Italy national football team
The Italy national football team (Italian: Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia) has represented Italy in men's international football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy, which is a co-founder and member of UEFA. Italy's home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Italy, and its primary training ground and technical headquarters, Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, is located in Florence. Italy are the reigning European champions, having won UEFA Euro 2020.
Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of football and the World Cup, having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), appearing in two other finals (1970, 1994), and reaching also a third (1990) and a fourth (1978) place. Italy also won two European Championships (1968, 2020), and appeared in two other finals of the tournament (2000, 2012). Italy's team also finished as runners-up in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022, and in third place at both the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and at the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and 2023.
The team is known as gli Azzurri (the Blues), because Savoy blue is the common colour of the national teams representing Italy, as it is the traditional paint of the royal House of Savoy, which reigned over the Kingdom of Italy. In 1938, Italy became the first team to defend its World Cup title, and due to the outbreak of World War II, retained the title for a further 12 years. Italy had also previously won two Central European International Cups (1927–30, 1933–35). Between its first two World Cup victories, Italy won the Olympic football tournament (1936). After the majority of the team was killed in a plane crash in 1949, Italy obtained poor results in the 1950s, even failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup. Failure to qualify for the World Cup did not happen again until the consecutive editions of 2018 and 2022. However, the team was unbeaten from October 2018 to October 2021, and holds the world record for most consecutive matches without defeat (37).
Italy has notable rivalries with other footballing nations, such as Brazil, France, Germany and Spain. In the FIFA World Rankings, in force since August 1993, Italy has occupied the first place several times, in November 1993 and during 2007 (February, April–June, September), with its worst placement in August 2018 in 21st place.
History
Origins and first two World Cups titles in 1934 and 1938
An early attempt to create an Italian national team occurred on 30 April 1899, when an Italian selection played a Swiss eleven, losing 0–2 in Torino.[3] The team's first official match was held in Milan on 15 May 1910. Italy defeated France by a score of 6–2, with Italy's first goal scored by Pietro Lana.[4][5][6] The Italian team played with a (2–3–5) system and consisted of: De Simoni; Varisco, Calì; Trerè, Fossati, Capello; Debernardi, Rizzi, Cevenini I, Lana, Boiocchi. The first captain of the team was Francesco Calì.[7]
The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in 1928 Summer Olympics, held in Amsterdam. After losing the semi-final against Uruguay, an 11–3 victory against Egypt secured third place in the competition. In the 1927–30 and 1933–35 Central European International Cup, Italy achieved the first place out of five Central European teams, topping the group with 11 points in both editions of the tournament.[8][9] Italy would also later win the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics with a 2–1 victory in extra time in the gold medal match over Austria on 15 August 1936.[10]
After declining to participate in the inaugural World Cup (1930, in Uruguay) the Italy national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in 1934 and 1938, under the direction of coach Vittorio Pozzo and the performance of Giuseppe Meazza, who is considered one of the best Italian football players of all time by some.[11][12] Italy hosted the 1934 World Cup, and played their first ever World Cup match in a 7–1 win over the United States in Rome. Italy defeated Czechoslovakia 2–1 in extra time in the final in Rome, with goals by Raimundo Orsi and Angelo Schiavio to achieve their first World cup title in 1934. They achieved their second title in 1938 in a 4–2 defeat of Hungary, with two goals by Gino Colaussi and two goals by Silvio Piola in the World Cup that followed. It is rumored that before the 1938 finals fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini sent a telegram to the team, saying "Vincere o morire!" (literally translated as "Win or die!"). However, no record remains of such a telegram, and World Cup player Pietro Rava said when interviewed: "No, no, no, that's not true. He sent a telegram wishing us well, but no never 'win or die'."[13]
Reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s
In 1949, 10 of the 11 players in the team's initial line-up were killed in a plane crash that affected Torino, winners of the previous five Serie A titles. Italy did not advance further than the first round of the 1950 World Cup, as they were weakened severely due to the air disaster. The team had travelled by boat rather than by plane, fearing another accident.[14]
In the World Cup finals of 1954 and 1962, Italy failed to progress past the first round, and did not qualify for the 1958 World Cup due to a 2–1 defeat to Northern Ireland in the last match of the qualifying round. Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in 1960 (then known as the European Nations Cup), and was knocked out by the Soviet Union in the first round of the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifying.[citation needed]
Their participation in the 1966 World Cup was ended by a 0–1 defeat at the hands of North Korea. Despite being the tournament favourites, the Azzurri, whose 1966 squad included Gianni Rivera and Giacomo Bulgarelli, were eliminated in the first round by the semi-professional North Koreans. The Italian team was bitterly condemned upon their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Doo-ik was celebrated as the David who killed Goliath. Upon Italy's return home, furious fans threw fruit and rotten tomatoes at their transport bus at the airport.[15][16]
European champions and World Cup runners-up (1968–1974)
In 1968, Italy hosted the European Championship and won the tournament in its first participation, beating Yugoslavia in Rome and winning their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup. The final ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time, and the rules of the time required the match to be replayed a few days later. This was the only time the final of the European Championship or World Cup was replayed.[17] On 10 June 1968, Italy won the replay 2–0 (with goals from Gigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi) to take the trophy.
In the 1970 World Cup, exploiting the performances of European champions' players like Giacinto Facchetti, Gianni Rivera and Gigi Riva and with a new centre-forward Roberto Boninsegna, the team were able to come back to a World Cup final match after 32 years. They reached this result after one of the most famous matches in football history—the "Game of the Century", the 1970 World Cup semifinal between Italy and West Germany that Italy won 4–3 in extra time, with five of the seven goals coming in extra time.[18] They were later defeated by Brazil in the final 4–1.
After losing to Belgium in the quarter-finals to qualify for the 1972 European Championship, this generation's cycle ended at the 1974 World Cup, where the team was eliminated in the group stage after a 2–1 loss against Poland in the last match of the group.
Third World Cup title generation (1978–1986)
Under the initial guide of Fulvio Bernardini and later that of head coach Enzo Bearzot, a new generation of Italian players came to the international stage in the second half of the 1970s. At the 1978 World Cup, Italy was the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina, and the Azzurri made it to the third-place final, where they were defeated by Brazil 2–1. In the second round group stage match against the Netherlands, which prevented Italy from reaching the final, Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff was beaten by a long-distance shot from Arie Haan, and Zoff was criticized for the defeat.[19] Italy hosted the 1980 European Championship, the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four,[20] automatically qualifying for the finals as hosts. After two draws with Spain and Belgium and a narrow 1–0 win over England, Italy were beaten by Czechoslovakia in the third-place match on penalties 9–8 after Fulvio Collovati missed his kick.[21][22]
After a scandal in Serie A, where some National team players such as Paolo Rossi[23] were prosecuted and suspended for match fixing and illegal betting, the Azzurri qualified for the second round of the 1982 World Cup after three uninspiring draws against Poland, Peru, and Cameroon. Having been loudly criticized, the Italian team decided on a press black-out from then on, with only coach Enzo Bearzot and captain Dino Zoff appointed to speak to the press. Italy's regrouped in the second round group, a group of death with Argentina and Brazil. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2–1 over Argentina, with Italy's goals, both left-footed strikes, were scored by Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini. After Brazil defeated Argentina 3–1, Italy needed to win in order to advance to the semi-finals. Twice Italy went in the lead with Paolo Rossi's goals, and twice Brazil came back. When Falcão scored to make it 2–2, Brazil would have been through on goal difference, but in the 74th minute Rossi scored the winning goal, for a hat-trick, in a crowded penalty area to send Italy to the semifinals after one of the greatest games in World Cup history.[24][25][26] Italy then progressed to the semi-final where they defeated Poland with two goals from Rossi.
In the final on 11 July 1982, Italy met West Germany in Madrid. The first half ended scoreless, after Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty awarded for a Hans-Peter Briegel foul on Bruno Conti. In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal, and while the Germans were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Marco Tardelli and substitute Alessandro Altobelli finalised two contropiede counterattacks to make it 3–0. Paul Breitner scored home West Germany's consolation goal seven minutes from the end.[27] Tardelli's screaming celebration after his goal was one of the defining images of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph.[28] Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals as well as the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament,[29] and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest player to win the World Cup.[30]
Subsequently, Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship,[31][32] and then entered as reigning champions in the 1986 World Cup,[33][34][35] but were eliminated by reigning European Champions, France, in the round of 16.[36]
Vicini years and World Cup runners-up with Sacchi (1986–1994)
In 1986, Azeglio Vicini was appointed as new head coach, replacing Bearzot.[37] He granted a central role to players such as Walter Zenga and Gianluca Vialli, and conceded a chance to young players coming from the U21 team;[38] Vialli indeed scored goals that gave Italy 1988 European Championship pass.[39] He was also shown like Altobelli's possibly successor, having his same goal attitude.[40] Both forwards stroke the target in Germany, where Soviet Union defeated the Azzurri in semi-finals.[41]
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990. The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci and a young Roberto Baggio. Italy played nearly all of their matches in Rome and did not concede a single goal in their first five matches; however, they lost the semi-final in Naples to defending champion Argentina. Argentinian player Maradona, who played for Napoli, made comments prior to the game pertaining to the North–South inequality in Italy and the Risorgimento, asking Neapolitans to root for Argentina in the game.[42] Italy lost 4–3 on penalty kicks following a 1–1 draw after extra time. Schillaci's first-half opener was equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia's header for Argentina. Aldo Serena missed the final penalty kick with Roberto Donadoni also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea. Italy went on to defeat England 2–1 in the third-place match in Bari, with Schillaci scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament's top scorer with six goals.
