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
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
AssociationItalian Football Federation
(Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, FIGC)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachLuciano Spalletti
CaptainCiro Immobile[1]
Most capsGianluigi Buffon (176)
Top scorerGigi Riva (35)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeITA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 9 Steady (26 October 2023)[2]
Highest1 (November 1993, February 2007, April–June 2007, September 2007)
Lowest21 (August 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 Cup
Appearances18 (first in 1934)
Best resultChampions (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
European Championship
Appearances10 (first in 1968)
Best resultChampions (1968, 2020)
Nations League Finals
Appearances2 (first in 2021)
Best resultThird place (2021, 2023)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Appearances1 (first in 2022)
Best resultRunners-up (2022)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2009)
Best resultThird place (2013)
WebsiteFIGC.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 achieved a second place at the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022, and a third place at 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 in 1934 and 1938

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, 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. Rumour has it, before the 1938 finals fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini was to have 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]

1946–1966: post-World War II

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.

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]

1968–1974: European champions and World Cup runners-up

Captain Giacinto Facchetti celebrates Italy's UEFA Euro 1968 victory

In 1968, Italy participated in their first European Championship, hosting the European Championship and winning their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup, beating Yugoslavia in Rome for the title. The match is the only European Championship or World Cup final to go to a replay.[17] After extra time the final ended in a 1–1 draw, and in the days before penalty shootouts, the rules required the match to be replayed a few days later. Italy won the replay 2–0 (with goals from Gigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi) to take the trophy. The semi-final was won on a coin toss.

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.

The cycle of international successes 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.

1978–1986: Third World Cup generation

In the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, a new generation of Italian players, the most famous being Paolo Rossi, came to the international stage. Italy was the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina. Second-round games against West Germany (0–0), Austria (1–0) and Netherlands (1–2) led Italy to the third-place final, where the team was defeated by Brazil 2–1. In the match that eliminated Italy from the tournament against the Netherlands, 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 UEFA European Football 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.

Italy's starting line-up, before the match against Argentina in a group stage game at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
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[21] 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.[22][23][24]

Italy then progressed to the semi-final where they defeated Poland with two goals from Rossi. In the final, Italy met West Germany, who had advanced by a penalty shootout victory against France. 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.[25]

Tardelli's cry "Gol! Gol!" was one of the defining images of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph.[26] Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals as well as the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament,[27] and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest player to win the World Cup.[28] However, Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship.[29][30] Italy then entered as reigning champions in the 1986 World Cup[31][32][33] but were eliminated by reigning European Champions, France, in the round of 16.[34]

1986–1994: World Cup runners-up

In 1986, Azeglio Vicini was appointed as new head coach, replacing Bearzot.[35] New coach conceded a chance to young players, such as Ciro Ferrara and Gianluca Vialli:[36] Sampdoria striker scored goals that gave Italy 1988 European Championship pass.[37] He was also shown like Altobelli's possibly successor, having his same goal attitude.[38] Both forwards stroke the target in Germany, where Soviet Union defeated the Azzurri in semi-finals.[39]

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.[40] 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. Italy then failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship. In November 1993, FIFA ranked Italy first in the FIFA World Rankings for their first time since the ranking system was introduced in December 1992.[41]

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.[42] 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.[43][44]

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.[45] Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3–2 after Baggio, who had been playing with the aid of a pain-killer injection[46] and a heavily bandaged hamstring,[47][48] missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.[49][50]

1996–2000: European Championship runners-up

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.[51]

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.[52] After finishing first in their group and overcoming Norway in the second round, Italy faced a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals, for the third World Cup in a row.[53] The Italian side, where Alessandro Del Piero and Baggio renewed the controversial staffetta ("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 shootout. With two goals scored in this tournament, Baggio remains the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup editions.[54]

Italy (right) lineup ahead of the UEFA Euro 2000 Final against France

Two years later, Italy faced another penalty shootout Euro 2000 but emerged victorious over the co-hosts, the Netherlands in the semifinal.[55] Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saving one penalty during the match and two in the shootout, while the Dutch players missed one other penalty during the match and one during the shootout with a rate of one penalty scored out of six attempts. Striker Francesco Totti scored his penalty with a cucchiaio ("spoon") chip.[56] 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.[57] After the defeat, coach Dino Zoff resigned in protest after being criticized by AC Milan club president and politician Silvio Berlusconi.[58]

