Italy national football team
Encyclopedia
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy
in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy
. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup
having won four titles (1934
, 1938
, 1982
, 2006
), just one fewer than Brazil
. They have also won one European championship
(1968
), one Olympic football tournament
(1936
) and two Central European International Cups.
The traditional colour of the national team (as well as all Italian national teams and athletes officially representing Italy) is azure
blue (azzurro, in Italian
), due to the "Azzurro Savoia" (Savoy
Blue), the colour traditionally linked to the royal dynasty which unified Italy
in 1861, and maintained in the official standard of the Italian President.
on 15 May 1910, Italy defeated France
by a score of 6–2. Some turmoil kept the players of Pro Vercelli, the best team of the league, out of the game. At the end of the match, the players received as a prize some cigarette packets thrown by the 4,000 spectators. The Italian team (2–3–5): De Simoni; Varisco, Calì
; Trerè, Fossati, Capello
; Debernardi, Rizzi, Cevenini I
, Lana, Boiocchi
. First captain of the team was Francesco Calì
.
The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in 1928 Summer Olympics
, held in Amsterdam
. After losing the semi-final against Uruguay
, an 11–3 victory against Egypt secured third place in the competition.
After declining to participate in the first World Cup (1930
, in Uruguay) the Italian national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in 1934
and 1938
, under the lead of coach Vittorio Pozzo
and thanks to the genius of Giuseppe Meazza
, who is considered one of the best Italian football players of all time. Other stars of that era included Luis Monti
, Giovanni Ferrari
, Silvio Piola
and Virginio Rosetta
In the 1934 World Cup
, the host Azzurri defeated Czechoslovakia
2–1 in Rome
, with goals by Raimundo Orsi
and Angelo Schiavio
.
(the winners of the previous four Serie A
titles) in the Superga air disaster
saw the loss of ten out of the eleven constituting the initial line-up for the national team. The following year, Italy did not advance further than the first round of the 1950 World Cup
, partly due to the long and physically devastating boat trip to Brazil
(air travel was discarded due to fear of another accident).
In the World Cup finals of 1954
and the 1962
that followed, Italy again failed to progress past the first round, and did not even qualify for the 1958 World Cup
.
During the early 1960s, the Italian football clubs AC Milan
and Internazionale dominated the international scene, the National team was not able to match these results. Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in 1960
(then known as the European Nations Cup), and was knocked out by the USSR
in the round of 16 (second round) of the 1964 European Championship
.
Their participation in the 1966 World Cup
is always remembered for their 0–1 defeat at the hands of North Korea. Despite being the tournament favourites, the Azzurri, whose 1966 squad included Rivera
and Bulgarelli
, were eliminated in the first round by the semi-professional North Koreans and bitterly condemned upon their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Doo-Ik
was celebrated as the David
who killed Goliath.
in Rome for the European Championship
title. The match holds the distinction of being the only major football tournament final to go to a replay. After extra time it ended in a 1–1 draw, and in the days before penalty shootouts, the rules required the match to be replayed a few days later. Italy won the replay 2–0 (with goals from Riva
and Anastasi
) to take the trophy.
In 1970, Italian team was one of the favourite teams for the title. Exploiting the performances of European champions player like Giacinto Facchetti
, Rivera
and Riva
and with a new center-forward Roberto Boninsegna
, the Azzurri were able to came back to a world cup final match after 32 years of desolation. They reached this result after one of the most famous match in football history: Italy vs. West Germany 4–3, which is known as the "Game of the Century". Although they were defeated by the amazing Brazilians, the 1970s team is still recognized as one of the best Italian national teams. The "Mexican generation" ended its cycle of international successes in the 1974 World cup, being eliminated by Lato
's Polish team.
