Italy national football team

Last updated

Italy
Logo Italy National Football Team - 2023.svg
Nickname(s) Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
Association Italian Football Federation
(Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, FIGC)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Luciano Spalletti
Captain Ciro Immobile [1]
Most caps Gianluigi Buffon (176)
Top scorer Gigi Riva (35)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code ITA
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First colours
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Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 9 Steady2.svg (15 February 2024) [2]
Highest1 (November 1993,February 2007,April–June 2007,September 2007)
Lowest21
First international
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 6–2 France  Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg
(Milan, Italy; 15 May 1910)
Biggest win
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 9–0 United States  Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
(Brentford, England; 2 August 1948)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946).svg  Hungary 7–1 Italy  Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
(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)
Website FIGC.it (in Italian and English)

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.

Contents

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

The squad celebrating its first FIFA World Cup in 1934 Italy celebrating 1934.jpg
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. 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

The Italy national team in 1965 Italy Team - Rome, 1965.jpg
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)

Captain Giacinto Facchetti celebrates Italy's UEFA Euro 1968 victory Italia, Euro '68, Giacinto Facchetti.jpg
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]

Italy's starting line-up, before the match against Argentina in a group stage game at the 1982 FIFA World Cup Italia82.JPG
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. Sandro Pertini Spagna 1982.jpg
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 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] However, Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship. [31] [32] Italy 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] New coach conceded a chance to young players, such as Ciro Ferrara and Gianluca Vialli: [38] Sampdoria striker 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]

Roberto Baggio in 1990 Roberto Baggio - Italia '90.jpg
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 ("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]

Italy (right) lineup ahead of the UEFA Euro 2000 Final against France Italy - France, 2 July 2000.jpg
Italy (right) lineup ahead of the UEFA Euro 2000 Final against France

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 ("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

Within the crowd in the Circus Maximus in Rome, after the Italian team scored against France FIFA world cup 2006 - Rome circus maximus flag.jpg
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 Italy 2006 FIFA World Cup Champion - Melandri, Napolitano, Cannavaro and Lippi.jpg
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. [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)

The national football team of Italy before the UEFA Euro 2012 final, Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, 1 July 2012 Italy national football team Euro 2012 final.jpg
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]

President of Italy Sergio Mattarella (right) congratulates captain Chiellini in Rome, the day after Italy's triumph at UEFA Euro 2020 Sergio Mattarella meets Italy national football team and Matteo Berrettini (12 July 2021) 24.jpg
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 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

Team image

Kits and crest

Italy in 1910, wearing the original white jersey. They would switch to the traditional blue shirt a year later. Italy national football team1910.jpg
Italy in 1910, wearing the original white jersey. They would switch to the traditional blue shirt a year later.
Giuseppe Meazza 1930-1933.jpg
The blue shirt had a House of Savoy badge during the early 1930s.
Giacinto Facchetti, Italia, Euro '68.jpg
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 supplierPeriod
No supplier1910–1974
Flag of Germany.svg Adidas 1974–1979
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Le Coq Sportif 1980–1986
Flag of Italy.svg Diadora 1986–1995
Flag of the United States.svg Nike 1996–1999
Flag of Italy.svg Kappa 2000–2002
Flag of Germany.svg Puma 2003–2022
Flag of Germany.svg Adidas2023–present

Coaching staff

Luciano Spalletti, the current head coach of Italy national football team. Luciano Spalletti.JPG
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.