2000–2010: early 21st century

Giovanni Trapattoni took charge of the team in July 2000 following the resignation of Dino Zoff.[59] 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 two goals resulting in a 2–1 defeat for Italy.[60] 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.[61]

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.[62] 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.[63] 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 ruled offside, and the sending off of Totti after being presented with a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area.[64] 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."[65]

Trapattoni stayed on to coach Italy for UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal. He guided the team to a first-place finish in Group 9 overcoming Wales, Serbia and Montenegro, Finland and Azerbaijan. With 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.[66] Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and then Italian football federation president Franco Carraro accused the Swedish and Danish teams of fixing the result.[67] Despite calls, then-UEFA spokesperson Robert Faulkner said the organization would not investigate the result.[68]

After initially refusing to resign following Italy's elimination from the tournament, the Italian Football Federation replaced Trapattoni with Marcello Lippi.[69][70]

Fourth World Cup title

Within the crowd in the Circus Maximus in Rome, after the Italian team scored against France
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 final tournament as one of the eight seeded teams.[71][72][73][74] Italy finished first in Group E with wins against Ghana and the Czech Republic and a draw with the United States.[75][76]

In the round of 16, Italy secured a 1–0 victory over Australia with Francesco Totti scoring a penalty.[77] Italy overcame Ukraine, 3–0, after taking an early lead through Gianluca Zambrotta and additional goals coming from Luca Toni.[78] 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.[79]

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 Materazzi scored from a corner kick, twelve minutes later. The score remained level and though extra-time and Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi.[80] Italy went on to win the penalty shootout 5–3, with all Italian players scoring their kicks.[81]

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.[82] 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.[83] In honour of Italy winning a fourth FIFA World Cup, members of the squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere.[84][85]

2006–2010: post-World Cup decline

Marcello Lippi, who had announced his resignation three days after the World Cup triumph, was replaced by Roberto Donadoni.[86] 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.[41]

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.[87] 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.[88]

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, and were eliminated.[89]

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.[90] 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.[91]

2010–2016: Cesare Prandelli and Antonio Conte

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.[92]

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.[93][94] 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.[95]

During the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, Italy reached the semi-finals, losing 7–6 on penalties to Spain.[96] 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.[97][98] In Italy's last group match, they were knocked out by Uruguay 1–0, in a controversial match.[99][100] Shortly after this loss, coach Cesare Prandelli resigned.[101]

Former Juventus manager Antonio Conte was selected to replace Cesare Prandelli as coach after the 2014 World Cup. On 10 October 2015, Italy qualified for Euro 2016, courtesy of a 3–1 win over Azerbaijan;[102] the result meant that Italy had gone 50 games unbeaten in European qualifiers.[103]

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.[104] The 23-man squad was initially criticised by many fans and members of the media for its lack of quality,[105] which saw notable absences such as Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco being controversially left out.[106] Italy opened Euro 2016 with a 2–0 victory over Belgium and qualified thanks to a win against Sweden in the second match.[107][108] Italy subsequently defeated reigning European champions Spain 2–0 in the round of 16.[109] However, Italy were defeated by reigning World champions Germany, in the quarter-finals on penalties.[110][111]

Failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup

After Conte's planned departure following Euro 2016, Gian Piero Ventura took over as manager for the team.[112] During qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Italy finished second in Group G, five points behind Spain.[113][114] 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.[115] Following the match, veterans Andrea Barzagli, Daniele De Rossi and captain Gianluigi Buffon all declared their retirement from the national team.[116] On 15 November 2017, Ventura was dismissed as head coach,[117] and on 20 November 2017, Carlo Tavecchio resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation.[118]

Resurgence and second European title

On 14 May 2018, Roberto Mancini was announced as the new manager.[119] On 16 August 2018, in the FIFA World Ranking that followed the 2018 World Cup, Italy dropped to their lowest ever ranking of 21st.[120]

On 18 November, Italy finished Group J with ten wins in all ten matches, qualifying for the final tournament and becoming only the sixth national side to qualify for a European Championship with a perfect record.[121] On 17 March 2020, UEFA confirmed that Euro 2020 would be postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[122]

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 home at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. Italy became the first team in European Championship history to win each group stage match without conceding.[123] In the round of 16, Italy defeated Austria at Wembley Stadium after extra time.[124] In the quarter-finals, Italy overcame Belgium before beating Spain on penalties in the semi-finals.[125][126]

On 11 July 2021, Italy won the European Championships on penalties, their first European Championship title since 1968. Italy defeated hosts England at Wembley Stadium on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[127] On 16 July, all members of the European Championship-winning squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere.[128]