The 1978 FIFA World Cup
, held in Argentina, saw a new generation of Italian players, the most famous being Paolo Rossi
, coming to the international stage. Italy played very well in the first round, being the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina
. Second round games against West Germany
, Austria
and Netherlands
led Italy to the third place final, where it was defeated by Brazil
2–1. As in the match against the Netherlands, Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff
was beaten by a long-distance shot and thus blamed as the main culprit for the defeat. Italy then hosted the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship
, the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four, and with the host team automatically qualified for the finals. Italy was beaten by Czechoslovakia
in the third place match on penalties.
After a scandal in Serie A
where some National Team players such as Paolo Rossi were prosecuted and suspended for match fixing and illegal betting, the Azzurri arrived at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
amidst general scepticism and discomfort. Italy qualified for the second round after three uninspiring draws against Poland
, Peru
and Cameroon
. Having been loudly criticized, the Italian team decided on a press black-out from then on, with only coach Enzo Bearzot
and captain Dino Zoff
appointed to speak to the press.
Italy's strength finally showed in the second round group, a true Group of Death
with Argentina
and Brazil
– the defending champions and the team favoured to dethrone them. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2–1 over Diego Maradona
's side after an ill-tempered battle in which Italy's defenders and midfielders proved their mastery in the rougher side of the game. Italy's goals, both excellent left-footed strikes, were scored by Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini
. After Brazil defeated Argentina 3–1, Italy needed to win in order to advance to the semifinals. Twice Italy went in the lead with Paolo Rossi goals, and twice Brazil came back. When Paulo Roberto Falcão
scored to make it 2–2 Brazil would have been through on goal difference; but in the 74th minute Rossi poked home the winning goal in a crowded penalty area to send Italy to the semifinals after one of the all-time greatest games in World Cup history. In the wake of its brilliant second round performance, Italy easily dispatched Poland in the first semi-final with another two goals from Rossi.
In the final match, Italy met their traditional opponent West Germany
, who had advanced thanks to a penalty shootout victory against France. The first half ended scoreless, after Cabrini
missed a penalty awarded for a Hans-Peter Briegel
foul on Bruno Conti
. In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal, and while the Germans were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Tardelli and substitute Alessandro Altobelli
finalised two perfect contropiede
counterattacks to make it 3–0. Paul Breitner
smashed home West Germany's consolation goal seven minutes from the end, making him the second man after Pelé
to score in two non-consecutives World Cup finals.
Tardelli's scream after his goal in the final is still remembered as the symbol of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph. Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals, and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff
became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup.
and were knocked out in the Round of 16 of the 1986 World Cup
by France
. 1988 saw them reach the semifinals of the European Championship
, where they were defeated 2–0 by the USSR
. It was the same year in which they lost to Zambia in the Olympic games.
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990
. The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci
and a young Roberto Baggio
. Despite being favourites to win and not conceding a goal in their first five matches, Italy lost in the semifinal to defending champion Argentina
, losing 4–3 on penalty kicks following a 1–1 draw after extra time, Schillaci
's first half opener having been equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia
's header for Argentina. Aldo Serena
missed the final penalty kick (with Roberto Donadoni
also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea). Italy went on to defeat England
2–1 in the third place match, with Schillaci
scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals. Italy then failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship
.
In the 1994 World Cup
, Italy started very slowly but reached the final. They lost the opening match against Ireland
0–1, this being the only match Italy would lose (not counting games lost after shootout) over the span of three World Cup finals from 1990 to 1998 and one only of five games they have lost in regular time since 1988 in either a Euro or World Cup (losing 2–1 to Czech Republic
in the first round of Euro 1996 is the second one, losing 2–1 to Croatia in the first round of 2002 World Cup is the third one, losing 3–0 to the Netherlands in the Euro 2008 opener is the fourth, and the 3–2 to Slovakia
in the last match of the first round of 2010 World Cup is now the fifth). After a gritty 1–0 win against Norway
and a 1–1 draw with Mexico
, Italy advanced from Group E based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points. In the Round of 16, Italy was down 0–1 late against Nigeria
, but Roberto Baggio came to the rescue with a splended equaliser in the 88th minute and a penalty in extra time to snatch the win. Baggio scored another late goal against Spain
in the quarter-final to seal a 2–1 win and two beautifully taken goals against Bulgaria
in the semi-final for another 2–1 win. In the final, Italy and Brazil
played 120 minutes of scoreless football, taking the match to a penalty shootout
. Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3–2 after Baggio, who had been playing with the aid of a pain-killing injection and a heavily bandaged hamstring, missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.