After failing to qualify for the 1992 European Championship, Vicini was replaced by former A.C. Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi, who brought a new style of play. In November 1993, FIFA ranked Italy first in the FIFA World Rankings for the first time since the ranking system was introduced in December 1992.[43]
At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Italy lost the opening match against Ireland 0–1 at the Giants Stadium near New York City. After a 1–0 win against Norway in New York City and a 1–1 draw with Mexico at the RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Italy advanced from Group E based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points. During their round of 16 match at the Foxboro Stadium near Boston, Italy was down 0–1 late against Nigeria, but Baggio rescued Italy with an equaliser in the 88th minute and a penalty in extra time to take the win.[44] Baggio scored another late goal against Spain at their quarter-final match in Boston to seal a 2–1 win and two goals against Bulgaria in their semi-final match in New York City for another 2–1 win.[45][46] In the final, which took place in Los Angeles's Rose Bowl stadium 2,700 miles (4,320 km) and three time zones away from the Atlantic Northeast part of the United States where they had played all their previous matches, Italy, who had 24 hours less rest than Brazil, played 120 minutes of scoreless football, taking the match to a penalty shootout, the first time a World Cup final was settled in a penalty shootout.[47] Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3–2 after Baggio, who had been playing with the aid of a pain-killer injection[48] and a heavily bandaged hamstring,[49][50] missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.[51][52]
Euro 2000 runners-up (1996–2000)
After qualifying for Euro 1996 on level points with Croatia, Italy did not progress beyond the group stage at the final tournament. Having defeated Russia 2–1 but losing to the Czech Republic by the same score, Italy required a victory in their final group match to progress to the quarter-finals. Gianfranco Zola failed to convert a decisive penalty in a 0–0 draw against Germany, who eventually won the tournament.[53]
Relegated to second place behind England in the qualification campaign for the 1998 World Cup, Italy booked a place at the final tournament after defeating Russia in a play-off, with Pierluigi Casiraghi scoring the winning goal in a 2–1 aggregate victory on 15 November 1997.[54] After finishing first in their group and overcoming Norway in the second round, Italy faced a penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals, for the third World Cup in a row.[55] The Italian side, where Alessandro Del Piero and Baggio renewed the controversial staffetta (lit. 'relay') between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970, held the eventual World Champions and host team, France, to a 0–0 draw after extra time, but lost 4–3 in the shoot-out. With two goals scored in this tournament, Baggio remains the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup editions.[56]
Two years later, at the Euro 2000, with four consecutive victories the team led by former captain Dino Zoff made it all the way to the semifinals, facing another penalty shoot-out but emerging victorious over the co-hosts, the Netherlands.[57] Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two in the shootout, while striker Francesco Totti scored his penalty with a cucchiaio (lit. 'spoon') chip.[58] Italy finished the tournament as runners-up, losing the final 2–1 against France (to a golden goal in extra time) after conceding an equalising goal just 30 seconds before the expected end of injury time.[59] After the defeat, coach Dino Zoff resigned in protest after being criticized by AC Milan club president and politician Silvio Berlusconi.[60]
Trapattoni years (2000–2004)
Giovanni Trapattoni took charge of the team in July 2000 following the resignation of Dino Zoff.[61] Playing in Group 8 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification process, Italy finished undefeated after facing Romania, Georgia, Hungary and Lithuania. In the final tournament, a 2–0 victory against Ecuador with a double from Christian Vieri was followed by a series of controversial matches. During the match against Croatia, English referee Graham Poll disallowed incorrectly two absolutely regular goals resulting in a 2–1 defeat for Italy.[62] Despite two goals being ruled for offsides, a late headed goal from Alessandro Del Piero helped Italy to a 1–1 draw with Mexico, proving enough to advance to the knockout stages.[63]
Co-host country South Korea eliminated Italy in the round of 16 by a score of 2–1. The match proved controversial with members of the Italian team, most notably striker Francesco Totti and coach Giovanni Trapattoni, suggesting a conspiracy to eliminate Italy from the competition.[64] Trapattoni even obliquely accused FIFA of ordering the official to ensure a Korean victory so that one of the two host nations would remain in the tournament.[65] The most contentious decisions by the game referee Byron Moreno were an early penalty awarded to South Korea (saved by Buffon), a golden goal by Damiano Tommasi incorrectly ruled offside, and the sending off of Totti after being presented with a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area.[66] FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that the linesmen had been a "disaster" and admitted that Italy suffered from bad offside calls during the group matches, but he denied conspiracy allegations. While questioning Totti's sending off by Moreno, Blatter refused to blame Italy's loss entirely on the referees, stating: "Italy's elimination is not only down to referees and linesmen who made human not premeditated errors. Italy made mistakes both in defense and in attack."[67]
Trapattoni stayed on and guided the team at Euro 2004 in Portugal, where after draws against Denmark and Sweden along with a victory over Bulgaria in Group C, Italy were eliminated following a three-way five point tie based on the number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams.[68] Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and then Italian football federation president Franco Carraro accused the Swedish and Danish teams of fixing the result of their final match (2-2 was the result which consented both teams to advance).[69] Despite calls, then-UEFA spokesperson Robert Faulkner said the organization would not investigate the result.[70] After initially refusing to resign following Italy's elimination from the tournament, the Italian Football Federation replaced Trapattoni with Marcello Lippi.[71][72]
2006 World Cup victory and later decline
With controversy plaguing the domestic league, Italy entered the 2006 World Cup as one of the eight seeded teams.[73][74][75][76] Italy finished first in Group E with wins against Ghana and the Czech Republic and a draw with the United States.[77][78] In the round of 16, Italy secured a 1–0 victory over Australia with Francesco Totti scoring a penalty.[79] Italy overcame Ukraine, 3–0, after taking an early lead through Gianluca Zambrotta and additional goals coming from Luca Toni.[80] In the semi-finals, Italy beat hosts Germany 2–0 with goals Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero in the last minutes of extra time.[81]
On 9 July 2006, the Azzurri won their fourth World Cup title after defeating France in the final. French captain Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the seventh minute before Marco Materazzi scored from a corner kick, twelve minutes later. The score remained level and during extra-time and Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi.[82] Italy went on to win the penalty shootout 5–3, with all Italian players scoring their kicks. The decisive penalty goal was scored by Fabio Grosso[83]
FIFA named seven Italian players — Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni — to the 23-man tournament All Star Team.[84] Buffon also won the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he conceded only two goals in the tournament's seven matches, the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane's penalty kick in the final, and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes.[85] In honour of Italy winning a fourth FIFA World Cup, members of the squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere.[86][87]
Marcello Lippi, who had announced his resignation three days after the World Cup triumph, was replaced by Roberto Donadoni.[88] Italy qualified from their Euro 2008 qualifying group ahead of France. On 14 February 2007, Italy climbed to first in the FIFA World Rankings for only the second time.[43] At Euro 2008, the Azzurri lost 3–0 to the Netherlands in the opening match of the group stage. The following game against Romania ended 1–1 thanks to a penalty save from Gianluigi Buffon.[89] Italy would win their final group game against France 2–0, a rematch of the 2006 World Cup final. The Azzurri were eliminated in the quarter-finals on penalties to eventual champions Spain. Within a week of the game, Roberto Donadoni's contract was terminated and Marcello Lippi was rehired as coach.[90]
Italy qualified for their first ever FIFA Confederations Cup held in South Africa in June 2009 by virtue of winning the 2006 World Cup. They won their opening match of the tournament against the United States, but subsequent defeats to Egypt and Brazil meant that they finished third in the group on goals scored (points level with USA and Egypt), and were eliminated.[91]
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, reigning champions Italy were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round, finishing last place in their group. After being held to 1–1 draws with Paraguay and New Zealand, they suffered a 3–2 loss to Slovakia.[92] It was the first time Italy failed to win a single game at a World Cup finals tournament, and in doing so became only the third nation to be eliminated in the first round while being reigning World Cup champions.[93]
Euro 2012 runners-up and fluctuating results (2010–2016)
Marcello Lippi stepped down after Italy's World Cup campaign and was replaced by Cesare Prandelli, although Lippi's successor had already been announced before the tournament.[94]
At UEFA Euro 2012, Italy finished second in their group behind Spain, which earned them a quarter-final tie against England. After a mostly one-sided affair in which Italy failed to take their chances, they managed to beat England on penalties.[95][96] In the semi-final against Germany, two first-half goals by Mario Balotelli saw the Italians through to the final. In the final, Italy fell to a 4–0 defeat to Spain.[97]
During the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, Italy reached the semi-finals, losing 7–6 on penalties to Spain.[98] Italy did manage to beat Uruguay in the third place play-off. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Italy managed to defeat England 2–1 in their first match before succumbing to underdogs Costa Rica 1–0 in the second group stage match.[99][100] In Italy's last group match, they were knocked out by Uruguay 1–0, in a controversial match, where Italian player Claudio Marchisio was controversially sent off whilst Uruguay's Luis Suarez bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini without any sanction.[101][102] Shortly after this loss, coach Cesare Prandelli resigned.[103]
Former Juventus manager Antonio Conte was selected to replace Prandelli. On 10 October 2015, Italy qualified for Euro 2016, courtesy of a 3–1 win over Azerbaijan;[104] the result meant that Italy had gone 50 games unbeaten in European qualifiers.[105] On 4 April 2016, it was announced that Antonio Conte would step down as Italy coach after Euro 2016 to become head coach of Chelsea.[106] The 23-man squad was initially criticised by many fans and members of the media for its lack of quality,[107] which saw notable absences, such as Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco being controversially left out.[108] Italy opened Euro 2016 with a 2–0 victory over Belgium and qualified thanks to a win against Sweden in the second match, which made their defeat 1–0 to Ireland in the final group stage match irrelevant for the access to the round of 16.[109][110] Italy subsequently defeated reigning European champions Spain 2–0 in the round of 16.[111] However, Italy were defeated by reigning World champions Germany, in the quarter-finals on penalties, after a 1–1 draw.[112][113]
Failure to qualify for 2018 World Cup
After Conte's planned departure following Euro 2016, Gian Piero Ventura took over as manager for the team.[114] During qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Italy finished second in Group G, five points behind Spain.[115][116] Italy would have to compete in the play-off round against Sweden. However, Italy would lose 1–0 on aggregate to Sweden and were therefore eliminated; the first time that Italy had failed to qualify for the World Cup since 1958.[117] Following the match, veterans Andrea Barzagli, Daniele De Rossi and captain Gianluigi Buffon all declared their retirement from the national team.[118] On 15 November 2017, Ventura was dismissed as head coach,[119] and on 20 November 2017, Carlo Tavecchio resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation.[120] Luigi Di Biagio was called as caretaker manager and led the team in subsequent friendlies in March 2018, including the last of Buffon's 176 appearances on 23 March in a friendly against Argentina.[121]
Mancini era (2018–2023)
Resurgence and second European title
On 14 May 2018, Roberto Mancini was announced as the new manager.[122] On 16 August 2018, in the FIFA World Ranking that followed the 2018 World Cup, Italy dropped to their lowest ever ranking of 21st.[123] On 18 November 2019, Italy finished the Euro 2020 qualifying with ten wins in all ten matches, becoming only the sixth national side to qualify for a European Championship with a perfect record.[124] On 17 March 2020, UEFA confirmed that Euro 2020 would be postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[125]
At the delayed Euro 2020, Italy finished top of Group A, ahead of Turkey, Switzerland, and Wales. Being one of the host nations, Italy played all three group games at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, and it became the first team in European Championship history to win each group stage match without conceding.[126] In the round of 16, Italy defeated Austria 2–1 at Wembley Stadium after extra time.[127] In the quarter-finals, Italy secured a 2–1 victory over Belgium, before beating Spain on penalties in the semi-finals.[128][129]
In the final, on 11 July 2021, Italy won the European Championship defeating hosts England at Wembley Stadium on penalties after a 1–1 draw,[130] for their second European title after the one in 1968. The goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also won the Player of the Tournament award, given to the best player of the tournament.[131] On 16 July, all members of the European Championship-winning squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere.[132]
Failure to qualify for 2022 World Cup
In October 2021, Italy participated in the UEFA Nations League Finals as hosts, and lost the semi-final against Spain, 2–1 at the San Siro.[133] This match meant the end of the record 37 game unbeaten run and the first defeat for Italy in more than 3 years. Four days later, Italy won the third-place play-off, 2–1 against Belgium.[134] On 15 November, Italy drew 0–0 with Northern Ireland in their final 2022 World Cup qualifying Group C match and finished in second place, two points behind Switzerland.[135] On 24 March 2022, Italy lost 1–0 in the semi-final of the play-offs against North Macedonia, therefore, failing to qualify for the World Cup for a second consecutive time.[136][137] On 1 June, Italy took part in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions match, rebranded as the 2022 Finalissima, losing 3–0 against defending Copa América champion Argentina.[138]
On 26 September 2022, Italy qualified to the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals after beating Hungary 2–0 in Budapest.[139] On 15 June 2023, Italy played the semi-final against Spain, losing 2–1.[140] Three days later, Italy won the third-place final 3–2 against the Netherlands.[141] Mancini's stay on Italy's bench ended two months later following his resignation, with Luciano Spalletti being chosen in his place.[142][143]
Spalletti years (2023–present)
As of September 2023, Spalletti led the team in the last six games of Euro 2024 qualifying, and Italy managed to achieve direct qualification to the European Championship by finishing second in Group C behind England.[144]
Rivalries
- Italy vs. Brazil: matches between the nations are known as the World Derby (Portuguese: Clássico Mundial in Portuguese).[145] The most successful football nations in the world, they have achieved nine World Cups between one another. Since their first match at the 1938 World Cup, they have played against each other a total of five times in the World Cup, most notably in the 1970 World Cup Final and the 1994 World Cup final in which Brazil won 4–1 and 3–2 on penalties after a goalless draw respectively.[146]
- Italy vs. France: matches between the two nations officially began on 15 May 1910, Italy's first recorded match ending in a 6–2 victory.[147][148] Notable matches in the World Cup and the European Football Championship include the 2006 World Cup Final, when the Italians defeated the French 5–3 in the penalty shoot-out, after a 1–1 draw, and the 2000 European Championship, won by France with an extra-time golden goal by David Trezeguet.[149]
- Italy vs. Germany: matches between the two nations have cumulated in five matches in the World Cup, notably in the "Game of the Century", the 1970 World Cup semifinal between the two countries that Italy won 4–3 in extra time, with five of the seven goals coming in extra time.[150] Germany has also won three European Championships while Italy has won it twice. The two countries have faced each other four times in the European championship, with three draws (one German penalty shoot-out victory) and one Italian victory.[151] Germany had never defeated Italy in a major tournament match until their victory in the Euro 2016 quarterfinals, on penalties (though statistically considered a draw), with all Germany's other wins over Italy being in friendly competitions.[113]
- Italy vs. Spain: this is a less heated and less heartfelt rivalry for the Italians, especially when compared to those with Germany and France. Matches between Italy and Spain are known as the Mediterranean Derby (Spanish: Rivalidad futbolística Italia-España), named after the Mediterranean Sea that separates the two nations.[152] Matches between them have been contested since 1920, and although they are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of their representative clubs in UEFA competitions.[153][154] Since the quarterfinal match between them at Euro 2008, the rivalry has renewed, with its most notable match being the UEFA Euro 2012 final, which Spain won 4–0.[155][156]
Team image
Kits and crest
The first shirt worn by the Italy national team, in its debut against France on 15 May 1910, was white. The choice of colour was due to the fact that a decision about the appearance of the kit had not yet been made, so it was decided not to have a colour, which was why white was chosen.[157] After two games, for a friendly against Hungary in Milan on 6 January 1911, the white shirt was replaced by a blue jersey (specifically savoy azure)—blue being the border colour of the royal House of Savoy crest used on the flag of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946); the shirt was accompanied by white shorts and black socks (which later became blue).[157] The team later became known as gli Azzurri (the Blues).[157][158][159][160]
In the 1930s, Italy wore a black kit, ordered by the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. The black kit debuted on 17 February 1935 in a friendly against France at the Stadio Nazionale PNF in Rome.[161] A blue shirt, white shorts and black socks were worn at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin the following year. At the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France, the all-black kit was worn once in the match against France.[162]
After World War II, the fascist regime fell and the monarchy was abolished in 1946. The same year saw the birth of the Italian Republic, and the blue-and-white kit was reinstated. The cross of the former Royal House of Savoy was removed from the flag of Italy, and consequently from the national team's badge, now consisting solely of the Tricolore. For the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the country's name in Italian, ITALIA, was placed above the tricolour shield, and for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, FIGC, the abbreviation of the Italian Football Federation, was incorporated into the badge.[157]
In 1983, to celebrate the victory at the World Cup of the previous year, three gold stars replaced ITALIA above the tricolour, representing their three World Cup victories until that point. In 1984, a round emblem was launched, featuring the three stars, the inscriptions ITALIA and FIGC, and the tricolour.[157]
The first known kit manufacturer was Adidas in 1974. From 2003 to 2022, the kit was made by Puma.[157] Since the 2000s, an all-blue uniform including blue shorts has occasionally been used, particularity in international tournaments.[157] After Italy's 2006 World Cup victory, a fourth star was added to the tricolour badge. In March 2022, after almost 20 years with Puma, it was announced that Adidas will be Italy's kit manufacturer from 2023.[163]
Coaching staff
During the earliest days of Italian nation football, it was common for a Technical Commission to be appointed. The Commission took the role that a standard coach would currently play. Ever since 1967, the national team has been controlled only by the coach. For this reason, the coach of the Italy national team is still called Technical Commissioner (Italian: commissario tecnico) or CT. The use of this title has since then expanded into other team sports in Italy.
