The Italy national football team will host France in their final UEFA Nations League 2024-25 League A Group 2 match at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.

The Italy vs France, UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will start at 1:15 AM IST on Monday, November 18. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Under manager Luciano Spalletti, Italy have been in impressive form in the ongoing UEFA Nations League 2024-25. Italy will head into the game high on confidence after they pipped Belgium 1-0 in their previous fixture to book their place in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 quarter-finals.

Azzurri rode on Sandro Tonali’s close-range finish to seal Italy’s top-two finish in the group. Having registered four wins and one draw, Italy are currently placed on top of League A Group 2 standings with 13 points from five games.

On the other hand, the France national football team will look to return to winning ways after they were held to a goalless draw by Israel at the Stade de France.

With three wins, one draw and one loss, France are placed second in the League A Group 2 standings.

While Les Bleus have also qualified for the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 quarter-finals, they will need to win by at least two goals against Italy in order to finish first in the group.

Meanwhile, France will once again miss the services of their captain Kylian Mbappe for reasons that remain unclear.

The visitors will also be without Ousmane Dembele,  Aurelien Tchouameni, Wesley Fofana and Loic Bade due to injuries.

Having already sealed their place in the quarter-finals, manager Luciano Spalletti could be tempted to make a few changes in the starting XI.

Riccardo Calafiori, Samuele Ricci, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini are some of the players unavailable for Italy due to their respective injuries.

Italy vs France football head-to-head

The Italy vs France head-to-head record favours the Azzurri. Italy have won 19 of the 38 matches that they have played against each other so far. France have registered 11 victories in this high-profile fixture. As many as eight matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Italy defeated France 3-1 in an UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match at the Parc des Princes in Paris in September.

Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori scored a goal each for Italy to help them bag three crucial points. For France, Bradley Barcola netted their solitary goal in the opening minute of the game,

Where to watch Italy vs France UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match live in India

The Italy vs France UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Ten 2 SD and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Italy vs France UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Belgium will host Italy in a Group A2 match of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Friday, November 15.

The Belgium vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will start at 01:15 AM IST on Friday. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Italy are currently on top of Group A2 of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 with 10 points from three wins and a draw after the first four rounds while Belgium are in third place with four points from one win, a draw and two losses.

Italy are unbeaten in the tournament and travel to the Belgian capital on the back of a thumping 4-1 win over Israel last month. Defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo scored a second-half brace while Mateo Retegui and Davide Frattesi chipped in with a goal each.

Italy, who finished in third place in the last two editions of the UEFA Nations League, started their campaign this year in style beating 2020-21 edition winner France 3-1 in their opening Group A2 match in Paris. 

Italy would be keen to make amends after a 2-2 draw against Belgium in the first leg of their group game in Rome. Though the hosts scored two first-half goals in the contest, a red card to Lorenzo Pellegrini allowed Belgium to come back and secure a draw.

Meanwhile, Belgium’s campaign took a wrong turn after their 3-1 win over Israel in their opener in Group A2. They lost both their matches to France on either side of the drawn encounter against Italy.

Belgium, who are five points adrift of France at third place, need to win both their remaining matches to nurture any hopes of making it to the knockouts from Group A2.

Belgium are currently sixth in the FIFA Men’s football rankings whereas Italy are placed ninth as per the latest list.

The UEFA Nations League 2024-25 has a total of 54 teams split into four leagues based on their international ranking. Three leagues A, B and C contain four groups of four teams each whereas League D has two groups of three teams.

Teams in League A will vie for the UEFA Nations League Final that is scheduled to be held in June 2025. All the four group winners and runners-up in League A will play a double-legged quarter-finals with the winners proceeding to play the semi-finals.

Belgium vs Italy football head-to-head

Italy holds a dominant position in their head-to-head record against Belgium with 16 wins from 25 matches with their last win coming in the same competition in October 2021 when they beat Belgium 2-1.

Meanwhile, Belgium has won four matches against Italy with the 3-1 victory in an international friendly in 2015 being their last triumph. Five matches, including their latest meeting in the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 last month, have ended in draws.