Italy did not progress beyond the group stage at the finals of Euro 96. Gianfranco Zola
failed to convert a decisive penalty against Germany, who eventually won the tournament. Then, during the qualifying campaign for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
, the Azzurri beat England
at Wembley for the second time with Zola scoring the only goal. In the final tournament
, Italy found themselves in another critical shootout for the third World Cup in a row. The Italian side, where Del Piero
and Baggio renewed the controversial staffetta (relay) between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970, held the eventual World Champions and host team France
to a 0–0 draw after extra time in the quarterfinals, but lost 4–3 in the shootout. With two goals scored in this tournament, Roberto Baggio
is still the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup
editions.
In the Euro 2000, another shootout decided Italy's fate but this time in their favour when defeating the co-hosts the Netherlands
in the semi-final. Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two in the shootout, while the Dutch players missed one other penalty during the match and one during the shootout with a rate of one penalty scored out of six attempts. Emerging star Francesco Totti
scored his penalty with a cucchiaio (spoon) chip. Italy finished the tournament as runners-up, unluckily losing the final 2–1 against France (to a golden goal
in extra time) after conceding les Bleus equalizing goal just 30 seconds before the expected end of injury time (94'). After the defeat, coach Dino Zoff
resigned in protest after being criticized by Milan
president and politician Silvio Berlusconi
.
In the 2002 World Cup
, Italy again had a difficult time. A comfortable 2–0 victory against Ecuador
with two Christian Vieri
goals was followed by a series of controversial matches. During the match against Croatia
, two goals were disallowed resulting in a 2:1 defeat for Italy. Despite two goals being ruled for 'questionable' offside, a goal from Alessandro Del Piero
help Italy to a 1–1 draw with Mexico
proving enough to advance to the knockout stages. However, co-host country South Korea knocked out Italy in the Round of 16.
A three-way tie in the group stage of the 2004 European Championship
left Italy as the "odd man out", and they failed to qualify for the quarterfinals after finishing behind Denmark
and Sweden
on the basis of number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams. The winning goal scored during stoppage time against Bulgaria
by Antonio Cassano
resulted useless, leaving the Italian striker in tears at the end of the game.
hosted by Germany was accompanied by open pessimism due to the controversy caused by the 2006 Serie A scandal
. These negative predictions were then refuted, as the Azzurri eventually won their fourth World Cup
.
Italy won their opening game against Ghana
2–0, with goals from Andrea Pirlo
(40') and substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta
(83'). The team performance was judged the best among the opening games by FIFA president Sepp Blatter
.
The second match was a less convincing 1–1 draw with USA
, with Alberto Gilardino
's diving header equalized by a Cristian Zaccardo
own goal
. After the equalizer, midfielder Daniele De Rossi
and the USA's Pablo Mastroeni
and Eddie Pope
were sent off, leaving only nine men on the field for nearly the entirety of the second half, but the score remained unchanged despite a controversial decision when Gennaro Gattuso
's shot was deflected in but disallowed because of an offside ruling. The same happened at the other end when U.S. winger DaMarcus Beasley
's goal was not given due to teammate Brian McBride
being ruled offside. De Rossi was suspended for four matches for elbowing McBride in the face and could only return for the final match.
Italy finished first in Group E with a 2–0 win against the Czech Republic
, with goals from defender Marco Materazzi
(26') and striker Filippo Inzaghi
(87'), advancing to the Round of 16 in the knockout stages, where they faced Australia. In this match, Materazzi was controversially sent off early in the second half (53') after an attempted two-footed tackle on Australian midfielder Marco Bresciano. In stoppage time a penalty kick was awarded to the Azzurri when referee Cantalejo
ruled that Lucas Neill
fouled Fabio Grosso
. Francesco Totti
converted into an upper corner of the goal past Mark Schwarzer
for a 1–0 win.
In the quarterfinals Italy beat Ukraine
3–0. Gianluca Zambrotta
opened the scoring early (6') with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area after a quick exchange with Totti created enough space. Luca Toni
added two more goals in the second half (59' and 69'), as Ukraine pressed forward but were not able to score, hitting the crossbar and requiring several saves from Buffon
and a goal-line clearance from Zambrotta. Afterwards, manager Marcello Lippi
dedicated the victory to former Italian international Gianluca Pessotto
, who was in the hospital recovering from an apparent suicide attempt.
In the semi-final, Italy beat host country Germany
2–0 with the two goals coming in the last two minutes of extra time. After an exciting, back-and-forth half hour of extra time during which Gilardino
and Zambrotta
struck the post and the crossbar respectively, Grosso
scored in the 119th minute after a disguised Pirlo
pass found him open in the penalty area for a bending left-footed shot into the far corner past German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
's dive. Substitute striker Alessandro Del Piero
then sealed the victory by scoring with the last kick of the game at the end of a swift counterattack by Cannavaro, Totti and Gilardino.
The Azzurri won their fourth World Cup, defeating their long-time rivals France
in Berlin
, on 9 July, 5–3 on penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time. French captain Zinedine Zidane
opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a chipped penalty kick, controversially awarded for a foul by Materazzi. Twelve minutes later, a powerful header by Materazzi from a corner kick by Pirlo brought Italy even. In the second half, a goal by Toni was disallowed for a very close offside call, called by linesman Luc La Rossa. At 110', Zidane was sent off after a head butt, after a verbal exchange with Materazzi; the two players were eventually fined by FIFA for this incident. Italy then won the penalty shootout 5–3, the crucial penalty being David Trézéguet
's powerful attempt that hit the crossbar and stayed out.
Italy scored all five attempts in a shootout for the first time ever (Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero and Grosso). Italy remain the only side to have played in the two World Cup
finals that have ended in shootouts; in 1994 and 2006.
Ten different players scored for Italy and five goals out of twelve were scored by substitutes, while four goals were scored by defenders. Seven players — Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni — were named to the 23-man tournament All Star Team. Buffon also won the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he conceded only two goals in the tournament, the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane's penalty kick in the final, and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes.
In honour of Italy winning the FIFA World Cup
for a fourth time, all of the World Cup Squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere Ufficiale.
was announced the new coach of the Azzurri on 13 July. Italy played in the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B
, along with France
. Italy won the group, with France being the runner-up. On 14 February 2007, FIFA
ranked Italy 1st in the FIFA World Rankings
, with a total of 1488 points, 37 points ahead of second ranked Argentina. This moved them up one from their previous rank, 2nd. The Azzurri had not received such an honour since 1993.
In Euro 2008, the Azzurri got off to a poor start, losing 0–3 to the Netherlands
. The following game against Romania
ended with 1–1, with a goal by Christian Panucci
that came only a minute after Romania's Adrian Mutu
capitalized on a mistake by Gianluca Zambrotta
to give Romania the lead. The result was preserved by Gianluigi Buffon
who saved a penalty kick from Mutu in the 80th minute.
The final game against France, a rematch of the 2006 World Cup Final, was won with a 2–0 victory. Andrea Pirlo
scored from the penalty spot and a free kick by Daniele De Rossi
took a wild deflection resulting Italy's second goal. Romania, entering the day a point ahead of the Italians in Group C, lost to the Netherlands 2–0, allowing Italy to pass into the quarterfinals against eventual champion Spain, where they lost 2–4 on penalties. Within a week after the game, Roberto Donadoni
's contract was terminated and Marcello Lippi
was rehired as coach.