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Luciano Spalletti |
| Assistant coach | Marco Domenichini |
| Assistants | Daniele Baldini Salvatore Russo |
| Goalkeeping coach | Marco Savorani |
| Athletic trainers | Francesco Sinatti Franco Ferrini |
| Match analysts | Marco Mannucci Renato Baldi |
| Doctors | Angelo De Carli Carmine Costabile |
| Nutritionist | Matteo Pincella |
| Physiotherapists | Mauro Doimi Fabio Sannino Emanuele Randelli Fabrizio Scalzi |
| Osteopath | Walter Martinelli |
| Head of delegation | Gianluigi Buffon |
| Secretary | Emiliano Cozzi |
Source: [164]
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
| 15 June 2023 2022–23 UEFA Nations League SF | Spain | 2–1 | Italy | Enschede, Netherlands |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: De Grolsch Veste Attendance: 24,558 Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia) |
| 18 June 2023 2022–23 UEFA Nations League 3rd | Netherlands | 2–3 | Italy | Enschede, Netherlands |
| 15:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: De Grolsch Veste Attendance: 21,292 Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden) |
| 9 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | North Macedonia | 1–1 | Italy | Skopje, North Macedonia |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Report |
| Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena Attendance: 28,126 Referee: François Letexier (France) |
| 12 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Italy | 2–1 | Ukraine | Milan, Italy |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Report |
| Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 58,386 Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain) |
| 14 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Italy | 4–0 | Malta | Bari, Italy |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) |
| Report | Stadium: Stadio San Nicola Attendance: 56,186 Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia) |
| 17 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | England | 3–1 | Italy | London, England |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report |
| Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 83,194 Referee: Clément Turpin (France) |
| 17 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Italy | 5–2 | North Macedonia | Rome, Italy |
| 20:45 CET (UTC+01:00) |
| Report |
| Stadium: Stadio Olimpico Attendance: 56,364 Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany) |
| 20 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying | Ukraine | 0–0 | Italy | Leverkusen, Germany[note 1] |
| 20:45 CET (UTC+01:00) | Report | Stadium: BayArena Attendance: 26,403 Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain) |
2024
| 21 March 2024 Friendly | Venezuela | 1–2 | Italy | Fort Lauderdale, United States |
| 17:00 EDT (UTC−04:00) |
| Report |
| Stadium: Chase Stadium Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States) |
| 24 March 2024 Friendly | Ecuador | 0–2 | Italy | Harrison, United States |
| 16:00 EDT (UTC−04:00) | Report |
| Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Jon Freemon (United States) |
| 9 June 2024 Friendly | Italy | v | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Empoli, Italy |
| 20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: Stadio Carlo Castellani |
| 15 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B | Italy | v | Albania | Dortmund, Germany |
| 21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: Westfalenstadion |
| 20 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B | Spain | v | Italy | Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
| 21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: Arena AufSchalke |
| 24 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B | Croatia | v | Italy | Leipzig, Germany |
| 21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) | Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena |
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Venezuela and Ecuador on 21 and 24 March 2024, respectively.[167]
- Information correct as of 24 March 2024, after the match against Ecuador.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Gianluigi Donnarumma (captain) | 25 February 1999 | 61 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 12 | GK | Guglielmo Vicario | 7 October 1996 | 1 | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 21 | GK | Alex Meret | 22 March 1997 | 3 | 0 | Napoli |
| GK | Marco Carnesecchi | 1 July 2000 | 0 | 0 | Atalanta | |
| 2 | DF | Giovanni Di Lorenzo | 4 August 1993 | 34 | 3 | Napoli |
| 3 | DF | Federico Dimarco | 10 November 1997 | 17 | 2 | Inter Milan |
| 4 | DF | Alessandro Buongiorno | 6 June 1999 | 3 | 0 | Torino |
| 6 | DF | Destiny Udogie | 28 November 2002 | 3 | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 13 | DF | Matteo Darmian | 2 December 1989 | 42 | 2 | Inter Milan |
| 15 | DF | Giorgio Scalvini | 11 December 2003 | 8 | 0 | Atalanta |
| 16 | DF | Gianluca Mancini | 17 April 1996 | 12 | 0 | Roma |
| 23 | DF | Alessandro Bastoni | 13 April 1999 | 22 | 1 | Inter Milan |
| 24 | DF | Andrea Cambiaso | 20 February 2000 | 2 | 0 | Juventus |
| 25 | DF | Raoul Bellanova | 17 May 2000 | 1 | 0 | Torino |
| 5 | MF | Manuel Locatelli | 8 January 1998 | 28 | 3 | Juventus |
| 7 | MF | Giacomo Bonaventura | 22 August 1989 | 18 | 1 | Fiorentina |
| 8 | MF | Jorginho | 20 December 1991 | 52 | 5 | Arsenal |
| 10 | MF | Lorenzo Pellegrini | 19 June 1996 | 28 | 6 | Roma |
| 18 | MF | Nicolò Barella | 7 February 1997 | 53 | 9 | Inter Milan |
| 19 | MF | Davide Frattesi | 22 September 1999 | 13 | 4 | Inter Milan |
| 26 | MF | Michael Folorunsho | 7 February 1998 | 0 | 0 | Hellas Verona |
| 9 | FW | Mateo Retegui | 29 April 1999 | 6 | 4 | Genoa |
| 11 | FW | Giacomo Raspadori | 18 February 2000 | 26 | 6 | Napoli |
| 14 | FW | Federico Chiesa | 25 October 1997 | 45 | 7 | Juventus |
| 17 | FW | Riccardo Orsolini | 24 January 1997 | 6 | 2 | Bologna |
| 20 | FW | Mattia Zaccagni | 16 June 1995 | 4 | 0 | Lazio |
| 22 | FW | Nicolò Zaniolo | 2 July 1999 | 19 | 2 | Aston Villa |
| FW | Lorenzo Lucca | 10 September 2000 | 0 | 0 | Udinese | |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ivan Provedel | 17 March 1994 | 0 | 0 | Lazio | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| DF | Francesco Acerbi | 10 February 1988 | 34 | 1 | Inter Milan | v. Venezuela, 21 March 2024 WD |
| DF | Cristiano Biraghi | 1 September 1992 | 16 | 1 | Fiorentina | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| DF | Federico Gatti | 24 June 1998 | 3 | 0 | Juventus | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| DF | Manuel Lazzari | 29 November 1993 | 3 | 0 | Lazio | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| DF | Rafael Tolói | 10 October 1990 | 14 | 0 | Atalanta | v. North Macedonia, 17 November 2023 INJ |
| DF | Davide Calabria | 6 December 1996 | 7 | 0 | AC Milan | v. North Macedonia, 17 November 2023 INJ |
| DF | Leonardo Spinazzola | 25 March 1993 | 24 | 0 | Roma | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Alessio Romagnoli | 12 January 1995 | 13 | 2 | Lazio | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Nicolò Casale | 14 February 1998 | 0 | 0 | Lazio | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| DF | Leonardo Bonucci | 1 May 1987 | 121 | 8 | Fenerbahçe | v. Netherlands, 18 June 2023 |
| DF | Alessandro Florenzi | 11 March 1991 | 49 | 2 | AC Milan | v. Spain, 15 June 2023 PRE |
| DF | Federico Baschirotto | 20 September 1996 | 0 | 0 | Lecce | v. Spain, 15 June 2023 PRE |
| MF | Bryan Cristante | 3 March 1995 | 38 | 2 | Roma | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| MF | Andrea Colpani | 11 May 1999 | 0 | 0 | Monza | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| MF | Sandro Tonali | 8 May 2000 | 15 | 0 | Newcastle United | v. Malta, 14 October 2023 |
| MF | Matteo Pessina | 21 April 1997 | 16 | 5 | Monza | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| MF | Marco Verratti | 5 November 1992 | 55 | 3 | Al-Arabi | v. Netherlands, 18 June 2023 |
| FW | Stephan El Shaarawy | 27 October 1992 | 31 | 7 | Roma | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| FW | Domenico Berardi | 1 August 1994 | 28 | 8 | Sassuolo | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| FW | Moise Kean | 28 February 2000 | 15 | 4 | Juventus | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| FW | Gianluca Scamacca | 1 January 1999 | 15 | 1 | Atalanta | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| FW | Matteo Politano | 3 August 1993 | 12 | 3 | Napoli | v. Ukraine, 20 November 2023 |
| FW | Ciro Immobile | 20 February 1990 | 57 | 17 | Lazio | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| FW | Wilfried Gnonto | 5 November 2003 | 13 | 1 | Leeds United | v. Ukraine, 12 September 2023 |
| ||||||
Previous squads
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|
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Individual records
Player records
Most capped players
As of 17 November 2023, the players with the most appearances for Italy are:[168]
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gianluigi Buffon | 176 | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| 2 | Fabio Cannavaro | 136 | 2 | 1997–2010 |
| 3 | Paolo Maldini | 126 | 7 | 1988–2002 |
| 4 | Leonardo Bonucci | 121 | 8 | 2010–present |
| 5 | Giorgio Chiellini | 117 | 8 | 2004–2022 |
| Daniele De Rossi | 117 | 21 | 2004–2017 | |
| 7 | Andrea Pirlo | 116 | 13 | 2002–2015 |
| 8 | Dino Zoff | 112 | 0 | 1968–1983 |
| 9 | Gianluca Zambrotta | 98 | 2 | 1999–2010 |
| 10 | Giacinto Facchetti | 94 | 3 | 1963–1977 |
Players in bold are still active.