Where to watch Belgium vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match live in India

The Belgium vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 football match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Belgium vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 football match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

The Italy national football team will host Belgium in their third UEFA Nations League 2024-25 League A Group 2 match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

The Italy vs Belgium, UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will start at 12:15 AM IST on Friday, October 11.

Under manager Luciano Spalletti, Italy have made an impressive start to their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 campaign after a dismal show at UEFA Euro 2024. 

Italy defeated France 3-1 in their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 opener at the Parc des Princes in Paris.  

The Azzurri later secured a 2-1 over Israel in their second fixture in the ongoing UEFA Nations League.

With six points from two matches, Italy are currently placed on top of the League A Group 2 standings.

On the other hand, the Belgium national football team will look to bounce back after suffering a 0-2 defeat against France in their previous UEFA Nations League 2024-25 encounter at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in September.

Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé netted a goal each for France as Belgium registered their first loss in the ongoing UEFA Nations League.

Earlier, the Domenico Tedesco-coached Belgium started their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 campaign with a 3-1 win over Israel at home.

Having accumulated three points from two games, Belgium are currently placed third in the League A Group 2 standings.

Meanwhile, Luciano Spalletti has included five uncapped players in Italy’s squad for the upcoming games against Belgium and Israel.

Daniel Maldini, son of Italian legend Paolo Maldini, Roma midfielder Niccolo Pisilli, centre-backs Matteo Gabbia, Caleb Okoli and Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio are the uncapped players added in the squad.

The hosts will miss the services of their star winger Federico Chiesa due to lack of match fitness. 

The likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Giorgio Scalvini and Moise Kean have been ruled out due to injuries.

For Belgium, captain Kevin De Bruyne and estranged goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will be unavailable for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.

The visitors will also be without their star striker Romelu Lukaku, who has taken a national-team sabbatical until 2025.

In the absence of Lukaku, the likes of Lois Openda, Leandro Trossard, Jérémy Doku and Dodi Lukebakio are expected to feature in Belgium’s forward line.

Italy vs Belgium football head-to-head

The Italy vs Belgium football head-to-head record favours the former. Italy have won 16 of the 24 matches that they have played against each other so far. Belgium have registered four victories. As many as four games have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Italy beat Belgium 2-1 in an UEFA Nations League third-place playoff clash in October 2021.

Nicolò Barella gave Italy the lead in the 46th minute before Domenico Berardi converted a penalty to make it 2-0.

For Belgium, substitute Charles De Ketelaere scored a consolation goal in the 86th minute.

Where to watch Italy vs Belgium UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match live in India

The Italy vs Belgium UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Italy vs Belgium UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website

Photo credit: Imago

France will host Italy in their UEFA Nations League 2024-25 campaign opener at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France.

The France vs Italy, UEFA Nations League 2024-25 League A Group 2 match will start at 12:15 AM IST on Saturday, September 7. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Under head coach Didier Deschamps, the France national football team will aim to bounce back after they suffered a 1-2 defeat against eventual Euro 2024 winners Spain in the semi-finals. 

While Randal Kolo Muani’s early strike gave France hope of reaching the Euro 2024 finals, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo netted a goal each for Spain to knock Les Bleus out of the competition.

UEFA Nations League 2020-21 winners France also failed to defend their title in the previous edition of the competition after they finished third in the League A Group 1 standings. 

Apart from Adrien Rabiot and Benjamin Pavard, Didier Deschamps has retained most of his Euro 2024 squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium. The star-studded squad will once again be led by their talisman Kylian Mbappe.

Young winger Michael Olise has received his maiden national call-up after he had seven goal contributions at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

New Roma signing Manu Kone and defender Loic Bade have also been added to the squad.

On the other hand, the Italy national football team will look to turn things around after they failed to defend the UEFA European Championship. The Azzurri lost 0-2 to Switzerland in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 in Berlin.

Italy previously finished third in the last edition of the UEFA Nations League after they topped League A Group 3 standings under the tutelage of head coach Luciano Spalletti.

Ahead of the crucial UEFA Nations League 2024-25 clash, Italy will miss the services of Gianluca Scamacca and Nicolo Barella due to injuries.

A total of eight players from their Euro 2024 squad will not feature in the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.

Marco Brescianini and Caleb Okoli are two new faces included in the squad while the likes of Sandro Tonali, Destiny Udogie and Moise Kean have returned to the Italian squad.