By virtue of winning the World Cup, Italy qualified for the Confederations Cup
, held in South Africa
in June 2009. They won their opening match, against United States, 3–1, but defeats to Egypt (0–1) and Brazil
(0–3) meant that they finished third in the group on goals scored, and were eliminated. The national football team of Italy qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after playing home games at Stadio Friuli
, Stadio Via del Mare
, Stadio San Nicola
, Stadio Olimpico di Torino and Stadio Ennio Tardini
. In October 2009, the national team of Italy qualified for the 2010 World Cup South Africa after drawing with Republic of Ireland 2–2. On 4 December 2009, the draw for the World Cup was made, Italy was in Group F alongside Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.
At the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa, Italy were eliminated in the first round
, finishing last place in their group. After being held to 1–1 draws by Paraguay
and New Zealand, they lost 3–2 to Slovakia.The results from the group stage sent shock waves across the world. It was the first time Italy failed to win a single game at World Cup finals, and in doing so became the third nation to be eliminated in the first round while holding the World Cup crown, the first one being Brazil in 1966 and the second France in 2002. Incidentally, the French national team, losing finalist in the 2006 World Cup, was also eliminated without winning a game in the first round in South Africa, making it the first time ever that no finalists of the previous edition were able to reach the second round.
, although Lippi's successor had already been announced before the tournament. Italy began their campaign with Prandelli with a disappointing 0–1 loss to Côte d'Ivoire
in a friendly match. Then, during the 2012 Euro Qualifier, Italy came back from behind to defeat Estonia
2–1. In the next UEFA Qualifier, Italy dominated the Faroe Islands
5–0. Italy then tied 0–0 with Northern Ireland
. Five days later, Italy played Serbia; however, Serbian fans in Stadio Luigi Ferraris
began to riot, throwing flares and shooting fireworks onto the pitch, subsequently ending the game. Upon UEFA Disciplinary Review, Italy was awarded a 3–0 victory that propelled them to the top of their group. In their first match of 2011, Italy drew 1–1 a friendly with Germany at Dortmund
, in the same stadium where they beat Germany 2–0 to advance to the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. In March 2011, Italy pulled out a 1–0 win over Slovenia to again secure its spot at the top of the qualification table. They then defeated Ukraine 2–0 in a friendly, despite being reduced to ten men for the late stages of the match. With their 3–0 defeat of Estonia in another Euro 2012 qualifier, Prandelli's Italy secured the table lead and also climbed to a 6–3–0 record since their initial debacle. That record equaled Italy's 2002 run of 9 straight undefeated games (under then-manager Giovanni Trapattoni
). The streak was ended on June 7, 2011 by Trapattoni's current charges, the Republic of Ireland
, with Italy losing 0–2 in a friendly in Liège
.
At the beginning of the second season under coach Prandelli, on August 10, 2011, Italy defeated the reigning World champions Spain
for 2–1 in a friendly match.
For this reason, the coach of the Italian national team is still called Technical Commissioner (Commissario tecnico or CT).
* Italy's scores listed first
matches against Poland
on 11 November 2011, and Uruguay
on 15 November 2011.
Caps and goals as of 15 November 2011.
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European Football Championship
for Italy are:
Bold denores still active players.
Bold denotes still active players.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
having won four titles (1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
, 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
), just one fewer than Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. They have also won one European championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
(1968
1968 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić...
), one Olympic football tournament
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
(1936
Football at the 1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Olympic football tournament, won by Italy, has come to share an affinity with the political backdrop against which it was being played; in terms of the history of football, however, the tournament suffered as a reaction to the development of the FIFA World Cup.The introduction of the first...
) and two Central European International Cups.
