Behemoths collide when France hosts Italy in the third round of 2026–27 UEFA Nations League fixtures this Friday.
Zinédine Zidane has overseen back-to-back 1–0 victories over Türkiye and Belgium to kickstart his long-awaited reign as commander of Les Bleus. The battle with Italy will resurrect some unwanted memories for the France manager 12 years on from that infamous World Cup final, but pride will be the overwhelming feeling as he takes charge of a first home match at the Stade de France.
The Azzurri are also under new management for the extended three-week break—well, sort of. European Championship-winning head coach Roberto Mancini has returned to help calm the chaos that continues to engulf the Italian national team after a third-successive World Cup watched from the couch. After a bruising defeat to Belgium in his first match back, he oversaw a 4–1 demolition of Türkiye last time out.
France is the only side in Group 1 of League A with a perfect record thus far, but its top spot will be surrendered if defeat is suffered on home soil.
France vs. Italy Score Prediction
France Extends Winning Streak
It’s been an unspectacular start to the Zidane era on the field, even if France has been decent value for successive victories. As the players adjust to new demands, teething problems are inevitable.
Les Bleus should nevertheless march to a third-consecutive victory when Italy comes to town, with home advantage and a superior roster likely propelling them to three points.
Despite a morale-boosting win over Türkiye last time out, Italy remains a massive work in progress. Questions have been asked over Mancini’s suitability to lead the rebuild, with a really poor showing against Belgium still lingering ahead of the trip to Saint-Denis.
This appears unlikely to be a thrilling, end-to-end affair, but it’s France who is expected to come out on top.
- Head-to-head record : France has absolutely dominated this fixture in recent years. While it lost the most important duel—the 2006 World Cup final—that was only one of three defeats across the past 16 meetings. Five of the last six games have finished with a 3–1 scoreline.
- Supreme defense : Les Bleus are the only side across League A yet to have conceded a goal in the Nations League. They have allowed just 1.9 expected goals, which is the lowest of any side.
- Attacking firepower : Even without the injured Kylian Mbappé , France has an abundance of stellar attacking options. Michael Olise was the match-winner last time out, and Zidane can also call on the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki and Désiré Doué. Italy, meanwhile, has a comparatively limited pool of options up top.
Prediction: France 2–0 Italy
France Predicted Lineup vs. Italy
Zidane selected a weakened side against Belgium, but should recall a host of names to his starting lineup. Olise, Dembélé, Cherki, Dayot Upamecano and Jules Koundé are among those likely to be restored.
Mbappé’s injury opens up a place on the left wing for Doué, while Maxence Lacroix should start for a third-successive match, given Ibrahima Konaté and William Saliba both missed out on the squad due to injuries.
Manu Koné and Adrien Rabiot could return to flesh out the midfield, with Monday’s debutant Lucas Da Cunha and Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga making way.
France predicted lineup vs. Italy (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Koné, Rabiot; Olise, Cherki, Doué; Dembélé.
Italy Predicted Lineup vs. France
Mancini appears likely to name a similar team to that which beat Türkiye so convincingly, although there will be an enforced change on the wing as Giacomo Raspadori has pulled out of the squad through injury.
Having named a huge roster for the international period, Mancini will be forced to leave a number of players behind. Diego Coppola, Honest Anahor, Alessandro Romano and Samuele Inácio are among those unlikely to feature.
The Esposito brothers, Pio and Sebastiano, became the first siblings to start a match for the Azzurri since 1915 when facing Türkiye. They could retain their places against France.
What Time Does France vs. Italy Kick Off?
- Location : Saint-Denis, France
- Stadium : Stade de France
- Date : Friday, Oct. 2
- Kick-off Time : 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT / 7:45 p.m. BST
- Referee : Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP)
- VAR : Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (ESP)
How to Watch France vs. Italy on TV, Live Stream
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| United States | Fox Sports 1, Fox One, fuboTV, ViX |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, TLN, fuboTV Canada, VIVA |
| Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi |
| United Kingdom | Amazon Prime Video |
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