France vs Italy: head-to-head history and the greatest matches

From Euro and World Cup finals to recent Nations League clashes, a look back at the legendary France-Italy rivalry

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France vs Italy: head-to-head history and the greatest matches

12.11.26 14:45 UEFA Nations League A

Italy

France

France and Italy meet again in the Nations League on Thursday, bringing fresh significance to a rivalry shaped by dramatic finals, penalty shootouts and memorable victories.

Rotterdam in 2000 and Berlin in 2006 remain among the defining chapters of France and Italy's shared history. On Thursday, November 12, 2026, the two European heavyweights meet in Milan at 8:45 p.m. local time for another UEFA Nations League showdown. France lead League A Group 1 with ten points after four games, three ahead of Italy.

𝑱𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑫𝑬 𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑪𝑯 🇮🇹🇫🇷 Nos Bleus affrontent l’Italie à Milan, avec le quart de finale de Ligue des Nations dans le viseur 👊 Coup d’envoi à 20h45 sur TF1 📺 #ITAFRA https://t.co/4DddimOi61
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 12, 2026

Euro 2000 and World Cup 2006: two unforgettable finals

On July 2, 2000, Marco Delvecchio put Italy on course for the European title, only for Sylvain Wiltord to equalise deep into added time. David Trezeguet then struck the golden goal in extra time, handing France a 2-1 victory. Six years later, Italy earned revenge on the biggest stage. Zinedine Zidane converted an early penalty in the 2006 World Cup final, Marco Materazzi equalised, and Zidane was sent off in extra time. After a 1-1 draw, the Azzurri won 5-3 on penalties in Berlin.

The rivalry also featured prominently at the 1998 World Cup, when France defeated Italy 4-3 in a quarter-final shootout after a goalless draw, en route to their first world title. Italy responded with a 2-0 win in the group stage of Euro 2008.

Italy lead the historical record

UEFA's record ahead of Thursday's meeting lists 42 previous encounters: 20 Italian wins, 12 French victories and ten draws. While that gives Italy the overall advantage, recent decades have produced a much closer contest, particularly in major tournament knockouts.

More recently, each side won 3-1 away from home during the 2024 Nations League campaign: Italy prevailed in France in September, before Les Bleus replied in Milan in November. Their most recent meeting in October 2026 ended 1-1 at the Stade de France, with goals from Michael Olise and Alessandro Bastoni.

Another chapter in Milan

Thursday's clash carries immediate consequences for the group standings. France can strengthen their hold on first place, while an Italian victory would tighten the race at the top. For coach Zidane, it also brings renewed focus to a fixture central to his playing career. His selection for the November internationals underlined the importance of the visit to Italy and the following game against Türkiye.

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