Italy's national team may not be heading to the 2026 World Cup, but they've still taken the internet by storm with their newly announced squad full of young stars.

The 24-player lineup for Italy's friendly matches has gone viral, as fans unanimously point out one common observation.

Interim Italy coach Silvio Baldini has revealed a 24-man roster for the upcoming friendlies against Luxembourg (June 4) and Greece (June 8), following the Azzurri's latest failure to qualify for the World Cup finals.

After missing out on the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, Italy became the first former world champion in history to be absent from three consecutive World Cups, confirmed this past April.

The four-time world champions failed to advance past the qualifiers, losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties. Shortly afterward, head coach Gennaro Gattuso resigned from his position.

The decline of the Italian national team—once a dominant force after winning the 2006 World Cup—is believed to be linked to insufficient investment in youth development.

"We haven't placed enough trust in promising young players, and the clubs have invested too little in long-term plans," said Marco Amelia, a member of the golden generation that lifted the trophy in 2006.

Now, interim coach Silvio Baldini has decided to give the next generation of young talents a chance. In fact, Baldini has selected a squad with an average age of just 20 years and 6 months. Among them, highly rated 18-year-old Francesco Camarda joins Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Bartesaghi.

Many players have received their first senior call-up, including teenage talent Samuele Inacio from Borussia Dortmund. However, Brentford right-back Michael Kayode was left out, surprising many observers.

Meanwhile, Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma has volunteered to lead this youthful squad.

A flood of fan comments have appeared on social media regarding Italy's latest squad list, with most sharing a common opinion about the players' recognizability.

One fan commented, "If you cross out Donnarumma's name, there's a 99.99% chance you won't know anyone else on this list."

Another witty fan said, "Wait, did the coaching staff fail to buy the naming rights for the players?" (referring to how unfamiliar the names are, like those in pirated football games).

A third observer remarked, "Baldini might have gone a bit overboard, but it's still good for the U21 team to train together at the senior level. Only Donnarumma, Palestra, and Pio will stick around."

A fourth user wrote, "The coach just brought the entire U21 squad straight up, huh. Respect for that."

A fifth person stated firmly, "Apart from Donnarumma, I have no clue who any of the other players on this list are."

Here are the full details of Italy's latest 24-player squad:

Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Avellino), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);

Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Atalanta), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Costantino Favasuli (Catanzaro), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund);

Midfielders: Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Juventus), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Lorenzo Venturino (Roma);

Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Lecce), Luigi Cherubini (Sampdoria), Jeff Ekhator (Genoa), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC).