France vs Italy: Match details
France and Italy will kick-off on 2 October 2026 at 18:45 GMT (2:45 PM EST / 19:45 BST / 20:45 SAST).
Group A1 showdown in Saint-Denis
France return home to the Stade de France to host historic rivals Italy on Matchday 3 of their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League League A campaign in Group A1. Fresh off consecutive victory displays during the international window, Les Bleus aim to extend their lead at the top of the group standings in front of their home crowd. For Italy, travelling to Paris following an emphatic bounce-back performance presents a massive test of their credentials as they seek to stay in top-two contention.
Getty ImagesLes Bleus' perfect window: Back-to-back victories
France enter Friday night with six points from six available following two disciplined away performances on Matchdays 1 and 2. After opening their campaign with a 1–0 victory over Türkiye in Kocaeli, France secured another hard-fought 1–0 win against Belgium in Brussels. Substitute Michael Olise provided the winning spark with an 88th-minute strike against the Belgians, highlighting the squad's impressive tactical depth under pressure.
Getty ImagesGli Azzurri's thrilling four-goal output in Bursa
Italy travel to Paris seeking to build on a vibrant performance after recovering from an opening-day setback. Following a 2–0 home loss to Belgium in Rome, the Azzurri responded in dominant fashion with a 4–1 away victory against Türkiye. First-half strikes from Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, and Michael Kayode put Italy in total control before Pio Esposito added a fourth in the second half, proving Italy's frontline carries plenty of firepower.
Dynamic midfield engine meets Italian flair
Clashes between these two European heavyweights consistently feature high physical intensity and rich tactical adjustments. France's midfield engine led by Eduardo Camavinga and Andy Diouf will aim to dictate tempo and release creative channels for Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé. Meanwhile, Italy will rely on the vision of Sandro Tonali and Davide Frattesi to link up with Pio Esposito and Giacomo Raspadori. With crucial Group A1 position at stake, Friday's clash promises top-tier international drama from the opening whistle.
Team news & squads
France vs Italy Probable lineups
Manager
- Z. Zidane
Zinedine Zidane's France squad has already absorbed one injury setback during this international window. Ibrahima Konate was forced to withdraw after sustaining a collateral ligament injury in his right leg during training, returning immediately to Real Madrid with the length of his recovery still unconfirmed. Manchester United youngster Leny Yoro earned a shock first senior call-up as a result. No further injury or suspension information is currently available for the home side, and updates will be added closer to kick-off.
Roberto Mancini has not confirmed a probable lineup for Italy, and no specific injury or suspension details have been provided for the away squad at this stage. Further team news will be added as it becomes available.
Form
France have won three of their last five matches, with their most recent outing a 1-0 Nations League victory away to Turkiye that gave Zidane a winning start. Before that, Les Bleus suffered back-to-back World Cup exits, losing 6-4 to England in the semi-finals and 2-0 to Spain in the quarter-finals. Their World Cup run had shown attacking promise, with wins over Morocco and Paraguay, and France scored 10 goals across those five games while conceding eight.
Italy's recent form tells a harder story. Mancini's side lost their Nations League opener 2-0 to Belgium and have won just three of their last five matches overall, with those victories coming against Greece, Luxembourg, and Northern Ireland. A 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in World Cup qualification earlier this year also features in that run. Italy have scored only five goals across those five games, a figure that underlines Tonali's point about the squad lacking a dominant individual presence.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
France have dominated this fixture in recent history, winning four of the last five meetings between the sides. The most recent encounter, a UEFA Nations League clash in November 2024, ended 1-3 to France with Italy as the host side, and the return fixture earlier that same campaign produced an identical 1-3 scoreline in Paris. Italy have not beaten France in any of the five matches recorded between the teams, a run that stretches back to 2012 and gives Mancini's side a difficult recent record to overcome.