Failure to qualify for 2022 World Cup and resignal

In October 2021, Italy participated in the UEFA Nations League Finals as hosts. However, Italy lost the semi-final against Spain, 2–1 at the San Siro.[129] 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.[130] On 15 November 2021, 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.[131] 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.[132][133]

On 1 June 2022, Italy took part in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions match, rebranded as the 2022 Finalissima, losing 3–0 against Argentina.[134] On 26 September, Italy qualified to the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals after beating Hungary 2–0 in Budapest.[135] On 15 June 2023, Italy played the semi-final against Spain, losing 2–1.[136] Three days later, Italy won the third-place final 3–2 against the Netherlands.[137] Mancini's stay on Italy's bench ended a few months later following his resignation, with Luciano Spalletti being chosen in his place.[138][139]

Rivalries

  • Italy vs. Brazil: Matches between the nations are known as the World Derby (Portuguese: Clássico Mundial in Portuguese).[140] 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.[141]
  • 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.[145] 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.[146] 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.[111]
  • Italy vs. Spain: This surely is a less heated and less heart-felt rivalry for the italians, especially when compared to those with Germany and France. Matches between the nations are known as the Mediterranean Derby (Spanish: Rivalidad futbolística Italia-España), named after the Mediterranean Sea that separates the two nations.[147] Two nations have been contested since 1920, and, although the two nations are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of the representative clubs in UEFA competitions, in which they are among the leading associations and have each enjoyed spells of dominance.[148][149] Since the quarterfinal match between the two countries at Euro 2008, the rivalry has renewed, with its most notable match between the two sides being in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, which Spain won 4–0.[150][151]

Team image

Kits and crest

Italy in 1910, wearing the original white jersey. They would switch to the traditional blue shirt a year later.
Giuseppe Meazza in the early 1930s wearing Italy's blue shirt with the cross of the House of Savoy badge.
The blue shirt had a House of Savoy badge during the early 1930s.
Giacinto Facchetti wearing the classic Italian uniform in 1968: blue shirt, white shorts and blue socks and the tricolour badge.
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.[152] 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).[152] The team later became known as gli Azzurri (the Blues).[152][153][154][155]

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.[156] 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.[157]

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.[152]

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.[152]

The first known kit manufacturer was Adidas in 1974. From 2003 to 2022, the kit was made by Puma.[152] Since the 2000s, an all-blue uniform including blue shorts has occasionally been used, particularity in international tournaments.[152] 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.[158]

Kit supplier Period
No supplier 1910–1974
West Germany Adidas 1974–1979
France Le Coq Sportif 1980–1986
Italy Diadora 1986–1995
United States Nike 1996–1999
Italy Kappa 2000–2002
Germany Puma 2003–2022
Germany Adidas 2023–present

Coaching staff

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 Italy Luciano Spalletti
Assistant coach Italy Marco Domenichini
Assistants Italy Daniele Baldini
Italy Salvatore Russo
Goalkeeping coach Italy Marco Savorani
Athletic trainers Italy Francesco Sinatti
Italy Franco Ferrini
Match analysts Italy Marco Mannucci
Italy Renato Baldi
Doctors Italy Angelo De Carli
Italy Carmine Costabile
Nutritionist Italy Matteo Pincella
Physiotherapists Italy Mauro Doimi
Italy Fabio Sannino
Italy Emanuele Randelli
Italy Fabrizio Scalzi
Osteopath Italy Walter Martinelli
Head of delegation Italy Gianluigi Buffon
Secretary Italy Emiliano Cozzi

Source: [159]

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

2022

16 November 2022 International friendly Albania  1–3  Italy Tirana, Albania
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)
  • Ismajli 16'
Report
Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Genc Nuza (Kosovo)
20 November 2022 International friendly Austria  2–0  Italy Vienna, Austria
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)
Report Stadium: Ernst-Happel-Stadion
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Christian Dingert (Germany)

2023

23 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Italy  1–2  England Napoli, Italy
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)
Report
Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Attendance: 44,536
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia)
26 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Malta  0–2  Italy Ta' Qali, Malta
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report
Stadium: National Stadium
Attendance: 16,015
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
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)
20 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Ukraine  v  Italy Leverkusen, Germany[note 1]
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00) Report Stadium: BayArena

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Malta and England on 14 and 17 October 2023, respectively.[161]

