Washington Spirit forward Sofia Cantore and defender Lucia Di Guglielmo have been called up to the Italy Women’s National Team for a pair of upcoming 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying playoff matches against Belarus.
Cantore, a native of Lecco in northern Italy, has made more than 45 appearances for the Italian senior national team since making her debut in December 2020, scoring six goals. She joined the Spirit in August 2025 and has since appeared in 46 matches, recording 11 goals and two assists.
Di Guglielmo, who is from Pisa, has been a regular with Italy since making her senior international debut in 2021 at age 23. The defender has represented her country at the 2022 and 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro tournaments as well as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Di Guglielmo joined Washington during the most recent offseason and has appeared in 17 matches for the Spirit, quickly establishing herself as a regular starter along the back line.
Italy will face Belarus twice in October as part of its qualifying playoff for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The first match is scheduled for Friday, October 9 at 12:15pm at David Petriashvili Arena in Tbilisi, Georgia. The second match will take place Tuesday, October 13 at 12:15pm at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, Italy.
The two Spirit players will look to help Le Azzurre advance as Italy continues its pursuit of a spot in the 2027 World Cup.
