Italy has found out its opponents for the UEFA Nations League group stage.
After the UEFA Nations League draws in Brussels last night, Italy were drawn with France, Belgium, and Turkey in Group A1 of League A.
FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and former Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci were present at the draw.
Italy’s last Nations League campaign ended in quarter-final defeat to Germany, losing 5-4 on aggregate with Luciano Spalletti in charge. Italian football fans will be looking for a better outing under Gattuso especially after a devastating run in the World Cup qualifiers.
The group stage matches will take place from September 24 to November 17, 2026, with the quarter-finals scheduled for March 25-30, 2027.
The full 2026/27 #NationsLeague league phase draw ✅ pic.twitter.com/Tyt9DjDRNr
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) February 12, 2026
Italy’s Record vs UNL Opponents
Italy and France are old rivals with their most famous meeting being the 2006 World Cup final which Italy won on penalties after the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt. Both teams have met in recent times with both sides winning 3-1 in both meetings.
Italy have lost just four of 26 meetings with Belgium, with the most recent defeat coming in an international friendly in 2015. Italy’s last official defeat to Belgium came in Euro 1972. In the 2024 Nations League, the sides drew 2-2 in Italy before the Azzurri won 1-0 in Brussels thanks to an early goal from Sandro Tonali.
Italy also have good record vs Turkey, winning 10 of their last 14 meetings. The Azzurri also won their last meeting against Turkey at Euro 2020 3-0.
