Zinedine Zidane takes charge of his first home game as France boss as they host Italy in the UEFA Nations League.
Zidane, a World Cup winner with Les Bleus as a player in 1998, has won his first two games as coach, claiming 1-0 victories over Turkey and Belgium away from home.
Now his team face an Azzurri side that earned a confidence-boosting 4-1 win in Turkey last time out, that triumph the first of Roberto Mancini’s second spell in charge.
101GreatGoals has the full team news from an enticing fixture at the Stade de France.
France team news
Zidane makes six changes from the starting XI from the 1-0 win over Belgium.
Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Eduardo Camavinga, Andy Diouf, Maxence Lacroix and Esteban Lepaul all drop to the bench.
Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Truffert come in at the back for Lacroix and Diouf, while Adrien Rabiot replaces Camavinga in midfield.
Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Ousmane Dembele come in for Akliouche, Barcola and Lepaul respectively.
France: Maignan; Kalulu, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Rabiot, Da Cunha; Olise, Cherki, Doue; Dembele.
France substitutes: Akliouche, Barcola, Butez, Camavinga, Diouf, Kone, Kounde, Lacroix, Lepaul, Restes, Yoro.
Italy team news
By contrast, Mancini makes only two changes from starting XI for the emphatic victory against Turkey.
Riccardo Calafiori comes in for Matteo Ruggeri at left-back, while Moise Kean replaces Giacomo Raspadori, who is injured.
Italy: Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Tonali, Fagioli, Frattesi; Kean, S. Esposito; F.P. Esposito.
Italy substitutes: Barella, Carnesecchi, Di Lorenzo, Doumbia, Maldini, Mancini, Ricci, Ruggeri, Scamacca, Vergara, Vicario, Zoma.
Nations League Group A1 Table
UEFA Nations League 2026
World
League A – Group A
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
France |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
W
W
|
| 2 |
Belgium |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
L
W
|
| 3 |
Italy |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
W
L
|
| 4 |
Türkiye |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
L
L
|
- Position 1, 2 : Play Offs: Quarter-finals
- Position 3 : Relegation Playoffs
- Position 4 : Relegation
Recent Form & Stats for France v Italy
- Italy hold the upper hand overall. They have won 20 of their previous 41 meetings. France have won 12 with nine draws.
- The away side won both of the last Nations League meetings. Italy won 3-1 in Paris and France won 3-1 at San Siro in the 2024-25 campaign. None of the last five games between the two has been a draw.
- Michael Olise has been involved in 13 goals in 14 France games in 2026. That includes coming off the bench to score the winner against Belgium.
- Francesco Pio Esposito has six goals in 11 games for Italy. The 21-year-old scored and set up a goal in the 4-1 win over Turkey.
Recent Results : France
-
UEFA Nations League
Belgium
BEL
W 0 – 1 2026-09-28
France
FRA
-
UEFA Nations League
Türkiye
TUR
W 0 – 1 2026-09-25
France
FRA
-
World Cup
France
FRA
L 0 – 2 2026-07-14
Spain
ESP
-
World Cup
France
FRA
W 2 – 0 2026-07-09
Morocco
MAR
-
World Cup
Paraguay
PAR
W 0 – 1 2026-07-04
France
FRA
Recent Results : Italy
-
UEFA Nations League
Türkiye
TUR
W 1 – 4 2026-09-28
Italy
ITA
-
UEFA Nations League
Italy
ITA
L 0 – 2 2026-09-25
Belgium
BEL
-
Friendlies
Greece
GRE
W 0 – 1 2026-06-07
Italy
ITA
-
Friendlies
Luxembourg
W 0 – 1 2026-06-03
Italy
ITA
Where to Watch France v Italy: TV and online streams
France versus Italy kicks off at 7.45pm on Friday night.You can watch it in the UK on Amazon Prime Video for a pay-per-view price of £2.49.
You Should Also Read