Information correct as of 17 October 2023, after the match against England.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Gianluigi Donnarumma (captain) (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 58 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
12 1GK Guglielmo Vicario (1996-10-07) 7 October 1996 0 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
21 1GK Alex Meret (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 3 0 Italy Napoli

2 2DF Giovanni Di Lorenzo (1993-08-04) 4 August 1993 31 3 Italy Napoli
3 2DF Federico Dimarco (1997-11-10) 10 November 1997 14 2 Italy Inter Milan
4 2DF Federico Gatti (1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 2 0 Italy Juventus
6 2DF Destiny Udogie (2002-11-28) 28 November 2002 2 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
13 2DF Matteo Darmian (1989-12-02) 2 December 1989 39 1 Italy Inter Milan
14 2DF Gianluca Mancini (1996-04-17) 17 April 1996 11 0 Italy Roma
15 2DF Francesco Acerbi (1988-02-10) 10 February 1988 32 1 Italy Inter Milan
19 2DF Giorgio Scalvini (2003-12-11) 11 December 2003 7 0 Italy Atalanta
23 2DF Alessandro Bastoni (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 21 1 Italy Inter Milan
2DF Cristiano Biraghi (1992-09-01) 1 September 1992 16 1 Italy Fiorentina

5 3MF Manuel Locatelli (1998-01-08) 8 January 1998 26 3 Italy Juventus
8 3MF Giacomo Bonaventura (1989-08-22) 22 August 1989 16 1 Italy Fiorentina
16 3MF Bryan Cristante (1995-03-03) 3 March 1995 36 2 Italy Roma
17 3MF Davide Frattesi (1999-09-22) 22 September 1999 9 4 Italy Inter Milan
18 3MF Nicolò Barella (1997-02-07) 7 February 1997 49 8 Italy Inter Milan

7 4FW Moise Kean (2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 14 4 Italy Juventus
9 4FW Gianluca Scamacca (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 13 1 Italy Atalanta
10 4FW Giacomo Raspadori (2000-02-18) 18 February 2000 22 5 Italy Napoli
11 4FW Domenico Berardi (1994-08-01) 1 August 1994 27 8 Italy Sassuolo
20 4FW Riccardo Orsolini (1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 5 2 Italy Bologna
22 4FW Stephan El Shaarawy (1992-10-27) 27 October 1992 30 6 Italy Roma

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 0 0 Italy Lazio v.  Malta, 14 October 2023 INJ
GK Marco Carnesecchi (2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 0 0 Italy Atalanta v.  Malta, 26 March 2023

DF Leonardo Spinazzola (1993-03-25) 25 March 1993 24 0 Italy Roma v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
DF Alessio Romagnoli (1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 13 2 Italy Lazio v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
DF Nicolò Casale (1998-02-14) 14 February 1998 0 0 Italy Lazio v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
DF Leonardo Bonucci (1987-05-01) 1 May 1987 121 8 Germany Union Berlin v.  Netherlands, 18 June 2023
DF Rafael Tolói (1990-10-10) 10 October 1990 14 0 Italy Atalanta v.  Netherlands, 18 June 2023
DF Alessandro Buongiorno (1999-06-06) 6 June 1999 1 0 Italy Torino v.  Netherlands, 18 June 2023
DF Alessandro Florenzi (1991-03-11) 11 March 1991 49 2 Italy AC Milan v.  Spain, 15 June 2023 PRE
DF Federico Baschirotto (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 0 0 Italy Lecce v.  Spain, 15 June 2023 PRE
DF Emerson Palmieri (1994-08-03) 3 August 1994 29 0 England West Ham United v.  Malta, 26 March 2023
DF Fabiano Parisi (2000-11-09) 9 November 2000 0 0 Italy Fiorentina v.  Austria, 20 November 2022
DF Pasquale Mazzocchi (1995-07-27) 27 July 1995 1 0 Italy Salernitana v.  Albania, 16 November 2022 INJ

MF Sandro Tonali (2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 15 0 England Newcastle United v.  Malta, 14 October 2023
MF Matteo Pessina (1997-04-21) 21 April 1997 16 5 Italy Monza v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
MF Lorenzo Pellegrini (1996-06-19) 19 June 1996 26 5 Italy Roma v.  North Macedonia, 9 September 2023 INJ
MF Marco Verratti (1992-11-05) 5 November 1992 55 3 Qatar Al-Arabi v.  Netherlands, 18 June 2023
MF Jorginho (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 48 5 England Arsenal v.  Netherlands, 18 June 2023
MF Samuele Ricci (2001-08-21) 21 August 2001 2 0 Italy Torino v.  Austria, 20 November 2022
MF Fabio Miretti (2003-08-03) 3 August 2003 1 0 Italy Juventus v.  Austria, 20 November 2022
MF Nicolò Fagioli (2001-02-12) 12 February 2001 1 0 Italy Juventus v.  Albania, 16 November 2022 INJ