The UEFA Nations League 2024-25 will have a total of 54 teams split into four leagues based on their international ranking. Three leagues A, B and C will contain four groups of four teams each whereas League D will have two groups of three teams.

Each team will play two games against every other team in their respective group on a home and away basis.

Teams in League A will vie for the UEFA Nations League final that is scheduled to be held in June 2025. All the four group winners and runners-up in League A will play a double-legged quarterfinals with the winners proceeding to play the semifinals.

Leagues B, C and D, meanwhile, will compete against each other for promotion or relegation to a higher or lower league.

Spain are the defending champions of the UEFA Nations League after they pipped Croatia on penalties in the final last year.

France vs Italy football head-to-head

The France vs Italy football head-to-head record favours the Azzurri. Italy have won 18 of the 37 matches that they have played against each other so far. France have registered 11 victories in this high-profile fixture. As many as eight matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, France secured a 3-1 win over Italy in an international friendly at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, France.

Samuel Umtiti, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were the goalscorers for France while Leonardo Bonucci netted the solitary goal for Italy.

Where to watch France vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match live in India

The France vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Ten 1 SD and  Sony Sports Ten 1 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the France vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2024-25 match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Imago

Gareth Southgate’s England will take on defending Euro champions Italy in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers at the Wembley Stadium in London, England, on October 18. The match will begin at 12:15 AM IST.

England and Italy are looking to seal their UEFA Euro spots from Group C, but they face stiff competition from Ukraine, who are within touching distance. England, however, are unbeaten so far, winning four of their five matches.

Luciano Spaletti’s Italians have won three matches out of five and are second in Group C. Their only defeat came against the Three Lions in the reverse fixture in March this year, where goals from Declan Rice and Harry Kane sealed a 2-1 win away from home for England. 

The UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers consists of 10 groups and the top two teams of each group in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will make it to the main competition. Germany, the hosts, have received automatic qualification. 

In the ongoing international break, Italy defeated Malta 4-0 at the Stadio San Nicola to establish their grip on the second position in Group C of the qualifiers, while England beat Australia 1-0 in a friendly match through Ollie Watkins�?second-half strike. 

England and Italy also played in the UEFA Euro 2021 final at Wembley, where the Gli Azzurri won on penalties.

England vs Italy football head-to-head

England and Italy have faced each other 31 times so far in international football. England emerged victorious on nine occasions, while Italy won 13 matches and eight matches ended in draws. 

Where to watch England vs Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers live in India?

The England vs Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network channels.

Live streaming of ENG vs ITA UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Italy national football team will host Ukraine in a crucial UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers encounter at the San Siro in Milan, Italy. The Group C ITA vs UKR match will start at 12:15 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Wednesday, September 13.

Under newly-appointed manager Luciano Spalletti, Italy head into the clash after being held to a 1-1 draw by North Macedonia at the Tose Proeski Arena in their previous fixture in Skopje.

Italian captain Ciro Immobile broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, before attacking midfielder Enis Bardhi equalised for North Macedonia to share one point each.

Earlier, the Azzurri started their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a disappointing 1-2 defeat against England at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in March.

They later bounced back to beat Malta 2-0 in their second match of the ongoing qualifiers.

With four points from three matches, Italy are currently placed third in the Group C standings.

On the other hand, the Ukraine national football team will be high on confidence after they produced an impressive performance to hold a star-studded England 1-1 in their last outing.

Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko gave Ukraine the lead in the 26th minute, but soon conceded courtesy England defender Kyle Walker’s strike in the 41st minute.

Led by head coach Serhiy Rebrov, Ukraine earlier suffered a 0-2 loss against the same opposition in their UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers opener.

However, Ukraine later pipped North Macedonia 3-2, and followed it up with a 1-0 win over Malta.

Serhiy Rebrov’s men are currently placed second in the Group C standings with seven points from four matches, six points behind leaders England.

Ahead of the clash, the hosts have several injury concerns. Federico Chiesa, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Politano have been ruled out due to injuries.

For Ukraine, Nikolay Matviyenko and Mykhaylo Mudryk are doubtful after picking up injuries in their last game.

