Italy national football team

Italy national football team
Name	Italy
Nickname	Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
Association	Italian Football Federation
Confederation	UEFA
Coach	Luciano Spalletti
Captain	Gianluigi Donnarumma
Most caps	Gianluigi Buffon (176)
Top scorer	Luigi Riva (35)
Home Stadium	Stadio Olimpico, Various
FIFA Trigramme	ITA
FIFA Rank	ITA
FIFA max date	April 1993, Feb–Jun 2007, Sep 2007–Jun 2010
FIFA min	21
FIFA min date	August 2018
Elo Rank	ITA
Pattern la	_ita24h
Pattern b	_ita24h
Pattern ra	_ita24h
Pattern sh	_ita24h
Pattern so	_ita24h
Leftarm	0000FF
Body	0000FF
Rightarm	0000FF
Shorts	0000FF
Socks	0000FF
First game	Italy 6–2 France, (Milan, Italy; 15 May 1910)
Largest win	Italy 9–0 United States, (Brentford, England; 2 August 1948)
Largest loss	Hungary 7–1 Italy, (Budapest, Hungary; 6 April 1924)

Contents

History
Team image
Honours
Results and fixtures
Players
Managers
See also

Italy national football team. Governed by the Italian Football Federation, the team is one of the most successful national sides in football history. Competing in UEFA and FIFA tournaments, they are renowned for their tactical discipline, defensive strength, and a record of four FIFA World Cup titles. Their traditional home kit is the iconic blue shirt, known as *Azzurro Savoia*, which gives them the nickname *Gli Azzurri*.

History

The team played its first official international match in 1910, defeating France in Milan. Their first major success came at the 1934 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Benito Mussolini's Italy, where they triumphed under manager Vittorio Pozzo. Pozzo led the team to a second consecutive title at the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France, featuring stars like Giuseppe Meazza. After the Second World War, a period of rebuilding culminated in victory at the 1968 UEFA European Championship and a dramatic runner-up finish to Brazil at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in the famed "Game of the Century". The 1980s saw the emergence of talents like Paolo Rossi, whose goals secured the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, and a third-place finish at the 1990 FIFA World Cup on home soil. A golden generation, including Fabio Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo, and Gianluigi Buffon, won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, defeating France in a penalty shoot-out. After failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup, the team rebounded under Roberto Mancini to win UEFA Euro 2020, held in 2021, at Wembley Stadium.

Team image

The team's distinctive blue shirts originate from the House of Savoy, the former royal family of Italy. Their primary home stadium is the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, though they play matches across the country, including at the San Siro in Milan and the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples. The team is traditionally associated with a strong defensive philosophy, known as *catenaccio*, popularized by coaches like Helenio Herrera at club level with Inter Milan. This tactical identity has been a hallmark throughout their history, alongside passionate support from the *tifosi*.

Honours

The team's trophy cabinet is among the most illustrious in world football. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), a record only surpassed by Brazil and tied by Germany. They are two-time European champions, having won the UEFA European Championship in 1968 and 2020. They also won an Olympic gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and two FIFA Confederations Cup bronze medals. At youth level, they have won the FIFA U-20 World Cup once and the UEFA European Under-21 Championship five times.

Results and fixtures

The team's recent schedule includes matches in the UEFA Nations League and UEFA European Championship qualifying. Following their triumph at UEFA Euro 2020, they participated in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, finishing third. Their failure to qualify for consecutive FIFA World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 marked a significant low point, with crucial playoff losses to Sweden and North Macedonia. Upcoming fixtures are part of the qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 2024 and future editions of the UEFA Nations League.

Players

The current squad is a mix of experienced veterans and emerging talents. The captaincy is held by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was the hero of the UEFA Euro 2020 final. Key outfield players include defender Leonardo Bonucci, midfielder Nicolò Barella, and forward Ciro Immobile. Historically, legendary figures include goalkeeper Dino Zoff, defenders Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, and forwards Roberto Baggio and Francesco Totti. The all-time appearance record is held by Gianluigi Buffon, while the top goalscorer remains Luigi Riva.

Managers

The team is currently managed by Luciano Spalletti, appointed after the departure of Roberto Mancini in 2023. Mancini oversaw the victorious UEFA Euro 2020 campaign. Other historically significant managers include Vittorio Pozzo, the only manager to win two FIFA World Cup titles; Enzo Bearzot, who led the 1982 triumph; and Marcello Lippi, the architect of the 2006 victory. Cesare Prandelli guided the team to the final of UEFA Euro 2012.