Italy return to the Stade de France with the Nations League group beginning to take its familiar shape: France have made the early running in Group A1, while Roberto Mancini’s side are trying to keep pace with Belgium and turn an old rivalry into a useful night for the standings. Kick-off in Saint-Denis is scheduled for 20:45.
The coach and the club
Mancini will meet a France team led by Zinedine Zidane, in what will be the 42nd match between the two national sides. The occasion also comes 20 years after Zidane’s dismissal for his headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, a tournament Italy went on to win.
France arrive with six points from their first two group matches and can strengthen their position at the summit. Italy are on three points, level with Belgium in the contest for second place.
Zidane, 54, could add a notable entry to France’s coaching record. Victory would make him only the third manager to win his opening three matches in charge of Les Bleus, after Henri Michel in 1984 and Aimé Jacquet, who began his spell with four consecutive victories in 1994.
A clean sheet would bring another landmark. Only Henri Michel has previously started a France managerial reign with three successive shut-outs; he eventually extended that sequence to four.
A rivalry with recent symmetry
The latest Nations League edition produced one win each, both by a 3-1 scoreline. Italy won in Paris in September 2024, before France answered in Milan two months later.
- Italy defeated France 3-1 in Paris in September 2024.
- France won 3-1 when the sides met in Milan in November 2024.
France have won four of the last five encounters overall, although Italy’s longer record against their neighbours remains substantial: 19 victories, 10 draws and 12 defeats from 41 meetings to date. The Azzurri have faced only Switzerland more often, with 62 matches, while Spain are also level on 41 meetings. Italy have recorded more wins against only Switzerland, whom they have beaten 29 times.
The Stade de France has generally been a difficult official-match venue for visiting teams. France have won 10 of their past 12 competitive home fixtures, drawing one and losing one. That lone defeat came against Italy, in the 3-1 match of September 2024. Across those 12 games, France scored 37 goals and conceded four.
Mancini weighs the right flank
Italy are expected to make three changes from the match against Turkey. Riccardo Calafiori and Gianluca Mancini are set to return in defence alongside Michael Kayode and Alessandro Bastoni.
The principal decision concerns the right-sided attacking role after Giacomo Raspadori became unavailable. Daniel Maldini and Antonio Vergara were initially the leading candidates, but Moise Kean has also entered the discussion after being used wide against Turkey at the Olimpico.
Kean, the Cagliari forward, spent a long period with the probable starters during the final training session at Coverciano, although the work included several rotations. Maldini, of Napoli, remained firmly in contention and was later considered to have gained ground. Mancini was due to make his final choice on the morning of the match.
Vergara would be making his senior Italy debut. He had been close to entering the Turkey match and had been included among the options on the right in place of Nicolò Zaniolo. His ability to move inside and connect play between the lines could suit a flank where Kayode is expected to start again.
Match details
France v Italy will be played at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris. The match will be shown live free-to-air in Italy on Rai Uno, with a delayed broadcast on Sky Sport channels from midnight.