Top goalscorers
As of 17 November 2023, the players with the most goals for Italy are:[169][168]
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gigi Riva (list) | 35 | 42 | 0.83 | 1965–1974 |
| 2 | Giuseppe Meazza | 33 | 53 | 0.62 | 1930–1939 |
| 3 | Silvio Piola | 30 | 34 | 0.88 | 1935–1952 |
| 4 | Roberto Baggio | 27 | 56 | 0.48 | 1988–2004 |
| Alessandro Del Piero | 91 | 0.3 | 1995–2008 | ||
| 6 | Adolfo Baloncieri | 25 | 47 | 0.53 | 1920–1930 |
| Filippo Inzaghi | 57 | 0.44 | 1997–2007 | ||
| Alessandro Altobelli | 61 | 0.41 | 1980–1988 | ||
| 9 | Christian Vieri | 23 | 49 | 0.47 | 1997–2005 |
| Francesco Graziani | 64 | 0.36 | 1975–1983 |
Players in bold are still active.
Captains
List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years.[170]
- 1910: Francesco Calì
- 1911–1914: Giuseppe Milano
- 1914–1915: Virgilio Fossati
- 1920–1925: Renzo De Vecchi
- 1925–1927: Luigi Cevenini
- 1927–1930: Adolfo Baloncieri
- 1931–1934: Umberto Caligaris
- 1934: Gianpiero Combi
- 1935–1936: Luigi Allemandi
- 1937–1939: Giuseppe Meazza
- 1940–1947: Silvio Piola
- 1947–1949: Valentino Mazzola
- 1949–1950: Riccardo Carapellese
- 1951–1952: Carlo Annovazzi
- 1952–1960: Giampiero Boniperti
- 1961–1962: Lorenzo Buffon
- 1962–1963: Cesare Maldini
- 1963–1966: Sandro Salvadore
- 1966–1977: Giacinto Facchetti
- 1977–1983: Dino Zoff
- 1983–1985: Marco Tardelli
- 1985–1986: Gaetano Scirea
- 1986–1987: Antonio Cabrini
- 1988–1991: Giuseppe Bergomi
- 1991–1994: Franco Baresi
- 1994–2002: Paolo Maldini
- 2002–2010: Fabio Cannavaro[nb 1]
- 2010–2018: Gianluigi Buffon[nb 2]
- 2018–2022: Giorgio Chiellini
- 2022–2023: Leonardo Bonucci
- 2023–: Ciro Immobile[1]
Hat-tricks
Manager records
- Most manager appearances
- Enzo Bearzot: 104[180]
Team records
- Largest victory
- 9–0 vs. United States, 2 August 1948
- Largest defeat
- 1–7 vs. Hungary, 6 April 1924
Competitive record
For the all-time record, see Italy national football team all-time record.
Champions Runners-up Third place Tournament played fully or partially on home soil
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| 1934 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1938 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | Qualified as defending champions | ||||||
| 1950 | Group stage | 7th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Qualified as defending champions | ||||||
| 1954 | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 1958 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 1962 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1966 | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 1970 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | |
| 1974 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| 1978 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 4 | |
| 1982 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | |
| 1986 | Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Qualified as defending champions | ||||||
| 1990 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 1994 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 7 | |
| 1998 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2006 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 8 | |
| 2010 | Group stage | 26th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 7 | |
| 2014 | 22nd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 9 | ||
| 2018 | Did not qualify | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 9 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 3 | |||||||||
| Total | 4 titles | 18/22 | 83 | 45 | 21 | 17 | 128 | 77 | 118 | 78 | 30 | 10 | 234 | 72 | |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
| Italy's World Cup record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First match | |||||
| Biggest win | |||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||
| Best result | |||||
| Worst result | 26th place in 2010 (group stage) | ||||
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1960 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
| 1964 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1968 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||
| 1976 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| 1980 | Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 1984 | Did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1988 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 4 | |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 5 | ||||||||
| 1996 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | |
| 2000 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 5 | |
| 2004 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 4 | |
| 2008 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 9 | |
| 2012 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 7 | |
| 2020 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2024 | Qualified | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 9 | ||||||||
| Total | 2 titles | 11/17 | 45 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 52 | 31 | 126 | 78 | 32 | 16 | 240 | 85 | |
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
| Italy's European Championship record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First match | |||||
| Biggest win | |||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||
| Best result | |||||
| Worst result | 10th place in 1996 (group stage) | ||||
UEFA Nations League
| UEFA Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League phase | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | LG | Grp | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | Year | Pos | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2018–19 | A | 3 | 2nd | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8th | 2019 | Did not qualify | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | A | 1 | 1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3rd | 2021 | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Squad | ||
| 2022–23 | A | 3 | 1st | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 3rd | 2023 | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Squad | ||
| 2024–25 | A | 2 | To be determined | 2025 | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6th | Total | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | — | ||||||
- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
| Italy's UEFA Nations League record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First match | |||||
| Biggest win | |||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||
| Best result | |||||
| Worst result | 8th place in 2018–19 | ||||
FIFA Confederations Cup
| FIFA Confederations Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1992 | No European team participated | ||||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1997 | |||||||||
| 1999 | |||||||||
| 2001 | |||||||||
| 2003 | Did not enter[a] | ||||||||
| 2005 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
italy, national, football, team, this, article, about, team, women, team, italy, women, national, football, team, azzurri, redirects, here, other, uses, azzurri, italian, nazionale, calcio, dell, italia, represented, italy, international, football, since, firs. This article is about the men s team For the women s team see Italy women s national football team Gli Azzurri redirects here For other uses see Azzurri The Italy national football team Italian Nazionale di calcio dell Italia has represented Italy in men s international football since its first match in 1910 The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation FIGC the governing body for football in Italy which is a co founder and member of UEFA Italy s home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Italy and its primary training ground and technical headquarters Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano is located in Florence Italy are the reigning European champions having won UEFA Euro 2020 ItalyNickname s Gli Azzurri The Blues AssociationItalian Football Federation Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio FIGC ConfederationUEFA Europe Head coachLuciano SpallettiCaptainCiro Immobile 1 Most capsGianluigi Buffon 176 Top scorerGigi Riva 35 Home stadiumVariousFIFA codeITAFirst coloursSecond coloursFIFA rankingCurrent9 4 April 2024 2 Highest1 November 1993 February 2007 April June 2007 September 2007 Lowest21 June 2018 First international Italy 6 2 France Milan Italy 15 May 1910 Biggest win Italy 9 0 United States Brentford England 2 August 1948 Biggest defeat Hungary 7 1 Italy Budapest Hungary 6 April 1924 World CupAppearances18 first in 1934 Best resultChampions 1934 1938 1982 2006 European ChampionshipAppearances10 first in 1968 Best resultChampions 1968 2020 Nations League FinalsAppearances2 first in 2021 Best resultThird place 2021 2023 CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of ChampionsAppearances1 first in 2022 Best resultRunners up 2022 FIFA Confederations CupAppearances2 first in 2009 Best resultThird place 2013 Medal record Olympic Games 1936 Berlin Team 1928 Amsterdam Team FIFA World Cup 1934 Italy Team 1938 France Team 1982 Spain Team 2006 Germany Team 1970 Mexico Team 1994 United States Team 1990 Italy Team UEFA European Championship 1968 Italy Team 2020 Europe Team 2000 Netherlands amp Belgium Team 2012 Poland amp Ukraine Team CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of Champions 2022 England Team UEFA Nations League 2021 Italy Team 2023 Netherlands Team FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 Brazil TeamWebsiteFIGC it in Italian and English Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of football and the World Cup having won four titles 1934 1938 1982 2006 appearing in two other finals 1970 1994 and reaching also a third 1990 and a fourth 1978 place Italy also won two European Championships 1968 2020 and appeared in two other finals of the tournament 2000 2012 Italy s team also finished as runners up in the CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022 and in third place at both the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and at the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and 2023 The team is known as gli Azzurri the Blues because Savoy blue is the common colour of the national teams representing Italy as it is the traditional paint of the royal House of Savoy which reigned over the Kingdom of Italy In 1938 Italy became the first team to defend its World Cup title and due to the outbreak of World War II retained the title for a further 12 years Italy had also previously won two Central European International Cups 1927 30 1933 35 Between its first two World Cup victories Italy won the Olympic football tournament 1936 After the majority of the team was killed in a plane crash in 1949 Italy obtained poor results in the 1950s even failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup Failure to qualify for the World Cup did not happen again until the consecutive editions of 2018 and 2022 However the team was unbeaten from October 2018 to October 2021 and holds the world record for most consecutive matches without defeat 37 Italy has notable rivalries with other footballing nations such as Brazil France Germany and Spain In the FIFA World Rankings in force since August 1993 Italy has occupied the first place several times in November 1993 and during 2007 February April June September with its worst placement in August 2018 in 21st place Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins and first two World Cups titles in 1934 and 1938 1 2 Reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s 1 3 European champions and World Cup runners up 1968 1974 1 4 Third World Cup title generation 1978 1986 1 5 Vicini years and World Cup runners up with Sacchi 1986 1994 1 6 Euro 2000 runners up 1996 2000 1 7 Trapattoni years 2000 2004 1 8 2006 World Cup victory and later decline 1 9 Euro 2012 runners up and fluctuating results 2010 2016 1 10 Failure to qualify for 2018 World Cup 1 11 Mancini era 2018 2023 1 11 1 Resurgence and second European title 1 11 2 Failure to qualify for 2022 World Cup 1 12 Spalletti years 2023 present 2 Rivalries 3 Team image 3 1 Kits and crest 4 Coaching staff 5 Results and fixtures 5 1 2023 5 2 2024 6 Players 6 1 Current squad 6 2 Recent call ups 6 3 Previous squads 7 Individual records 7 1 Player records 7 1 1 Most capped players 7 1 2 Top goalscorers 7 1 3 Captains 7 1 4 Hat tricks 7 2 Manager records 8 Team records 9 Competitive record 9 1 FIFA World Cup 9 2 UEFA European Championship 9 3 UEFA Nations League 9 4 FIFA Confederations Cup 9 5 Central European International Cup 9 6 Other tournaments 10 Head to head record 11 Honours 11 1 Awards 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External linksHistoryMain article History of the Italy national football team Origins and first two World Cups titles in 1934 and 1938 nbsp The squad celebrating its first FIFA World Cup in 1934 An early attempt to create an Italian national team occurred on 30 April 1899 when an Italian selection played a Swiss eleven losing 0 2 in Torino 3 The team s first official match was held in Milan on 15 May 1910 Italy defeated France by a score of 6 2 with Italy s first goal scored by Pietro Lana 4 5 6 The Italian team played with a 2 3 5 system and consisted of De Simoni Varisco Cali Trere Fossati