, my first thought inevitably was Bosnia, but I couldn’t hide forever. You take penalties, you miss them; it happens. You’ve just got to keep going forward,” he confirmed.
With this victory, Italy now leads their Nations League group, a remarkable achievement considering their previous 2-0 loss to Belgium at home just two months ago.
“Since the coach arrived, we were still a work in progress against Belgium, but after that, we started to find our feet. We have a mix of youth and experience; we need to keep this enthusiasm going.”