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

23 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Italy  Flag of Italy.svg1–2Flag of England.svg  England Naples, Italy
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)
  • Retegui Soccerball shade.svg56'
Report
Stadium: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Attendance: 44,536
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia)
26 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Malta  Flag of Malta.svg0–2Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of Spain.svg2–1Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of the Netherlands.svg2–3Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of North Macedonia.svg1–1Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of Italy.svg2–1Flag of Ukraine.svg  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  Flag of Italy.svg4–0Flag of Malta.svg  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  Flag of England.svg3–1Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of Italy.svg5–2Flag of North Macedonia.svg  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  Flag of Ukraine.svg0–0Flag of Italy.svg  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  Flag of Venezuela (state).svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy Fort Lauderdale, United States
22:00 EST (UTC−05:00) Report Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
24 March 2024 Friendly Ecuador  Flag of Ecuador.svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy Harrison, United States
22:00 EST (UTC−05:00) Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
4 June 2024 Friendly Italy  Flag of Italy.svgvFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Bologna, Italy
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
15 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B Italy  Flag of Italy.svgvFlag of Albania.svg  Albania Dortmund, Germany
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Westfalenstadion
20 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B Spain  Flag of Spain.svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy Gelsenkirchen, Germany
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Arena AufSchalke
24 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group B Croatia  Flag of Croatia.svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy Leipzig, Germany
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
6 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League France  Flag of France.svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy TBD, France
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report
9 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Israel  Flag of Israel.svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy TBD
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report Stadium: [note 2]
10 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Italy  Flag of Italy.svgvFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium TBD, Italy
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report
14 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Italy  Flag of Italy.svgvFlag of Israel.svg  Israel TBD, Italy
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00) Report
14 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Belgium  Flag of Belgium (civil).svgvFlag of Italy.svg  Italy TBD, Belgium
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report
17 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League Italy  Flag of Italy.svgvFlag of France.svg  France TBD, Italy
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00) Report

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against North Macedonia and Ukraine on 17 and 20 November 2023, respectively. [167]

Information correct as of 20 November 2023, after the match against Ukraine.
No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11 GK Gianluigi Donnarumma (captain) (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 25)600 Flag of France.svg Paris Saint-Germain
121 GK Ivan Provedel (1994-03-17) 17 March 1994 (age 29)00 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio
211 GK Guglielmo Vicario (1996-10-07) 7 October 1996 (age 27)00 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur
1 GK Marco Carnesecchi (2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 (age 23)00 Flag of Italy.svg Atalanta

22 DF Giovanni Di Lorenzo (1993-08-04) 4 August 1993 (age 30)323 Flag of Italy.svg Napoli
32 DF Federico Dimarco (1997-11-10) 10 November 1997 (age 26)162 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan
42 DF Federico Gatti (1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 (age 25)30 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus
52 DF Cristiano Biraghi (1992-09-01) 1 September 1992 (age 31)161 Flag of Italy.svg Fiorentina
62 DF Alessandro Buongiorno (1999-06-06) 6 June 1999 (age 24)20 Flag of Italy.svg Torino
132 DF Matteo Darmian (1989-12-02) 2 December 1989 (age 34)412 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan
152 DF Francesco Acerbi (1988-02-10) 10 February 1988 (age 36)341 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan
232 DF Gianluca Mancini (1996-04-17) 17 April 1996 (age 27)110 Flag of Italy.svg Roma
2 DF Manuel Lazzari (1993-11-29) 29 November 1993 (age 30)30 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio
2 DF Andrea Cambiaso (2000-02-20) 20 February 2000 (age 24)00 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus

73 MF Giacomo Bonaventura (1989-08-22) 22 August 1989 (age 34)171 Flag of Italy.svg Fiorentina
83 MF Jorginho (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 (age 32)505 Flag of England.svg Arsenal
163 MF Bryan Cristante (1995-03-03) 3 March 1995 (age 29)382 Flag of Italy.svg Roma
173 MF Davide Frattesi (1999-09-22) 22 September 1999 (age 24)114 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan
183 MF Nicolò Barella (1997-02-07) 7 February 1997 (age 27)518 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan
3 MF Andrea Colpani (1999-05-11) 11 May 1999 (age 24)00 Flag of Italy.svg Monza