Capello Debernardi Rizzi Cevenini I Lana Boiocchi The first captain of the team was Francesco Cali 7 The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam After losing the semi final against Uruguay an 11 3 victory against Egypt secured third place in the competition In the 1927 30 and 1933 35 Central European International Cup Italy achieved the first place out of five Central European teams topping the group with 11 points in both editions of the tournament 8 9 Italy would also later win the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics with a 2 1 victory in extra time in the gold medal match over Austria on 15 August 1936 10 After declining to participate in the inaugural World Cup 1930 in Uruguay the Italy national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in 1934 and 1938 under the direction of coach Vittorio Pozzo and the performance of Giuseppe Meazza who is considered one of the best Italian football players of all time by some 11 12 Italy hosted the 1934 World Cup and played their first ever World Cup match in a 7 1 win over the United States in Rome Italy defeated Czechoslovakia 2 1 in extra time in the final in Rome with goals by Raimundo Orsi and Angelo Schiavio to achieve their first World cup title in 1934 They achieved their second title in 1938 in a 4 2 defeat of Hungary with two goals by Gino Colaussi and two goals by Silvio Piola in the World Cup that followed It is rumored that before the 1938 finals fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini sent a telegram to the team saying Vincere o morire literally translated as Win or die However no record remains of such a telegram and World Cup player Pietro Rava said when interviewed No no no that s not true He sent a telegram wishing us well but no never win or die 13 Reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s nbsp The Italy national team in 1965 In 1949 10 of the 11 players in the team s initial line up were killed in a plane crash that affected Torino winners of the previous five Serie A titles Italy did not advance further than the first round of the 1950 World Cup as they were weakened severely due to the air disaster The team had travelled by boat rather than by plane fearing another accident 14 In the World Cup finals of 1954 and 1962 Italy failed to progress past the first round and did not qualify for the 1958 World Cup due to a 2 1 defeat to Northern Ireland in the last match of the qualifying round Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in 1960 then known as the European Nations Cup and was knocked out by the Soviet Union in the first round of the 1964 European Nations Cup qualifying citation needed Their participation in the 1966 World Cup was ended by a 0 1 defeat at the hands of North Korea Despite being the tournament favourites the Azzurri whose 1966 squad included Gianni Rivera and Giacomo Bulgarelli were eliminated in the first round by the semi professional North Koreans The Italian team was bitterly condemned upon their return home while North Korean scorer Pak Doo ik was celebrated as the David who killed Goliath Upon Italy s return home furious fans threw fruit and rotten tomatoes at their transport bus at the airport 15 16 European champions and World Cup runners up 1968 1974 nbsp Captain Giacinto Facchetti celebrates Italy s UEFA Euro 1968 victory In 1968 Italy hosted the European Championship and won the tournament in its first participation beating Yugoslavia in Rome and winning their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup The final ended in a 1 1 draw after extra time and the rules of the time required the match to be replayed a few days later This was the only time the final of the European Championship or World Cup was replayed 17 On 10 June 1968 Italy won the replay 2 0 with goals from Gigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi to take the trophy In the 1970 World Cup exploiting the performances of European champions players like Giacinto Facchetti Gianni Rivera and Gigi Riva and with a new centre forward Roberto Boninsegna the team were able to come back to a World Cup final match after 32 years They reached this result after one of the most famous matches in football history the Game of the Century the 1970 World Cup semifinal between Italy and West Germany that Italy won 4 3 in extra time with five of the seven goals coming in extra time 18 They were later defeated by Brazil in the final 4 1 After losing to Belgium in the quarter finals to qualify for the 1972 European Championship this generation s cycle ended at the 1974 World Cup where the team was eliminated in the group stage after a 2 1 loss against Poland in the last match of the group Third World Cup title generation 1978 1986 Under the initial guide of Fulvio Bernardini and later that of head coach Enzo Bearzot a new generation of Italian players came to the international stage in the second half of the 1970s At the 1978 World Cup Italy was the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina and the Azzurri made it to the third place final where they were defeated by Brazil 2 1 In the second round group stage match against the Netherlands which prevented Italy from reaching the final Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff was beaten by a long distance shot from Arie Haan and Zoff was criticized for the defeat 19 Italy hosted the 1980 European Championship the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four 20 automatically qualifying for the finals as hosts After two draws with Spain and Belgium and a narrow 1 0 win over England Italy were beaten by Czechoslovakia in the third place match on penalties 9 8 after Fulvio Collovati missed his kick 21 22 nbsp Italy s starting line up before the match against Argentina in a group stage game at the 1982 FIFA World Cup nbsp One of the widely remembered pictures of the 1982 FIFA World Cup Italian President Sandro Pertini playing scopone with Dino Zoff Franco Causio and coach Bearzot After a scandal in Serie A where some National team players such as Paolo Rossi 23 were prosecuted and suspended for match fixing and illegal betting the Azzurri qualified for the second round of the 1982 World Cup after three uninspiring draws against Poland Peru and Cameroon Having been loudly criticized the Italian team decided on a press black out from then on with only coach Enzo Bearzot and captain Dino Zoff appointed to speak to the press Italy s regrouped in the second round group a group of death with Argentina and Brazil In the opener Italy prevailed 2 1 over Argentina with Italy s goals both left footed strikes were scored by Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini After Brazil defeated Argentina 3 1 Italy needed to win in order to advance to the semi finals Twice Italy went in the lead with Paolo Rossi s goals and twice Brazil came back When Falcao scored to make it 2 2 Brazil would have been through on goal difference but in the 74th minute Rossi scored the winning goal for a hat trick in a crowded penalty area to send Italy to the semifinals after one of the greatest games in World Cup history 24 25 26 Italy then progressed to the semi final where they defeated Poland with two goals from Rossi In the final on 11 July 1982 Italy met West Germany in Madrid The first half ended scoreless after Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty awarded for a Hans Peter Briegel foul on Bruno Conti In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal and while the Germans were pushing forward in search of an equaliser Marco Tardelli and substitute Alessandro Altobelli finalised two contropiede counterattacks to make it 3 0 Paul Breitner scored home West Germany s consolation goal seven minutes from the end 27 Tardelli s screaming celebration after his goal was one of the defining images of Italy s 1982 World Cup triumph 28 Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals as well as the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament 29 and 40 year old captain goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest player to win the World Cup 30 Subsequently Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship 31 32 and then entered as reigning champions in the 1986 World Cup 33 34 35 but were eliminated by reigning European Champions France in the round of 16 36 Vicini years and World Cup runners up with Sacchi 1986 1994 In 1986 Azeglio Vicini was appointed as new head coach replacing Bearzot 37 He granted a central role to players such as Walter Zenga and Gianluca Vialli and conceded a chance to young players coming from the U21 team 38 Vialli indeed scored goals that gave Italy 1988 European Championship pass 39 He was also shown like Altobelli s possibly successor having his same goal attitude 40 Both forwards stroke the target in Germany where Soviet Union defeated the Azzurri in semi finals 41 nbsp Roberto Baggio in 1990 Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990 The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci and a young Roberto Baggio Italy played nearly all of their matches in Rome and did not concede a single goal in their first five matches however they lost the semi final in Naples to defending champion Argentina Argentinian player Maradona who played for Napoli made comments prior to the game pertaining to the North South inequality in Italy and the Risorgimento asking Neapolitans to root for Argentina in the game 42 Italy lost 4 3 on penalty kicks following a 1 1 draw after extra time Schillaci s first half opener was equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia s header for Argentina Aldo Serena missed the final penalty kick with Roberto Donadoni also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea Italy went on to defeat England 2 1 in the third place match in Bari with Schillaci scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament s top scorer with six goals After failing to qualify for the 1992 European Championship Vicini was replaced by former A C Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi who brought a new style of play In November 1993 FIFA ranked Italy first in the FIFA World Rankings for the first time since the ranking system was introduced in December 1992 43 At the 1994 World Cup in the United States Italy lost the opening match against Ireland 0 1 at the Giants Stadium near New York City After a 1 0 win against Norway in New York City and a 1 1 draw with Mexico at the RFK Stadium in Washington D C Italy advanced from Group E based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points During their round of 16 match at the Foxboro Stadium near Boston Italy was down 0 1 late against Nigeria but Baggio rescued Italy with an equaliser in the 88th minute and a penalty in extra time to take the win 44 Baggio scored another late goal against Spain at their quarter final match in Boston to seal a 2 1 win and two goals against Bulgaria in their semi final match in New York City for another 2 1 win 45 46 In the final which took place in Los Angeles s Rose Bowl stadium 2 700 miles 4 320 km and three time zones away from the Atlantic Northeast part of the United States where they had played all their previous matches Italy who had 24 hours less rest than Brazil played 120 minutes of scoreless football taking the match to a penalty shootout the first time a World Cup final was settled in a penalty shootout 47 Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3 2 after Baggio who had been playing with the aid of a pain killer injection 48 and a heavily bandaged hamstring 49 50 missed the final penalty kick of the match shooting over the crossbar 51 52 Euro 2000 runners up 1996 2000 After qualifying for Euro 1996 on level points with Croatia Italy did not progress beyond the group stage at the final tournament Having defeated Russia 2 1 but losing to the Czech Republic by the same score Italy required a victory in their final group match to progress to the quarter finals Gianfranco Zola failed to convert a decisive penalty in a 0 0 draw against Germany who eventually won the tournament 53 Relegated to second place behind England in the qualification campaign for the 1998 World Cup Italy booked a place at the final tournament after defeating Russia in a play off with Pierluigi Casiraghi scoring the winning goal in a 2 1 aggregate victory on 15 November 1997 54 After finishing first in their group and overcoming Norway in the second round Italy faced a penalty shoot out in the quarterfinals for the third World Cup in a row 55 The Italian side where Alessandro Del Piero and Baggio renewed the controversial staffetta lit relay between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970 held the eventual World Champions and host team France to a 0 0 draw after extra time but lost 4 3 in the shoot out With two goals scored in this tournament Baggio remains the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup editions 56 nbsp Italy right line up ahead of the UEFA Euro 2000 Final against FranceTwo years later at the Euro 2000 with four consecutive victories the team led by former captain Dino Zoff made it all the way to the semifinals facing another penalty shoot out but emerging victorious over the co hosts the Netherlands 57 Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two in the shootout