Italy vs Ukraine football head-to-head

Italy have a dominant head-to-head head-to-head record against Ukraine in international football, winning six of the eight matches that they have played so far. Other two matches ended in draws.

In the last ITA vs UKR match, the two sides were involved in a 1-1 draw during an international friendly at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in 2018.

Where to watch Italy vs Ukraine UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers live in India?

The Italy vs Ukraine UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 5 and Sony Sports Ten 5 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of ITA vs UKR UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be available on SonyLIV.

Photo credit: Alamy

Reigning continental champions Italy national football team will lock horns with North Macedonia in a crucial Group C UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers match at the Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje, North Macedonia. The Group C match will kick off at 12:15 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Sunday, September 10.

Under newly-appointed manager Luciano Spalletti, Italy head into the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers clash after finishing third in the UEFA Nations League 2022-23. 

The Azzurri started their UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers campaign with a 1-2 defeat against England at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona earlier in March. They later bounced back to beat Malta 2-0 in their second Group C fixture.

With three points from two matches, Italy are placed third in the Group C standings, behind England and Ukraine.

On the other hand, the North Macedonia national football team suffered a 0-7 hammering against hosts England at the Old Trafford in their previous fixture.

North Macedonia began their Euro qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Malta. However, the southeast European nation went down to Ukraine 2-3 at the Tose Proeski Arena in June.

Having registered one win and two losses, North Macedonia are currently fourth in the Group C standings with three points from two matches.

Meanwhile, new Italian manager Spalletti has dropped captain Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Verratti and Jorginho from the squad.

Lazio star Ciro Immobile is expected to replace Leonardo Bonucci as the new captain.

Ahead of the clash, the hosts have received a massive boost as defender Visar Musliu will be available for selection after missing the England game due to suspension.

However, Burnley's Darko Churlinov, Valon Ethemi and Marjan Radeski have been ruled out of the upcoming fixture due to injuries.

Where to watch North Macedonia vs Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers live in India?

The North Macedonia vs Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of North Macedonia vs Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

Italy has banned number 88 on football jerseys from next season as part of an initiative aimed at combating anti-semitism in football stadiums across the country.

In the last few years, Italian football witnessed a rise in anti-semitism and racism incidents in the country’s stadiums. Incidents of fans shouting abuse or regularly booing and making monkey gestures at black players have been reported across Italy. Dark-skinned players have been abused using the word “Jew�?as an insult, and also by showing fascist or Nazi symbols.

In March 2023, a Lazio fan was spotted wearing a jersey with the name “Hitlerson�? and number 88 on his back during their derby clash against A.S. Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. 

During the derby, two more Lazio supporters were identified doing fascist salutes and singing anti-semitic chants. Lazio later handed out lifetime bans to all three fans.

Why has Italy banned number 88 on football jerseys from next season?

In a major development, the Italian government and the Italian Football Association (FIGC) have signed a letter of intent aimed at tackling anti-semitism in football stadiums across the country.

According to the signed agreement, players are now prohibited from wearing number 88 on football jerseys at all levels of Italian domestic football leagues.

Number 88 can be depicted as a reference to a German Nazi slogan. Neo-Nazis used the number 88 as an abbreviation for the Nazi salute, “Heil Hitler�?

As per the agreement, football matches can also be suspended in the event of anti-semitic chants, acts and expressions.

“It is an appropriate and effective response to an intolerable prejudice that still too often manifests itself in our stadiums,�?Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said after signing the agreement.

The agreement is part of the larger initiative that will also witness the introduction of a code of ethics in accordance with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

“The world of football is united in the fight against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination,�?FIGC President Gabriele Gravina added.

Parma goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Lazio midfielder Toma Basic and Atalanta midfielder Mario Pasalic are some of the high-profile names who have donned the number 88 jersey in Italian football in the past.

During the 2000-01 season, legendary Italian custodian Buffon wore the number 88 jersey while playing for Parma. He was heavily criticized by the Jewish community, which forced him to change the shirt number. Buffon later apologized and claimed that he didn't know the significance of number 88.

The ban of the number 88 jersey comes as a welcome change in Italian football, which frequently is marred by racist and anti-semitic chants. While there is still a lot more work to do to tackle racist and anti-semitic chants in Italy, this initiative comes as a positive first step towards changing the perception of Italian football.