94 FW Gianluca Scamacca (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 (age 25)151 Flag of Italy.svg Atalanta
104 FW Giacomo Raspadori (2000-02-18) 18 February 2000 (age 24)246 Flag of Italy.svg Napoli
114 FW Moise Kean (2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 24)154 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus
144 FW Federico Chiesa (1997-10-25) 25 October 1997 (age 26)447 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus
194 FW Matteo Politano (1993-08-03) 3 August 1993 (age 30)123 Flag of Italy.svg Napoli
204 FW Nicolò Zaniolo (1999-07-02) 2 July 1999 (age 24)172 Flag of England.svg Aston Villa
224 FW Stephan El Shaarawy (1992-10-27) 27 October 1992 (age 31)317 Flag of Italy.svg Roma
4 FW Domenico Berardi (1994-08-01) 1 August 1994 (age 29)288 Flag of Italy.svg Sassuolo

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GK Alex Meret (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 (age 26)30 Flag of Italy.svg Napoli v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 17 November 2023 INJ

DF Alessandro Bastoni (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 24)211 Flag of Italy.svg Inter Milan v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 17 November 2023 INJ
DF Rafael Tolói (1990-10-10) 10 October 1990 (age 33)140 Flag of Italy.svg Atalanta v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 17 November 2023 INJ
DF Davide Calabria (1996-12-06) 6 December 1996 (age 27)70 Flag of Italy.svg AC Milan v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 17 November 2023 INJ
DF Giorgio Scalvini (2003-12-11) 11 December 2003 (age 20)70 Flag of Italy.svg Atalanta v. Flag of England.svg  England , 17 October 2023
DF Destiny Udogie (2002-11-28) 28 November 2002 (age 21)20 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur v. Flag of England.svg  England , 17 October 2023
DF Leonardo Spinazzola (1993-03-25) 25 March 1993 (age 30)240 Flag of Italy.svg Roma v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
DF Alessio Romagnoli (1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 (age 29)132 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
DF Nicolò Casale (1998-02-14) 14 February 1998 (age 26)00 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
DF Leonardo Bonucci (1987-05-01) 1 May 1987 (age 36)1218 Flag of Turkey.svg Fenerbahçe v. Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands , 18 June 2023
DF Alessandro Florenzi (1991-03-11) 11 March 1991 (age 33)492 Flag of Italy.svg AC Milan v. Flag of Spain.svg  Spain , 15 June 2023 PRE
DF Federico Baschirotto (1996-09-20) 20 September 1996 (age 27)00 Flag of Italy.svg Lecce v. Flag of Spain.svg  Spain , 15 June 2023 PRE
DF Emerson Palmieri (1994-08-03) 3 August 1994 (age 29)290 Flag of England.svg West Ham United v. Flag of Malta.svg  Malta , 26 March 2023

MF Manuel Locatelli (1998-01-08) 8 January 1998 (age 26)263 Flag of Italy.svg Juventus v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 17 November 2023 INJ
MF Sandro Tonali (2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 23)150 Flag of England.svg Newcastle United v. Flag of Malta.svg  Malta , 14 October 2023
MF Matteo Pessina (1997-04-21) 21 April 1997 (age 26)165 Flag of Italy.svg Monza v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
MF Lorenzo Pellegrini (1996-06-19) 19 June 1996 (age 27)265 Flag of Italy.svg Roma v. Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia , 9 September 2023 INJ
MF Marco Verratti (1992-11-05) 5 November 1992 (age 31)553 Flag of Qatar.svg Al-Arabi v. Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands , 18 June 2023

FW Riccardo Orsolini (1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 (age 27)52 Flag of Italy.svg Bologna v. Flag of England.svg  England , 17 October 2023
FW Mattia Zaccagni (1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 (age 28)30 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio v. Flag of Malta.svg  Malta , 14 October 2023 INJ
FW Ciro Immobile (1990-02-20) 20 February 1990 (age 34)5717 Flag of Italy.svg Lazio v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
FW Wilfried Gnonto (2003-11-05) 5 November 2003 (age 20)131 Flag of England.svg Leeds United v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
FW Mateo Retegui (1999-04-29) 29 April 1999 (age 24)42 Flag of Italy.svg Genoa v. Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine , 12 September 2023
FW Vincenzo Grifo (1993-04-07) 7 April 1993 (age 30)94 Flag of Germany.svg SC Freiburg v. Flag of Malta.svg  Malta , 26 March 2023
FW Simone Pafundi (2006-03-14) 14 March 2006 (age 17)10 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Lausanne-Sport v. Flag of Malta.svg  Malta , 26 March 2023