while striker Francesco Totti scored his penalty with a cucchiaio lit spoon chip 58 Italy finished the tournament as runners up losing the final 2 1 against France to a golden goal in extra time after conceding an equalising goal just 30 seconds before the expected end of injury time 59 After the defeat coach Dino Zoff resigned in protest after being criticized by AC Milan club president and politician Silvio Berlusconi 60 Trapattoni years 2000 2004 Giovanni Trapattoni took charge of the team in July 2000 following the resignation of Dino Zoff 61 Playing in Group 8 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification process Italy finished undefeated after facing Romania Georgia Hungary and Lithuania In the final tournament a 2 0 victory against Ecuador with a double from Christian Vieri was followed by a series of controversial matches During the match against Croatia English referee Graham Poll disallowed incorrectly two absolutely regular goals resulting in a 2 1 defeat for Italy 62 Despite two goals being ruled for offsides a late headed goal from Alessandro Del Piero helped Italy to a 1 1 draw with Mexico proving enough to advance to the knockout stages 63 Co host country South Korea eliminated Italy in the round of 16 by a score of 2 1 The match proved controversial with members of the Italian team most notably striker Francesco Totti and coach Giovanni Trapattoni suggesting a conspiracy to eliminate Italy from the competition 64 Trapattoni even obliquely accused FIFA of ordering the official to ensure a Korean victory so that one of the two host nations would remain in the tournament 65 The most contentious decisions by the game referee Byron Moreno were an early penalty awarded to South Korea saved by Buffon a golden goal by Damiano Tommasi incorrectly ruled offside and the sending off of Totti after being presented with a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area 66 FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that the linesmen had been a disaster and admitted that Italy suffered from bad offside calls during the group matches but he denied conspiracy allegations While questioning Totti s sending off by Moreno Blatter refused to blame Italy s loss entirely on the referees stating Italy s elimination is not only down to referees and linesmen who made human not premeditated errors Italy made mistakes both in defense and in attack 67 Trapattoni stayed on and guided the team at Euro 2004 in Portugal where after draws against Denmark and Sweden along with a victory over Bulgaria in Group C Italy were eliminated following a three way five point tie based on the number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams 68 Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and then Italian football federation president Franco Carraro accused the Swedish and Danish teams of fixing the result of their final match 2 2 was the result which consented both teams to advance 69 Despite calls then UEFA spokesperson Robert Faulkner said the organization would not investigate the result 70 After initially refusing to resign following Italy s elimination from the tournament the Italian Football Federation replaced Trapattoni with Marcello Lippi 71 72 2006 World Cup victory and later decline nbsp Within the crowd in the Circus Maximus in Rome after the Italian team scored against France nbsp Italian President Giorgio Napolitano congratulates coach Lippi and captain Cannavaro after the final match against France With controversy plaguing the domestic league Italy entered the 2006 World Cup as one of the eight seeded teams 73 74 75 76 Italy finished first in Group E with wins against Ghana and the Czech Republic and a draw with the United States 77 78 In the round of 16 Italy secured a 1 0 victory over Australia with Francesco Totti scoring a penalty 79 Italy overcame Ukraine 3 0 after taking an early lead through Gianluca Zambrotta and additional goals coming from Luca Toni 80 In the semi finals Italy beat hosts Germany 2 0 with goals Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero in the last minutes of extra time 81 On 9 July 2006 the Azzurri won their fourth World Cup title after defeating France in the final French captain Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the seventh minute before Marco Materazzi scored from a corner kick twelve minutes later The score remained level and during extra time and Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi 82 Italy went on to win the penalty shootout 5 3 with all Italian players scoring their kicks The decisive penalty goal was scored by Fabio Grosso 83 FIFA named seven Italian players Gianluigi Buffon Fabio Cannavaro Gianluca Zambrotta Andrea Pirlo Gennaro Gattuso Francesco Totti and Luca Toni to the 23 man tournament All Star Team 84 Buffon also won the Lev Yashin Award given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament he conceded only two goals in the tournament s seven matches the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane s penalty kick in the final and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes 85 In honour of Italy winning a fourth FIFA World Cup members of the squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere 86 87 Marcello Lippi who had announced his resignation three days after the World Cup triumph was replaced by Roberto Donadoni 88 Italy qualified from their Euro 2008 qualifying group ahead of France On 14 February 2007 Italy climbed to first in the FIFA World Rankings for only the second time 43 At Euro 2008 the Azzurri lost 3 0 to the Netherlands in the opening match of the group stage The following game against Romania ended 1 1 thanks to a penalty save from Gianluigi Buffon 89 Italy would win their final group game against France 2 0 a rematch of the 2006 World Cup final The Azzurri were eliminated in the quarter finals on penalties to eventual champions Spain Within a week of the game Roberto Donadoni s contract was terminated and Marcello Lippi was rehired as coach 90 Italy qualified for their first ever FIFA Confederations Cup held in South Africa in June 2009 by virtue of winning the 2006 World Cup They won their opening match of the tournament against the United States but subsequent defeats to Egypt and Brazil meant that they finished third in the group on goals scored points level with USA and Egypt and were eliminated 91 At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa reigning champions Italy were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round finishing last place in their group After being held to 1 1 draws with Paraguay and New Zealand they suffered a 3 2 loss to Slovakia 92 It was the first time Italy failed to win a single game at a World Cup finals tournament and in doing so became only the third nation to be eliminated in the first round while being reigning World Cup champions 93 Euro 2012 runners up and fluctuating results 2010 2016 nbsp The national football team of Italy before the UEFA Euro 2012 final Olympic Stadium Kyiv 1 July 2012 Marcello Lippi stepped down after Italy s World Cup campaign and was replaced by Cesare Prandelli although Lippi s successor had already been announced before the tournament 94 At UEFA Euro 2012 Italy finished second in their group behind Spain which earned them a quarter final tie against England After a mostly one sided affair in which Italy failed to take their chances they managed to beat England on penalties 95 96 In the semi final against Germany two first half goals by Mario Balotelli saw the Italians through to the final In the final Italy fell to a 4 0 defeat to Spain 97 During the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil Italy reached the semi finals losing 7 6 on penalties to Spain 98 Italy did manage to beat Uruguay in the third place play off At the 2014 FIFA World Cup Italy managed to defeat England 2 1 in their first match before succumbing to underdogs Costa Rica 1 0 in the second group stage match 99 100 In Italy s last group match they were knocked out by Uruguay 1 0 in a controversial match where Italian player Claudio Marchisio was controversially sent off whilst Uruguay s Luis Suarez bit Italy s Giorgio Chiellini without any sanction 101 102 Shortly after this loss coach Cesare Prandelli resigned 103 Former Juventus manager Antonio Conte was selected to replace Prandelli On 10 October 2015 Italy qualified for Euro 2016 courtesy of a 3 1 win over Azerbaijan 104 the result meant that Italy had gone 50 games unbeaten in European qualifiers 105 On 4 April 2016 it was announced that Antonio Conte would step down as Italy coach after Euro 2016 to become head coach of Chelsea 106 The 23 man squad was initially criticised by many fans and members of the media for its lack of quality 107 which saw notable absences such as Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco being controversially left out 108 Italy opened Euro 2016 with a 2 0 victory over Belgium and qualified thanks to a win against Sweden in the second match which made their defeat 1 0 to Ireland in the final group stage match irrelevant for the access to the round of 16 109 110 Italy subsequently defeated reigning European champions Spain 2 0 in the round of 16 111 However Italy were defeated by reigning World champions Germany in the quarter finals on penalties after a 1 1 draw 112 113 Failure to qualify for 2018 World Cup After Conte s planned departure following Euro 2016 Gian Piero Ventura took over as manager for the team 114 During qualification for the 2018 World Cup Italy finished second in Group G five points behind Spain 115 116 Italy would have to compete in the play off round against Sweden However Italy would lose 1 0 on aggregate to Sweden and were therefore eliminated the first time that Italy had failed to qualify for the World Cup since 1958 117 Following the match veterans Andrea Barzagli Daniele De Rossi and captain Gianluigi Buffon all declared their retirement from the national team 118 On 15 November 2017 Ventura was dismissed as head coach 119 and on 20 November 2017 Carlo Tavecchio resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation 120 Luigi Di Biagio was called as caretaker manager and led the team in subsequent friendlies in March 2018 including the last of Buffon s 176 appearances on 23 March in a friendly against Argentina 121 Mancini era 2018 2023 Resurgence and second European title On 14 May 2018 Roberto Mancini was announced as the new manager 122 On 16 August 2018 in the FIFA World Ranking that followed the 2018 World Cup Italy dropped to their lowest ever ranking of 21st 123 On 18 November 2019 Italy finished the Euro 2020 qualifying with ten wins in all ten matches becoming only the sixth national side to qualify for a European Championship with a perfect record 124 On 17 March 2020 UEFA confirmed that Euro 2020 would be postponed by one year due to the COVID 19 pandemic 125 nbsp President of Italy Sergio Mattarella right congratulates captain Chiellini in Rome the day after Italy s triumph at UEFA Euro 2020 At the delayed Euro 2020 Italy finished top of Group A ahead of Turkey Switzerland and Wales Being one of the host nations Italy played all three group games at Rome s Stadio Olimpico and it became the first team in European Championship history to win each group stage match without conceding 126 In the round of 16 Italy defeated Austria 2 1 at Wembley Stadium after extra time 127 In the quarter finals Italy secured a 2 1 victory over Belgium before beating Spain on penalties in the semi finals 128 129 In the final on 11 July 2021 Italy won the European Championship defeating hosts England at Wembley Stadium on penalties after a 1 1 draw 130 for their second European title after the one in 1968 The goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also won the Player of the Tournament award given to the best player of the tournament 131 On 16 July all members of the European Championship winning squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere 132 Failure to qualify for 2022 World Cup In October 2021 Italy participated in the UEFA Nations League Finals as hosts and lost the semi final against Spain 2 1 at the San Siro 133 This match meant the end of the record 37 game unbeaten run and the first defeat for Italy in more than 3 years Four days later Italy won the third place play off 2 1 against Belgium 134 On 15 November Italy drew 0 0 with Northern Ireland in their final 2022 World Cup qualifying Group C match and finished in second place two points behind Switzerland 135 On 24 March 2022 Italy lost 1 0 in the semi final of the play offs against North Macedonia therefore failing to qualify for the World Cup for a second consecutive time 136 137 On 1 June Italy took part in the CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of Champions match rebranded as the 2022 Finalissima losing 3 0 against defending Copa America champion Argentina 138 On 26 September 2022 Italy qualified to the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals after beating Hungary 2 0 in Budapest 139 On 15 June 2023 Italy played the semi final against Spain losing 2 1 140 Three days later Italy won the third place final 3 2 against the Netherlands 141 Mancini s stay on Italy s bench ended two months later following his resignation with Luciano Spalletti being chosen in