Women’s World Cup 2023: Everything you need to know about Italy

Italy′s World Cup 2023 fixtures, betting odds and statistics

You can read all about Argentina, Sweden and South Africa by clicking on their names here.

How did Italy qualify?

Italy qualified by finishing first in UEFA Group G, accumulating 27 points from ten matches against Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania and Moldova. Le Azzurre’s only dropped points came in a 2-1 home defeat to the Swiss.

Italy’s major tournament record

World Cup

Best World Cup result: Quarter-finals- 1991 & 2019.

European Championships

Best Euros result: Runners-up- 1993 & 1997.

Italy at World Cup 2023

Will Italy go further than they ever have done before at the World Cup?

To date, le Azzurre’s best runs at this competition have been to the quarter-finals, getting there at the inaugural edition in 1991, eventually ousted by Norway at Jiangmen Stadium after extra time.

28 years later, Italy ended their two-decade long World Cup in France four summers ago, going further than most would’ve expected.

They topped their group, above Australia and Brazil on goal difference, caused a bit of an upset by ousting China PR in the round of 16 before a 2-0 defeat to Netherlands in Valenciennes.

These were certainly encouraging signs for Milena Bertolini, but the upward trajectory did not continue at last summer’s European Championships.

Le Azzurre finished rock bottom of Group D, smashed 5-1 by France, held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland before a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Belgium sealed their fate.

Earlier this year, in the Arnold Clark Cup, a friendly competition, Italy did look to be a more cohesive unit, narrowly beaten by Belgium and England before a morale-boosting victory over Korea Republic.

Martina Rosucci bagging a 95th minute winner at Ashton Gate in February.

So, Italy are competitive up to a point, but still have a long way to go to compete with the world’s best.

At this tournament, they’ll kick off against Argentina in Auckland before traveling 405 mile south to Wellington for meetings with juggernauts Sweden and then WAFCON winners South Africa.

Sweden are very likely to top Group G, but le Azzurre are more than capable of picking up enough points in their other two matches to get through to the round of 16.

Italy team news

After enduring an injury-hit season with Juventus, long-standing captain Sara Gama, who has 126 caps to her name, has not been included in the squad.

Maria Luisa Filangeri and Beatrice Merlo were cut from the provisional squad on Sunday 2 July.

Italy′s key players: Valentina Giacinti

It’s an old cliché that strikers get all the glory but, in Italy’s case, this is certainly true, with their three star players are likely to feature in their front three.

First, Valentina Giacinti will be seeking to add to her 22 international goals this summer, one of which came at the World Cup four years ago, breaking the deadlock in the round of 16 victory over China PR.

She then netted seven times during the most-recent qualification cycle, bagging her most-recent le Azzurre goal against Colombia earlier this year.

For club side Roma, Giacinti scored 20 time this season as le Giallorosse reached the Champions League knockout stage for the first time, before winning the club’s maiden Supercoppa Italiana and Serie A titles.

Only two players, Tabitha Chawinga and Cristiana Girelli (more on her shortly) scored more league goals than Giacinti this season, a key reason why Roma are Scudetto winners for the first time in their history.

Italy′s key players: Barbara Bonansea

Few Italian women have enjoyed as illustrious careers as Barbara Bonansea, winning 90 caps and scoring 30 international goals so far.

She bagged a brace in, probably, Italy’s most-impressive World Cup victory to date, the 2-1 victory over Australia at Stade du Hainaut, including a 95th minute winner that afternoon.

Bonansea also won seven Scudettos in eight seasons, two with Brescia and then five in-a-row with Juventus, before I Bianconeri’s monopoly was broken this year, finishing second.

She still managed to score an impressive 11 goals in all competitions, so should head Down Under full of confidence.

Italy′s key players: Cristiana Girelli

The third, and possibly most dangerous, member of Italy’s front three will be Cristiana Girelli.

The 33 year old is the top-scorer in this squad with 53 international goals to her name, bagging a hat-trick against Jamaica at Stade Auguste-Delaune.

Just four Italians, male or female, have scored hat-tricks at the World Cup: Angelo Schiavio (1934), Paolo Rossi (1982), Carolina Morace (1991) and Girelli in 2019.

At last summer’s European Championships, she struggled to make an impact although, in her defence, the whole team did.

Thus, Girelli actually hasn’t scored for le Azzurre since bagging the only goal of a crucial qualifying victory over Switzerland on 12 April 2022, a fact she’s desperate to change in New Zealand.

Nevertheless, as mentioned, she was the second top-scorer in Serie A this season, netting 23 times in all competitions for Juventus, so will lead Italy’s attack at this tournament.

Italy′s possible starting line-up for World Cup 2023

Italy′s full squad for World Cup 2023

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Group G table