INJWithdrew due to injury

Previous squads

Individual records

Player records

Most capped players

Gianluigi Buffon is the most capped player in the history of Italy with 176 caps. Gianluigi Buffon (2014).jpg
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]

RankPlayerCapsGoalsPeriod
1 Gianluigi Buffon 17601997–2018
2 Fabio Cannavaro 13621997–2010
3 Paolo Maldini 12671988–2002
4 Leonardo Bonucci 12182010–present
5 Giorgio Chiellini 11782004–2022
Daniele De Rossi 117212004–2017
7 Andrea Pirlo 116132002–2015
8 Dino Zoff 11201968–1983
9 Gianluca Zambrotta 9821999–2010
10 Giacinto Facchetti 9431963–1977

Players in bold are still active.

Top goalscorers

Gigi Riva is the top scorer in the history of Italy with 35 goals. Gigi Riva, Italia, 1968 (cropped).JPG
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]

RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioPeriod
1 Gigi Riva (list)35420.831965–1974
2 Giuseppe Meazza 33530.621930–1939
3 Silvio Piola 30340.881935–1952
4 Roberto Baggio 27560.481988–2004
Alessandro Del Piero 910.31995–2008
6 Adolfo Baloncieri 25470.531920–1930
Filippo Inzaghi 570.441997–2007
Alessandro Altobelli 610.411980–1988
9 Christian Vieri 23490.471997–2005
Francesco Graziani 640.361975–1983

Players in bold are still active.

Captains

List of captaincy periods of the various captains throughout the years. [170]

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
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Uruguay.svg 1930 Did not enterDid not enter
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg 1934 Champions 1st5410123110040
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg 1938 Champions 1st4400115Qualified as defending champions
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg 1950 Group stage7th210143Qualified as defending champions
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 1954 10th310267220072
Flag of Sweden.svg 1958 Did not qualify420255
Flag of Chile.svg 1962 Group stage9th3111322200102
Flag of England.svg 1966 9th3102226411173
Flag of Mexico.svg 1970 Runners-up 2nd63211084310103
Flag of Germany.svg 1974 Group stage10th3111546420120
Flag of Argentina.svg 1978 Fourth place4th7412966501184
Flag of Spain.svg 1982 Champions 1st74301268521125
Flag of Mexico.svg 1986 Round of 1612th412156Qualified as defending champions
Flag of Italy.svg 1990 Third place3rd7610102Qualified as hosts
Flag of the United States.svg 1994 Runners-up 2nd74218510721227
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1998 Quarter-finals5th53208310640132
Flag of South Korea (1997-2011).svg Flag of Japan.svg 2002 Round of 1615th4112558620163
Flag of Germany.svg 2006 Champions 1st752012210721178
Flag of South Africa.svg 2010 Group stage26th30214510730187
Flag of Brazil.svg 2014 22nd31022310640199
Flag of Russia.svg 2018 Did not qualify12732219
Flag of Qatar.svg 2022 9441133
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Flag of Mexico.svg Flag of the United States.svg 2026 To be determinedTo be determined
Flag of Morocco.svg Flag of Portugal.svg Flag of Spain.svg 2030
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 2034
Total4 titles18/22834521171287711878301023472
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record Qualification record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGAPldWDLGFGA
Flag of France.svg 1960 Did not enterDid not enter
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg 1964 Did not qualify421183
Flag of Italy.svg 1968 Champions 1st3120318611216
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 1972 Did not qualify8431136
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg 1976 623133
Flag of Italy.svg 1980 Fourth place4th413021Qualified as hosts
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1984 Did not qualify8134612
Flag of Germany.svg 1988 Semi-finals3rd4211438611164
Flag of Sweden.svg 1992 Did not qualify8341125
Flag of England.svg 1996 Group stage10th31113310721206
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg 2000 Runners-up 2nd6411948431135
Flag of Portugal.svg 2004 Group stage9th3120328521174
Flag of Austria.svg Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 2008 Quarter-finals8th41213412921229
Flag of Poland.svg Flag of Ukraine.svg 2012 Runners-up 2nd62316710820202
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 2016 Quarter-finals5th53116210730167
Flag of Europe.svg 2020 Champions 1st7520134101000374
Flag of Germany.svg 2024 Qualified8422169
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Ireland.svg 2028 To be determinedTo be determined
Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Turkey.svg 2032 Qualified as co-hostsQualified as co-hosts
Total2 titles10/164521186523112678321624085
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
League phaseFinals
SeasonLGGPPosPldWDLGFGAP/RRKYearPosPldWD*LGFGASquad
2018–19 A 3 2nd412122Steady3.svg8th Flag of Portugal.svg 2019 Did not qualify
2020–21 A 1 1st633072Steady3.svg3rd Flag of Italy.svg 2021 3rd210133 Squad
2022–23 A 3 1st632187Steady3.svg3rd Flag of the Netherlands.svg 2023 3rd210144 Squad
2024–25 A To be determinedFlag of none.svg 2025 To be determined
Total1677217116thTotal420277
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
YearRoundPositionPldWD*LGFGA
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 1992 No European team participated
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 1995 Did not qualify
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg 1997
Flag of Mexico.svg 1999
Flag of South Korea.svg Flag of Japan.svg 2001
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 2003 Did not enter [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of Germany.svg 2005 Did not qualify
Flag of South Africa.svg 2009 Group stage5th310235
Flag of Brazil.svg 2013 Third place3rd52211010
Flag of Russia.svg 2017 Did not qualify
TotalThird place2/1083231315
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Central European International Cup