his place 142 143 Spalletti years 2023 present As of September 2023 Spalletti led the team in the last six games of Euro 2024 qualifying and Italy managed to achieve direct qualification to the European Championship by finishing second in Group C behind England 144 RivalriesItaly vs Brazil matches between the nations are known as the World Derby Portuguese Classico Mundial in Portuguese 145 The most successful football nations in the world they have achieved nine World Cups between one another Since their first match at the 1938 World Cup they have played against each other a total of five times in the World Cup most notably in the 1970 World Cup Final and the 1994 World Cup final in which Brazil won 4 1 and 3 2 on penalties after a goalless draw respectively 146 Italy vs France matches between the two nations officially began on 15 May 1910 Italy s first recorded match ending in a 6 2 victory 147 148 Notable matches in the World Cup and the European Football Championship include the 2006 World Cup Final when the Italians defeated the French 5 3 in the penalty shoot out after a 1 1 draw and the 2000 European Championship won by France with an extra time golden goal by David Trezeguet 149 Italy vs Germany matches between the two nations have cumulated in five matches in the World Cup notably in the Game of the Century the 1970 World Cup semifinal between the two countries that Italy won 4 3 in extra time with five of the seven goals coming in extra time 150 Germany has also won three European Championships while Italy has won it twice The two countries have faced each other four times in the European championship with three draws one German penalty shoot out victory and one Italian victory 151 Germany had never defeated Italy in a major tournament match until their victory in the Euro 2016 quarterfinals on penalties though statistically considered a draw with all Germany s other wins over Italy being in friendly competitions 113 Italy vs Spain this is a less heated and less heartfelt rivalry for the Italians especially when compared to those with Germany and France Matches between Italy and Spain are known as the Mediterranean Derby Spanish Rivalidad futbolistica Italia Espana named after the Mediterranean Sea that separates the two nations 152 Matches between them have been contested since 1920 and although they are not immediate geographical neighbours their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of their representative clubs in UEFA competitions 153 154 Since the quarterfinal match between them at Euro 2008 the rivalry has renewed with its most notable match being the UEFA Euro 2012 final which Spain won 4 0 155 156 Team imageKits and crest nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Italy national football team kits nbsp Italy in 1910 wearing the original white jersey They would switch to the traditional blue shirt a year later nbsp The blue shirt had a House of Savoy badge during the early 1930s nbsp Italy s classic kit worn by Giacinto Facchetti in 1968 The first shirt worn by the Italy national team in its debut against France on 15 May 1910 was white The choice of colour was due to the fact that a decision about the appearance of the kit had not yet been made so it was decided not to have a colour which was why white was chosen 157 After two games for a friendly against Hungary in Milan on 6 January 1911 the white shirt was replaced by a blue jersey specifically savoy azure blue being the border colour of the royal House of Savoy crest used on the flag of the Kingdom of Italy 1861 1946 the shirt was accompanied by white shorts and black socks which later became blue 157 The team later became known as gli Azzurri the Blues 157 158 159 160 In the 1930s Italy wore a black kit ordered by the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini The black kit debuted on 17 February 1935 in a friendly against France at the Stadio Nazionale PNF in Rome 161 A blue shirt white shorts and black socks were worn at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin the following year At the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France the all black kit was worn once in the match against France 162 After World War II the fascist regime fell and the monarchy was abolished in 1946 The same year saw the birth of the Italian Republic and the blue and white kit was reinstated The cross of the former Royal House of Savoy was removed from the flag of Italy and consequently from the national team s badge now consisting solely of the Tricolore For the 1954 FIFA World Cup the country s name in Italian ITALIA was placed above the tricolour shield and for the 1982 FIFA World Cup FIGC the abbreviation of the Italian Football Federation was incorporated into the badge 157 In 1983 to celebrate the victory at the World Cup of the previous year three gold stars replaced ITALIA above the tricolour representing their three World Cup victories until that point In 1984 a round emblem was launched featuring the three stars the inscriptions ITALIA and FIGC and the tricolour 157 The first known kit manufacturer was Adidas in 1974 From 2003 to 2022 the kit was made by Puma 157 Since the 2000s an all blue uniform including blue shorts has occasionally been used particularity in international tournaments 157 After Italy s 2006 World Cup victory a fourth star was added to the tricolour badge In March 2022 after almost 20 years with Puma it was announced that Adidas will be Italy s kit manufacturer from 2023 163 Kit supplier Period No supplier 1910 1974 nbsp Adidas 1974 1979 nbsp Le Coq Sportif 1980 1986 nbsp Diadora 1986 1995 nbsp Nike 1996 1999 nbsp Kappa 2000 2002 nbsp Puma 2003 2022 nbsp Adidas 2023 presentCoaching staffMain article List of Italy national football team managers nbsp Luciano Spalletti the current head coach of Italy national football team During the earliest days of Italian nation football it was common for a Technical Commission to be appointed The Commission took the role that a standard coach would currently play Ever since 1967 the national team has been controlled only by the coach For this reason the coach of the Italy national team is still called Technical Commissioner Italian commissario tecnico or CT The use of this title has since then expanded into other team sports in Italy Position Staff Head coach nbsp Luciano Spalletti Assistant coach nbsp Marco Domenichini Assistants nbsp Daniele Baldini nbsp Salvatore Russo Goalkeeping coach nbsp Marco Savorani Athletic trainers nbsp Francesco Sinatti nbsp Franco Ferrini Match analysts nbsp Marco Mannucci nbsp Renato Baldi Doctors nbsp Angelo De Carli nbsp Carmine Costabile Nutritionist nbsp Matteo Pincella Physiotherapists nbsp Mauro Doimi nbsp Fabio Sannino nbsp Emanuele Randelli nbsp Fabrizio Scalzi Osteopath nbsp Walter Martinelli Head of delegation nbsp Gianluigi Buffon Secretary nbsp Emiliano Cozzi Source 164 Results and fixturesMain article Italy national football team results Further information Italy national football team results 2010 present and 2023 24 in Italian football The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months as well as any future matches that have been scheduled Win Draw Loss Fixture 2023 Spain nbsp v nbsp Italy 15 June 2023 2022 23 UEFA Nations League SFSpain nbsp 2 1 nbsp ItalyEnschede Netherlands20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Pino nbsp 3 Joselu nbsp 88 Report Immobile nbsp 11 pen Stadium De Grolsch Veste Attendance 24 558Referee Slavko Vincic Slovenia Netherlands nbsp v nbsp Italy 18 June 2023 2022 23 UEFA Nations League 3rdNetherlands nbsp 2 3 nbsp ItalyEnschede Netherlands15 00 CEST UTC 02 00 Bergwijn nbsp 68 Wijnaldum nbsp 89 Report Dimarco nbsp 6 Frattesi nbsp 20 Chiesa nbsp 72 Stadium De Grolsch Veste Attendance 21 292Referee Glenn Nyberg Sweden North Macedonia nbsp v nbsp Italy 9 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingNorth Macedonia nbsp 1 1 nbsp ItalySkopje North Macedonia20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Bardhi nbsp 81 Report Immobile nbsp 47 Stadium Tose Proeski Arena Attendance 28 126Referee Francois Letexier France Italy nbsp v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingItaly nbsp 2 1 nbsp UkraineMilan Italy20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Frattesi nbsp 12 29 Report Yarmolenko nbsp 41 Stadium San Siro Attendance 58 386Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez Spain Italy nbsp v nbsp Malta 14 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingItaly nbsp 4 0 nbsp MaltaBari Italy20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Bonaventura nbsp 23 Berardi nbsp 45 1 64 Frattesi nbsp 90 3 Report Stadium Stadio San Nicola Attendance 56 186Referee Duje Strukan Croatia England nbsp v nbsp Italy 17 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingEngland nbsp 3 1 nbsp ItalyLondon England20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Kane nbsp 32 pen 77 Rashford nbsp 57 Report Scamacca nbsp 15 Stadium Wembley Stadium Attendance 83 194Referee Clement Turpin France Italy nbsp v nbsp North Macedonia 17 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingItaly nbsp 5 2 nbsp North MacedoniaRome Italy20 45 CET UTC 01 00 Darmian nbsp 17 Chiesa nbsp 41 45 2 Raspadori nbsp 81 El Shaarawy nbsp 90 3 Report Atanasov nbsp 52 74 Stadium Stadio Olimpico Attendance 56 364Referee Felix Zwayer Germany Ukraine nbsp v nbsp Italy 20 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifyingUkraine nbsp 0 0 nbsp ItalyLeverkusen Germany note 1 20 45 CET UTC 01 00 Report Stadium BayArena Attendance 26 403Referee Jesus Gil Manzano Spain 2024 Venezuela nbsp v nbsp Italy 21 March 2024 FriendlyVenezuela nbsp 1 2 nbsp ItalyFort Lauderdale United States17 00 EDT UTC 04 00 Machis nbsp 43 Report Retegui nbsp 40 80 Stadium Chase Stadium Referee Rubiel Vazquez United States Ecuador nbsp v nbsp Italy 24 March 2024 FriendlyEcuador nbsp 0 2 nbsp ItalyHarrison United States16 00 EDT UTC 04 00 Report Pellegrini nbsp 3 Barella nbsp 90 4 Stadium Red Bull Arena Attendance 18 000Referee Jon Freemon United States Italy nbsp v nbsp Turkey 4 June 2024 FriendlyItaly nbsp v nbsp TurkeyBologna Italy21 00 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium Stadio Renato Dall Ara Italy nbsp v nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 June 2024 FriendlyItaly nbsp v nbsp Bosnia and HerzegovinaEmpoli Italy20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium Stadio Carlo Castellani Italy nbsp v nbsp Albania 15 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group BItaly nbsp v nbsp AlbaniaDortmund Germany21 00 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium Westfalenstadion Spain nbsp v nbsp Italy 20 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group BSpain nbsp v nbsp ItalyGelsenkirchen Germany21 00 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium Arena AufSchalke Croatia nbsp v nbsp Italy 24 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group BCroatia nbsp v nbsp ItalyLeipzig Germany21 00 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium Red Bull Arena France nbsp v nbsp Italy 6 September 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueFrance nbsp v nbsp ItalyTBD France20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Israel nbsp v nbsp Italy 9 September 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueIsrael nbsp v nbsp ItalyTBD20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Stadium note 2 Italy nbsp v nbsp Belgium 10 October 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueItaly nbsp v nbsp BelgiumTBD Italy20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Italy nbsp v nbsp Israel 14 October 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueItaly nbsp v nbsp IsraelTBD Italy20 45 CEST UTC 02 00 Report Belgium nbsp v nbsp Italy 14 November 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueBelgium nbsp v nbsp ItalyTBD Belgium20 45 CEST UTC 01 00 Report Italy nbsp v nbsp France 17 November 2024 2024 25 UEFA Nations LeagueItaly nbsp v nbsp FranceTBD Italy20 45 CEST UTC 01 00 ReportPlayersMain article List of Italy international footballers Current squad The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Venezuela and Ecuador on 21 and 24 March 2024 respectively 167 Information correct as of 24 March 2024 after the match against Ecuador No Pos Player Date of birth age Caps Goals Club 1 1 GK Gianluigi Donnarumma captain 1999 02 25 25 February 1999 age 25 61 0 nbsp Paris Saint Germain 12 1 GK Guglielmo Vicario 1996 10 07 7 October 1996 age 27 1 0 nbsp Tottenham Hotspur 21 1 GK Alex Meret 1997 03 22 22 March 1997 age 27 3 0 nbsp Napoli 1 GK Marco Carnesecchi 2000 07 01 1 July 2000 age 23 0 0 nbsp Atalanta 2 2 DF Giovanni Di Lorenzo 1993 08 04 4 August 1993 age 30 34 3 nbsp Napoli 3 2 DF Federico Dimarco 1997 11 10 10 November 1997 age 26 17 2 nbsp Inter Milan 4 2 DF Alessandro Buongiorno 1999 06 06 6 June 1999 age 24 3 0 nbsp Torino 6 2 DF Destiny Udogie 2002 11 28 28 November 2002 age 21 3 0 nbsp Tottenham Hotspur 13 2 DF Matteo Darmian 1989 12 02 2 December 1989 age 34 42 2 nbsp Inter Milan 15 2 DF Giorgio Scalvini 2003 12 11 11 December 2003 age 20 8 0 nbsp Atalanta 16 2 DF Gianluca Mancini 1996 04 17 17 April 1996 age 28 12 0 nbsp Roma 23 2 DF Alessandro Bastoni 1999 04 13 13 April 1999 age 25 22 1 nbsp Inter Milan 24 2 DF Andrea