France v Italy: Nations League 2026-27 preview, team news and lineups
France will host Italy at the Stade de France on October 2 (BST) in their third group-stage match of the UEFA Nations League 2026-27, with Les Bleus seeking a third straight win after victories over Turkey and a 1-0 win against Belgium. Italy arrive following a 0-2 defeat to Belgium and a 4-1 victory against Turkiye, making this a pivotal group encounter for both sides.
Zinedine Zidane’s France have won their last two matches and dominated possession in recent games despite fielding mostly youngsters, and the coach’s side will be aiming for a third consecutive Nations League victory on home soil. Roberto Mancini’s Italy recovered from their opening defeat by producing a dominant 4-1 win against Turkiye, a match in which they controlled the game from the start. Playing away is described in the preview as a complicating factor for Italy, while France’s home advantage is noted as a benefit.
Michael Olise had an immediate impact in the opening Nations League fixture by providing an assist and scoring the match-winning goal against Belgium after coming on for a brief spell. The preview describes Olise as being in a sensational run of form and says the 24-year-old was quite impactful despite limited minutes. It also reports the statistic that Michael Olise has been involved in 13 goals in 14 games with Les Bleus in 2026. Only Kylian Mbappé (16) has a better record among European players with their national teams.
The article singles out Francesco Pio Esposito for Italy’s 4-1 win over Turkiye, noting the 21-year-old was one of the goalscorers and also registered an assist. The preview states Esposito will be looking to step up his game again to help Gli Azzurri compete against the Les Bleus. That performance is presented as a key recent contribution for Italy.
According to the report, all selected squad members for both national teams are fit to be in action. France’s listed selection reads: Maignan (GK); Kalulu, Jacquet, Lacroix, Diouf; Akliouche, Kone, Camavinga; Olise, Dembele, Doue. Italy’s listed selection reads: Donnarumma (GK); Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Ruggeri; Tonali; Frattesi, Fagioli; Raspadori, Pio Esposito, Sebastiano Esposito.
The preview concludes that France, on current form and with home-ground advantage, are viewed as having a slight edge, while Italy are described as still figuring things out and potentially facing a difficult away assignment; the article states Zinedine Zidane’s men are likely to come out on top and secure three important points. This assessment is presented as the outlook ahead of the match.
The fixture is scheduled for October 2 at the Stade de France (BST), and viewers in India can watch via Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV; broadcasters listed in the preview for other markets are la chaine L’Équipe and TF1+ (France), RAI PLAY, Mediaset and Sky Italia (Italy), and FOX Sports, FuboTV and ViX (USA).