Central European International Cup record
SeasonRoundPositionPldWDLGFGA
Flag of Europe.svg 1927–30 Champions1st85122115
Flag of Europe.svg 1931–32 Runners-up2nd83321411
Flag of Europe.svg 1933–35 Champions1st85121810
Flag of Europe.svg 1936–38 [lower-alpha 2] 2nd431094
Flag of Europe.svg 1948–53 Fourth place4th8323109
Flag of Europe.svg 1955–60 Fifth place5th102351221
Total2 titles6/6462111148470

Other tournaments

YearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGA
Flag of the United States.svg 1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament Round robin3rd of 6310277
Flag of Uruguay.svg 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup Group stage4th of 6201113
Flag of Mexico.svg 1985 Ciudad de México Cup Tournament Champions1st of 3211032
Flag of Sweden.svg 1991 Scania 100 Tournament Champions1st of 4110031
Flag of the United States.svg 1992 U.S. Cup Round-robin2nd of 4312031
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 1997 Tournoi de France Round robin4th of 4302157
Flag of England.svg 2022 Finalissima Runners-up2nd of 2100103
Total154652224
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Head-to-head record

As of 20 November 2023, the complete official match record of the Italian national team comprises 871 matches: 464 wins, 237 draws and 170 losses. [181] During these matches, the team scored 1,524 times and conceded 858 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, [182] and their unbeaten record is 37 consecutive official matches, a world record. [183]

Honours

Other titles

Awards

  • Winners: 2007, 2022
CompetitionGold medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svgBronze medal icon.svgTotal
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. As UEFA Euro 2000 runners-up.
  2. 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. [171] [172] [173]
  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. [173] Although Buffon was officially named Italy's new captain in 2010, [174] 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), [174] [175] [176] 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. [174] [177] [178] [179]
  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 were required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice. [165]
  2. Due to the Israel–Hamas war, Israel are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice. [166]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Zoff</span> Italian footballer

Dino Zoff is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the oldest ever winner of the World Cup, which he lifted as captain of the Italy national team in the 1982 tournament, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days. He also won the award for best goalkeeper of the tournament and was elected to the team of the tournament for his performances, keeping two clean-sheets, an honour he also received after winning the 1968 European Championship on home soil. Zoff is the only Italian player to have won both the World Cup and the European Championship. He also achieved great club success with Juventus, winning six Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles, and a UEFA Cup, also reaching two European Champions' Cup finals in the 1972–73 and 1982–83 seasons, as well as finishing second in the 1973 Intercontinental Cup final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Maldini</span> Italian association football player (born 1968)

Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former professional footballer who played primarily as a left-back and centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. As the Milan and Italy captain for many years he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647 and holds the joint-record for most European Cup/UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) alongside Paco Gento. He most recently served as technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA European Championship</span> Association football tournament

The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contested by UEFA members' senior men's national teams, determining the continental champion of Europe. It is the second-most watched football tournament in the world after the FIFA World Cup; the Euro 2016 final was watched by a global audience of around 600 million. The competition has been held every four years since 1960, except for 2020, when it was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, but kept the name Euro 2020. Scheduled to be in the even-numbered year between FIFA World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations' Cup before changing to its current name in 1968. Since 1996, the individual events have been branded as "UEFA Euro [year]".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spain national football team</span> Mens association football team

The Spain national football team has represented Spain in men's international football competitions since 1920. It is governed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianluigi Buffon</span> Italian footballer (born 1978)

Gianluigi Buffon, also known as Gigi Buffon, is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and holds the record for the most appearances in the Serie A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Switzerland national football team</span> Mens national association football team representing Switzerland

The Switzerland national football team represents Switzerland in men's international football. The national team is controlled by the Swiss Football Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Baggio</span> Italian footballer (born 1971)

Dino Baggio is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco Toldo</span> Italian footballer

Francesco Toldo is an Italian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is regarded by pundits as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniele De Rossi</span> Italian footballer

Daniele De Rossi is an Italian manager and former professional footballer who is the head coach of Serie A club Roma. As player, he is known for his long career with hometown club Roma, as well as winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Pirlo</span> Italian football player and coach (born 1979)

Andrea Pirlo is an Italian football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie B club Sampdoria. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all-time, Pirlo was renowned for his vision, ball control, technique, creativity, passing, and free kick ability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Peruzzi</span> Italian footballer

Angelo Peruzzi is an Italian football coach and former goalkeeper, and a three-time winner of the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgio Chiellini</span> Italian footballer (born 1984)

Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini was known for his strength, aggressiveness and man-marking, as well as his ability to play in either a three or four-man defense. He also played as a left-back earlier in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo Bonucci</span> Italian footballer (born 1987)

Leonardo Bonucci is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Italy national team. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Bonucci is known for his technique, ball-playing skills, tackling and his ability to play in either a three or four-man defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Maggio</span> Italian footballer

Christian Maggio is an Italian former footballer who played as a right-back, as a wing-back, or as a right winger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvatore Sirigu</span> Italian footballer (born 1987)

Salvatore Sirigu is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federico Marchetti</span> Italian footballer

Federico Marchetti is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Maltese Premier League club Ħamrun Spartans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Euro 2012 final</span> Final game of the UEFA Euro 2012

The UEFA Euro 2012 Final was the final match of Euro 2012, the fourteenth edition of the European Football Championship, UEFA's competition for national football teams. The match was played at the Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine, on 1 July 2012, and was contested by Spain and Italy. The sixteen-team tournament began with a group stage, from which eight teams qualified for the knockout phase. En route to the final, Spain finished top of Group C, with a draw against Italy and wins over Croatia and the Republic of Ireland. Spain then defeated France in the quarter-finals before beating Portugal in the semi-final after a penalty shoot-out. Italy were second in Group C, with draws against Spain and Croatia, and a victory over the Republic of Ireland. In the knockout rounds, Italy defeated England after a penalty shoot-out, then Germany in the semi-final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianluigi Donnarumma</span> Italian footballer (born 1999)

Gianluigi Donnarumma is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world football.

The official history of the Italy national football team began in 1910, when Italy played its first international match. Since then, the Italy national team has been one of the most successful football teams, winning four World Cups and two European Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italy national football team records and statistics</span>

This article lists various football records and statistics of the Italy national football team.

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