FW Federico Chiesa (1997-10-25) 25 October 1997 42 5 Italy Juventus v.  Malta, 14 October 2023 INJ
FW Nicolò Zaniolo (1999-07-02) 2 July 1999 15 2 England Aston Villa v.  Malta, 14 October 2023
FW Mattia Zaccagni (1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 3 0 Italy Lazio v.  Malta, 14 October 2023 INJ
FW Ciro Immobile (1990-02-20) 20 February 1990 57 17 Italy Lazio v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
FW Wilfried Gnonto (2003-11-05) 5 November 2003 13 1 England Leeds United v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
FW Matteo Politano (1993-08-03) 3 August 1993 11 3 Italy Napoli v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
FW Mateo Retegui (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 4 2 Italy Genoa v.  Ukraine, 12 September 2023
FW Vincenzo Grifo (1993-04-07) 7 April 1993 9 4 Germany SC Freiburg v.  Malta, 26 March 2023
FW Simone Pafundi (2006-03-14) 14 March 2006 1 0 Italy Udinese v.  Malta, 26 March 2023
FW Andrea Pinamonti (1999-05-19) 19 May 1999 1 0 Italy Sassuolo v.  Austria, 20 November 2022

INJ Withdrew due to injury

Previous squads

Individual records

Most capped players

Gianluigi Buffon is the most capped player in the history of Italy with 176 caps.

As of 17 October 2023, the players with the most appearances for Italy are:[162]

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 in the national football team.

Top goalscorers

Gigi Riva is the top scorer in the history of Italy with 35 goals.

As of 17 October 2023, the players with the most goals for Italy are:[163][162]

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 in the national football team.

Captains

List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years.[164]

Hat-tricks

Manager records

Most manager appearances
Enzo Bearzot: 104[174]

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
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1934 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 12 3 1 1 0 0 4 0
France 1938 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 11 5 Qualified as defending champions
Brazil 1950 Group stage 7th 2 1 0 1 4 3 Qualified as defending champions
Switzerland 1954 10th 3 1 0 2 6 7 2 2 0 0 7 2
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 5 5
Chile 1962 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 0 0 10 2
England 1966 9th 3 1 0 2 2 2 6 4 1 1 17 3
Mexico 1970 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 10 8 4 3 1 0 10 3
West Germany 1974 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 5 4 6 4 2 0 12 0
Argentina 1978 Fourth place 4th 7 4 1 2 9 6 6 5 0 1 18 4
Spain 1982 Champions 1st 7 4 3 0 12 6 8 5 2 1 12 5
Mexico 1986 Round of 16 12th 4 1 2 1 5 6 Qualified as defending champions
Italy 1990 Third place 3rd 7 6 1 0 10 2 Qualified as hosts
United States 1994 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 2 1 8 5 10 7 2 1 22 7
France 1998 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 2 0 8 3 10 6 4 0 13 2
South Korea Japan 2002 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 5 5 8 6 2 0 16 3
Germany 2006 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 12 2 10 7 2 1 17 8
South Africa 2010 Group stage 26th 3 0 2 1 4 5 10 7 3 0 18 7
Brazil 2014 22nd 3 1 0 2 2 3 10 6 4 0 19 9
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 12 7 3 2 21 9
Qatar 2022 9 4 4 1 13 3
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 [lower-alpha 1]
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.