Photo credit: Alamy

Spain will clash with Italy in the UEFA Nations League 2023 semi-final at De Grolsch Veste in Enschede, Netherlands in the early hours of Friday, June 16 (in India). The match will kick off at 12:15 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).

Under the tutelage of former head coach Luis Enrique, Spain qualified for their second consecutive semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League tournament.

Earlier, Spain reached the UEFA Nations League 2021 final before going down 2-1 to France.

Meanwhile, Luis Enrique’s men started their UEFA Nations League 2022-23 campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal. The last edition’s finalists were once again held to a 2-2 draw by Czech Republic in their second match.

The Spanish outfit later bounced back to beat Switzerland 1-0, and followed it up with another comprehensive 2-0 victory over Czech Republic.

In their penultimate clash, Spain suffered a setback as they lost to Switzerland 2-1. However, La Roja overcame Portugal 1-0 in their final league encounter to top League A Group 2 standings with 11 points from six matches. With that crucial victory, Spain booked their place in the UEFA Nations League 2023 semi-final.

On the other hand, Italy secured their place in the last four after topping League A Group 3 standings with three wins, two draws and a solitary loss.

Placed in a challenging Group comprising Germany, England, and Hungary, the Italians went unbeaten in their first three league matches.

Led by head coach Roberto Mancini, Italy played a 1-1 draw against Germany in their opening fixture, before beating Hungary 2-1. They were later held to a goalless draw by England.

The Azzurri later succumbed to a 5-2 defeat against Germany in their fourth encounter. However, Roberto Mancini’s men ended the league phase on a high as they defeated the star-studded England side 1-0, and also registered a 2-0 victory over Hungary in their final league match to finish as table-toppers.

Spain vs Italy football head-to-head

Spain have a slight edge over Italy in their head-to-head record in International football. La Roja have won 13 of the 35 matches against Italy so far. The Italians have registered 10 victories, while 12 matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Spain secured a 2-1 win over hosts Italy in the UEFA Nations League 2021 semi-final at San Siro in Milan.

Where to watch Spain vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2023 semi-final live in India?

The Spain vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2023 semi-final will be telecast LIVE on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD TV channels in India.

LIVE streaming of the Spain vs Italy UEFA Nations League 2023 semi-final will be available on SonyLIV and JioTV.

Photo credit: Alamy

The UEFA Nations League 2023 finals will be held in the Netherlands from June 15-19.

Hosts Netherlands, Croatia, Spain and Italy have qualified for the UEFA Nations League 2023 finals after topping their League A groups in the league phase of the tournament. 

While Netherlands will lock horns with Croatia in the first semi-final at Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam in the early hours of Thursday, Spain will take on Italy in the other semi-final to be played at De Grolsch Veste in Enschede in the wee hours of Friday.

With five wins in six matches, the Dutch side finished at the top of the League A Group 4 standings with 16 points. 

Meanwhile, their next opponents Croatia have also been impressive in the ongoing Nations League. Under head coach Zlatko Dalić, Croatia registered four wins, one draw and suffered a solitary defeat to finish as table-toppers of League A Group 1 standings.

On the other hand, Spain pipped Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal to top League A Group 2 standings with three wins, two draws and one loss.

The other semi-finalist, Italy, topped League A Group 3 standings with 11 points from six matches.

The winners of the two semi-finalists will later clash in the UEFA Nations League 2023 final on Monday, June 19. The final will be played at Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam.

The two losing semi-finalists will compete in the third-place playoff in Enschede.

Portugal won the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League in 2019, while France won the last edition of the tournament in 2021.

Where to watch UEFA Nations League 2023 finals live in India?

The UEFA Nations League 2023 finals will be telecast live on Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of UEFA Nations League 2023 finals will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

UEFA Nations League 2023 finals schedule and live India match times

All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

Thursday, June 15

Netherlands vs Croatia, Semi-final 1 - 12:15 AM 

Friday, June 16

Spain vs Italy, Semi-final 2 - 12:15 AM 

Sunday, June 18

Third-place playoff - 6:30 PM

Monday, June 19

UEFA Nations League 2023 final - 12:15 AM

Photo credit: Alamy