Cambiaso 2000 02 20 20 February 2000 age 24 2 0 nbsp Juventus 25 2 DF Raoul Bellanova 2000 05 17 17 May 2000 age 23 1 0 nbsp Torino 5 3 MF Manuel Locatelli 1998 01 08 8 January 1998 age 26 28 3 nbsp Juventus 7 3 MF Giacomo Bonaventura 1989 08 22 22 August 1989 age 34 18 1 nbsp Fiorentina 8 3 MF Jorginho 1991 12 20 20 December 1991 age 32 52 5 nbsp Arsenal 10 3 MF Lorenzo Pellegrini 1996 06 19 19 June 1996 age 27 28 6 nbsp Roma 18 3 MF Nicolo Barella 1997 02 07 7 February 1997 age 27 53 9 nbsp Inter Milan 19 3 MF Davide Frattesi 1999 09 22 22 September 1999 age 24 13 4 nbsp Inter Milan 26 3 MF Michael Folorunsho 1998 02 07 7 February 1998 age 26 0 0 nbsp Hellas Verona 9 4 FW Mateo Retegui 1999 04 29 29 April 1999 age 25 6 4 nbsp Genoa 11 4 FW Giacomo Raspadori 2000 02 18 18 February 2000 age 24 26 6 nbsp Napoli 14 4 FW Federico Chiesa 1997 10 25 25 October 1997 age 26 45 7 nbsp Juventus 17 4 FW Riccardo Orsolini 1997 01 24 24 January 1997 age 27 6 2 nbsp Bologna 20 4 FW Mattia Zaccagni 1995 06 16 16 June 1995 age 28 4 0 nbsp Lazio 22 4 FW Nicolo Zaniolo 1999 07 02 2 July 1999 age 24 19 2 nbsp Aston Villa 4 FW Lorenzo Lucca 2000 09 10 10 September 2000 age 23 0 0 nbsp Udinese Recent call ups The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months Pos Player Date of birth age Caps Goals Club Latest call up GK Ivan Provedel 1994 03 17 17 March 1994 age 30 0 0 nbsp Lazio v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 DF Francesco Acerbi 1988 02 10 10 February 1988 age 36 34 1 nbsp Inter Milan v nbsp Venezuela 21 March 2024 WD DF Cristiano Biraghi 1992 09 01 1 September 1992 age 31 16 1 nbsp Fiorentina v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 DF Federico Gatti 1998 06 24 24 June 1998 age 25 3 0 nbsp Juventus v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 DF Manuel Lazzari 1993 11 29 29 November 1993 age 30 3 0 nbsp Lazio v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 DF Rafael Toloi 1990 10 10 10 October 1990 age 33 14 0 nbsp Atalanta v nbsp North Macedonia 17 November 2023 INJ DF Davide Calabria 1996 12 06 6 December 1996 age 27 7 0 nbsp AC Milan v nbsp North Macedonia 17 November 2023 INJ DF Leonardo Spinazzola 1993 03 25 25 March 1993 age 31 24 0 nbsp Roma v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 DF Alessio Romagnoli 1995 01 12 12 January 1995 age 29 13 2 nbsp Lazio v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 DF Nicolo Casale 1998 02 14 14 February 1998 age 26 0 0 nbsp Lazio v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 DF Leonardo Bonucci 1987 05 01 1 May 1987 age 37 121 8 nbsp Fenerbahce v nbsp Netherlands 18 June 2023 DF Alessandro Florenzi 1991 03 11 11 March 1991 age 33 49 2 nbsp AC Milan v nbsp Spain 15 June 2023 PRE DF Federico Baschirotto 1996 09 20 20 September 1996 age 27 0 0 nbsp Lecce v nbsp Spain 15 June 2023 PRE MF Bryan Cristante 1995 03 03 3 March 1995 age 29 38 2 nbsp Roma v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 MF Andrea Colpani 1999 05 11 11 May 1999 age 24 0 0 nbsp Monza v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 MF Sandro Tonali 2000 05 08 8 May 2000 age 23 15 0 nbsp Newcastle United v nbsp Malta 14 October 2023 MF Matteo Pessina 1997 04 21 21 April 1997 age 27 16 5 nbsp Monza v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 MF Marco Verratti 1992 11 05 5 November 1992 age 31 55 3 nbsp Al Arabi v nbsp Netherlands 18 June 2023 FW Stephan El Shaarawy 1992 10 27 27 October 1992 age 31 31 7 nbsp Roma v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 FW Domenico Berardi 1994 08 01 1 August 1994 age 29 28 8 nbsp Sassuolo v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 FW Moise Kean 2000 02 28 28 February 2000 age 24 15 4 nbsp Juventus v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 FW Gianluca Scamacca 1999 01 01 1 January 1999 age 25 15 1 nbsp Atalanta v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 FW Matteo Politano 1993 08 03 3 August 1993 age 30 12 3 nbsp Napoli v nbsp Ukraine 20 November 2023 FW Ciro Immobile 1990 02 20 20 February 1990 age 34 57 17 nbsp Lazio v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 FW Wilfried Gnonto 2003 11 05 5 November 2003 age 20 13 1 nbsp Leeds United v nbsp Ukraine 12 September 2023 INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad WD Withdrew for non injury reason Previous squads Main article List of Italy national football team World Cup and European Championship squads FIFA World Cup 1934 FIFA World Cup squad 1938 FIFA World Cup squad 1950 FIFA World Cup squad 1954 FIFA World Cup squad 1962 FIFA World Cup squad 1966 FIFA World Cup squad 1970 FIFA World Cup squad 1974 FIFA World Cup squad 1978 FIFA World Cup squad 1982 FIFA World Cup squad 1986 FIFA World Cup squad 1990 FIFA World Cup squad 1994 FIFA World Cup squad 1998 FIFA World Cup squad 2002 FIFA World Cup squad 2006 FIFA World Cup squad 2010 FIFA World Cup squad 2014 FIFA World Cup squad UEFA European Championship UEFA Euro 1968 squad UEFA Euro 1980 squad UEFA Euro 1988 squad UEFA Euro 1996 squad UEFA Euro 2000 squad UEFA Euro 2004 squad UEFA Euro 2008 squad UEFA Euro 2012 squad UEFA Euro 2016 squad UEFA Euro 2020 squad FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup squad 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad UEFA Nations League Finals 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals squad 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals squad CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of Champions 2022 CONMEBOL UEFA Cup of Champions squadIndividual recordsMain articles Italy national football team records and statistics and List of Italy international footballers Player records Most capped players nbsp Gianluigi Buffon is the most capped player in the history of Italy with 176 caps As of 17 November 2023 the players with the most appearances for Italy are 168 Rank Player Caps Goals Period 1 Gianluigi Buffon 176 0 1997 2018 2 Fabio Cannavaro 136 2 1997 2010 3 Paolo Maldini 126 7 1988 2002 4 Leonardo Bonucci 121 8 2010 present 5 Giorgio Chiellini 117 8 2004 2022 Daniele De Rossi 117 21 2004 2017 7 Andrea Pirlo 116 13 2002 2015 8 Dino Zoff 112 0 1968 1983 9 Gianluca Zambrotta 98 2 1999 2010 10 Giacinto Facchetti 94 3 1963 1977 Players in bold are still active Top goalscorers nbsp Gigi Riva is the top scorer in the history of Italy with 35 goals As of 17 November 2023 the players with the most goals for Italy are 169 168 Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Period 1 Gigi Riva list 35 42 0 83 1965 1974 2 Giuseppe Meazza 33 53 0 62 1930 1939 3 Silvio Piola 30 34 0 88 1935 1952 4 Roberto Baggio 27 56 0 48 1988 2004 Alessandro Del Piero 91 0 3 1995 2008 6 Adolfo Baloncieri 25 47 0 53 1920 1930 Filippo Inzaghi 57 0 44 1997 2007 Alessandro Altobelli 61 0 41 1980 1988 9 Christian Vieri 23 49 0 47 1997 2005 Francesco Graziani 64 0 36 1975 1983 Players in bold are still active Captains Main article List of Italy national football team captains List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years 170 1910 Francesco Cali 1911 1914 Giuseppe Milano 1914 1915 Virgilio Fossati 1920 1925 Renzo De Vecchi 1925 1927 Luigi Cevenini 1927 1930 Adolfo Baloncieri 1931 1934 Umberto Caligaris 1934 Gianpiero Combi 1935 1936 Luigi Allemandi 1937 1939 Giuseppe Meazza 1940 1947 Silvio Piola 1947 1949 Valentino Mazzola 1949 1950 Riccardo Carapellese 1951 1952 Carlo Annovazzi 1952 1960 Giampiero Boniperti 1961 1962 Lorenzo Buffon 1962 1963 Cesare Maldini 1963 1966 Sandro Salvadore 1966 1977 Giacinto Facchetti 1977 1983 Dino Zoff 1983 1985 Marco Tardelli 1985 1986 Gaetano Scirea 1986 1987 Antonio Cabrini 1988 1991 Giuseppe Bergomi 1991 1994 Franco Baresi 1994 2002 Paolo Maldini 2002 2010 Fabio Cannavaro nb 1 2010 2018 Gianluigi Buffon nb 2 2018 2022 Giorgio Chiellini 2022 2023 Leonardo Bonucci 2023 Ciro Immobile 1 Hat tricks Main article List of Italy national football team hat tricks Manager records Main articles List of Italy national football team managers and Italy national football team records and statistics Most manager appearances Enzo Bearzot 104 180 Team recordsMain article Italy national football team records and statistics Largest victory 9 0 vs United States 2 August 1948 Largest defeat 1 7 vs Hungary 6 April 1924Competitive recordFor the all time record see Italy national football team all time record Champions Runners up Third place Tournament played fully or partially on home soil FIFA World Cup Main article Italy at the FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA nbsp 1930 Did not enter Did not enter nbsp 1934 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 12 3 1 1 0 0 4 0 nbsp 1938 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 11 5 Qualified as defending champions nbsp 1950 Group stage 7th 2 1 0 1 4 3 Qualified as defending champions nbsp 1954 10th 3 1 0 2 6 7 2 2 0 0 7 2 nbsp 1958 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 5 5 nbsp 1962 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 0 0 10 2 nbsp 1966 9th 3 1 0 2 2 2 6 4 1 1 17 3 nbsp 1970 Runners up 2nd 6 3 2 1 10 8 4 3 1 0 10 3 nbsp 1974 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 5 4 6 4 2 0 12 0 nbsp 1978 Fourth place 4th 7 4 1 2 9 6 6 5 0 1 18 4 nbsp 1982 Champions 1st 7 4 3 0 12 6 8 5 2 1 12 5 nbsp 1986 Round of 16 12th 4 1 2 1 5 6 Qualified as defending champions nbsp 1990 Third place 3rd 7 6 1 0 10 2 Qualified as hosts nbsp 1994 Runners up 2nd 7 4 2 1 8 5 10 7 2 1 22 7 nbsp 1998 Quarter finals 5th 5 3 2 0 8 3 10 6 4 0 13 2 nbsp nbsp 2002 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 5 5 8 6 2 0 16 3 nbsp 2006 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 12 2 10 7 2 1 17 8 nbsp 2010 Group stage 26th 3 0 2 1 4 5 10 7 3 0 18 7 nbsp 2014 22nd 3 1 0 2 2 3 10 6 4 0 19 9 nbsp 2018 Did not qualify 12 7 3 2 21 9 nbsp 2022 9 4 4 1 13 3 Total 4 titles 18 22 83 45 21 17 128 77 118 78 30 10 234 72 Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot out Italy s World Cup record First match nbsp Italy 7 1 United States nbsp 27 May 1934 Rome Italy Biggest win nbsp Italy 7 1 United States nbsp 27 May 1934 Rome Italy Biggest defeat nbsp Switzerland 4 1 Italy nbsp 23 June 1954 Basel Switzerland nbsp Brazil 4 1 Italy nbsp 21 June 1970 Mexico City Mexico Best result Champions in 1934 1938 1982 and 2006 Worst result 26th place in 2010 group stage UEFA European Championship Main article Italy at the UEFA European Championship UEFA European Championship record Qualification record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA nbsp 1960 Did not enter Did not enter nbsp 1964 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 8 3 nbsp 1968 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 3 1 8 6 1 1 21 6 nbsp 1972 Did not qualify 8 4 3 1 13 6 nbsp 1976 6 2 3 1 3 3 nbsp 1980 Fourth place 4th 4 1 3 0 2 1 Qualified as hosts nbsp 1984 Did not qualify 8 1 3 4 6 12 nbsp 1988 Semi finals 3rd 4 2 1 1 4 3 8 6 1 1 16 4 nbsp 1992 Did not qualify 8 3 4 1 12 5 nbsp 1996 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 3 3 10 7 2 1 20 6 nbsp nbsp 2000 Runners up 2nd 6 4 1 1 9 4 8 4 3 1 13 5 nbsp 2004 Group stage 9th 3 1 2 0 3 2 8 5 2 1 17 4 nbsp nbsp 2008 Quarter finals 8th 4 1 2 1 3 4 12 9 2 1 22 9 nbsp nbsp 2012 Runners up 2nd 6 2 3 1 6 7 10 8 2 0 20 2 nbsp 2016 Quarter finals 5th 5 3 1 1 6 2 10 7 3 0 16 7 nbsp 2020 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 13 4 10 10 0 0 37 4 nbsp 2024 Qualified 8 4 2 2 16 9 Total 2 titles 11 17 45 21 18 6 52 31 126 78 32 16 240 85 Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot out Italy s European Championship record First match nbsp Italy 0 0 Soviet Union nbsp 5 June 1968 Naples Italy Biggest win nbsp Turkey 0 3 Italy nbsp 11 June 2021 Rome Italy nbsp Italy 3 0 Switzerland nbsp 16 June 2021 Rome Italy Biggest defeat nbsp Spain 4 0 Italy nbsp 1 July 2012 Kyiv Ukraine Best result Champions in 1968 and 2020 Worst result 10th place in 1996 group stage UEFA Nations League UEFA Nations League record League phase Finals Season LG Grp Pos Pld W D L GF GA P R RK Year Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad 2018 19 A 3 2nd 4 1 2 1 2 2 nbsp 8th nbsp 2019 Did not qualify 2020 21 A 1 1st 6 3 3 0 7 2 nbsp 3rd nbsp 2021 3rd 2 1 0 1 3 3 Squad 2022 23 A 3 1st 6 3 2 1 8 7 nbsp 3rd nbsp 2023 3rd 2 1 0 1 4 4 Squad 2024 25 A 2 To be determined nbsp 2025 To be determined Total 16 7 7 2 17 11 6th Total 4 2 0 2 7 7 Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot out Italy s UEFA Nations League record First match nbsp Italy 1 1 Poland nbsp 7 September 2018 Bologna Italy Biggest win nbsp Italy 2 0 Poland nbsp 15 November 2020 Reggio Emilia Italy nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 2 Italy nbsp 18 November 2020 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina nbsp Hungary 0 2 Italy nbsp 26 September 2022 Budapest Hungary Biggest defeat nbsp Germany 5 2 Italy nbsp 14 June 2022 Monchengladbach Germany Best result 3rd place in 2020 21 and 2022 23 Worst result 8th place in 2018 19 FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Confederations Cup record Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA nbsp 1992 No European team participated nbsp 1995 Did not qualify nbsp 1997 nbsp 1999 nbsp nbsp 2001 nbsp 2003 Did not enter a nbsp 2005 Did not qualify span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. | |||||||||