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1964 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 8 3
Italy 1968 Champions 1st 3 1 2 0 3 1 8 6 1 1 21 6
Belgium 1972 Did not qualify 8 4 3 1 13 6
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 6 2 3 1 3 3
Italy 1980 Fourth place 4th 4 1 3 0 2 1 Qualified as hosts
France 1984 Did not qualify 8 1 3 4 6 12
West Germany 1988 Semi-finals 3rd 4 2 1 1 4 3 8 6 1 1 16 4
Sweden 1992 Did not qualify 8 3 4 1 12 5
England 1996 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 3 3 10 7 2 1 20 6
Belgium Netherlands 2000 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 9 4 8 4 3 1 13 5
Portugal 2004 Group stage 9th 3 1 2 0 3 2 8 5 2 1 17 4
Austria Switzerland 2008 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 2 1 3 4 12 9 2 1 22 9
Poland Ukraine 2012 Runners-up 2nd 6 2 3 1 6 7 10 8 2 0 20 2
France 2016 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 1 1 6 2 10 7 3 0 16 7
Europe 2020 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 13 4 10 10 0 0 37 4
Germany 2024 Qualifying in progress 6 3 1 2 11 7
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032 Qualified as co-hosts Qualified as co-hosts
Total 2 titles 10/16 45 21 18 6 52 31 124 77 31 16 235 83
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
League phase Finals
Season LG GP Pos Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK Year Pos Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
2018–19 A 3 2nd412122Same position8th Portugal 2019 Did not qualify
2020–21 A 1 1st633072Same position3rd Italy 2021 3rd210133 Squad
2022–23 A 3 1st632187Same position3rd Netherlands 2023 3rd210144 Squad
2024–25 A 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.

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992 No European team participated
Saudi Arabia 1995 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001
France 2003 Did not enter[lower-alpha 2]
Germany 2005 Did not qualify
South Africa 2009 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 3 5
Brazil 2013 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 10 10
Russia 2017 Did not qualify
Total Third place 2/10 8 3 2 3 13 15
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Central European International Cup

Central European International Cup record
Season Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Europe 1927–30 Champions 1st 8 5 1 2 21 15
Europe 1931–32 Runners-up 2nd 8 3 3 2 14 11
Europe 1933–35 Champions 1st 8 5 1 2 18 10
Europe 1936–38 [lower-alpha 3] 2nd 4 3 1 0 9 4
Europe 1948–53 Fourth place 4th 8 3 2 3 10 9
Europe 1955–60 Fifth place 5th 10 2 3 5 12 21
Total 2 titles 6/6 46 21 11 14 84 70

Other tournaments

Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
United States 1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup TournamentRound robin3rd of 6310277
Uruguay 1980 World Champions' Gold CupGroup stage4th of 6201113
Mexico 1985 Ciudad de México Cup TournamentChampions1st of 3211032
Sweden 1991 Scania 100 TournamentChampions1st of 4110031
United States 1992 U.S. CupRound-robin2nd of 4312031
France 1997 Tournoi de FranceRound robin4th of 4302157
England 2022 FinalissimaRunners-up2nd of 2100103
Total154652224
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Head-to-head record

As of 17 October 2023, the complete official match record of the Italian national team comprises 869 matches: 463 wins, 236 draws and 170 losses.[176] During these matches, the team scored 1,519 times and conceded 856 goals. Italy's highest winning margin is nine goals, which was achieved against the United States in 1948 (9–0). Their longest winning streak is 13 wins,[177] and their unbeaten record is 37 consecutive official matches, a world record.[178]

Honours

Other titles

Awards

  • Winners: 2007, 2022
Competition1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)Total
FIFA World Cup 4217
Olympic football tournament 1012
FIFA Confederations Cup 0011
UEFA European Championship 2204
UEFA Nations League 0022
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 0101
Total75517

See also

Notes

  1. Additional matches are scheduled to be played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first world cup, however they are not considered to be official hosts of the tournament. [175]
  2. As UEFA Euro 2000 runners-up.
  3. This edition of the tournament was interrupted due to the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938, which meant that three games – all of which were Italy's – could not be played. As a result, no title was awarded.
  1. During UEFA Euro 2008, Alessandro Del Piero was named the Italy national team acting captain, as Cannavaro was injured and unable to take part in the competition, however Gianluigi Buffon was often played as captain as Del Piero was frequently deployed as a substitute.[165][166][167]
  2. Gianluigi Buffon served as second acting captain in UEFA Euro 2008 after Alessandro Del Piero was named the team's acting captain, as Cannavaro was injured and unable to take part in the competition, however Del Piero was frequently deployed as a substitute.[167] Although Buffon was officially named Italy's new captain in 2010,[168] following Fabio Cannavaro's retirement subsequent to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Andrea Pirlo was named the Italy national team's acting captain after the tournament (while Daniele De Rossi was named the team's second acting captain),[168][169][170] as Buffon was ruled out until the end of the year due to injury, and only made his first appearance as Italy's official captain on 9 February 2011, in a 1–1 friendly away draw against Germany.[168][171][172][173]
  3. This edition of the tournament was interrupted due to the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938.
  1. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[160]

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