The traditional colour of the national team (as well as all Italian national teams and athletes officially representing Italy) is azure
Azure (color)
The color bleu de France is displayed at right.Bleu de France is a color that has been associated in heraldry with the Kings of France since the 12th century.-Brandeis blue:...
blue (azzurro, in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
), due to the "Azzurro Savoia" (Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
Blue), the colour traditionally linked to the royal dynasty which unified Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
in 1861, and maintained in the official standard of the Italian President.
Origins and first two World Cups (1910–1938)
The team's first match was held in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on 15 May 1910, Italy defeated France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
by a score of 6–2. Some turmoil kept the players of Pro Vercelli, the best team of the league, out of the game. At the end of the match, the players received as a prize some cigarette packets thrown by the 4,000 spectators. The Italian team (2–3–5): De Simoni; Varisco, Calì
Francesco Calì
Francesco Calì was a Swiss and later Italian professional football player and coach....
; Trerè, Fossati, Capello
Domenico Capello
Domenico Capello was an Italian professional football player.He played in the first ever game of Italy national football team on 15 May 1910 against France.-External links:*...
; Debernardi, Rizzi, Cevenini I
Aldo Cevenini
Aldo Cevenini was an Italian professional football player and coach.He made his debut for the Italy national football team in the team's first ever game on 15 May 1910 against France....
, Lana, Boiocchi
Arturo Boiocchi
Arturo Boiocchi was an Italian professional football player.He played for 15 years for U.S. Milanese.He played in the first ever game of the Italy national football team on May 15, 1910 against France....
. First captain of the team was Francesco Calì
Francesco Calì
Francesco Calì was a Swiss and later Italian professional football player and coach....
.
The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
, held in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. After losing the semi-final against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, an 11–3 victory against Egypt secured third place in the competition.
After declining to participate in the first World Cup (1930
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
, in Uruguay) the Italian national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
and 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
, under the lead of coach Vittorio Pozzo
Vittorio Pozzo
Vittorio Pozzo 21 December 1968) was an Italian football coach who was most famous for leading the Italian national team to victory in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cups; managed the side that won the 1930 and 1935 editions of the Central European International Cup, as well as the...
and thanks to the genius of Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe "Peppino" Meazza , also known as il Balilla, was an Italian footballer playing mainly for Internazionale in the 1930s, scoring 242 goals in 365 games for the club. He led Italy to win two World Cups: in 1934 and in 1938, winning the Golden Ball Award in 1934. He is widely considered the...
, who is considered one of the best Italian football players of all time. Other stars of that era included Luis Monti
Luis Monti
Luis Felipe Monti was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams. He played the first of these finals with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay; and...
, Giovanni Ferrari
Giovanni Ferrari
Giovanni Ferrari was an Italian football player. He played 125 times for Juventus F.C and scored 35 goals for the club...
, Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola was an Italian footballer from Robbio Lomellina, province of Pavia. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring two goals in the final.Piola is third in the all-time...
and Virginio Rosetta
Virginio Rosetta
Virginio "Viri" Rosetta was an Italian football player. He was also a precision passer.Rosetta was born in Vercelli, Piedmont, where he debuted for Pro Vercelli in the Italian First Division in the 1919-20 season, as a striker...
In the 1934 World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, the host Azzurri defeated Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
2–1 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, with goals by Raimundo Orsi
Raimundo Orsi
Raimundo Bibiani "Mumo" Orsi was an Italian Argentine footballer who won the 1934 FIFA World Cup with Italy and the silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-Club:...
and Angelo Schiavio
Angelo Schiavio
Angelo Schiavio was an Italian football player. Schiavio spent his entire career with Bologna FC, the club of the city where he was born and died...
.
Post-World War II (1946–1966)
The tragic loss in 1949 of the players of TorinoTorino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
(the winners of the previous four Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
titles) in the Superga air disaster
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...
saw the loss of ten out of the eleven constituting the initial line-up for the national team. The following year, Italy did not advance further than the first round of the 1950 World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
, partly due to the long and physically devastating boat trip to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(air travel was discarded due to fear of another accident).
In the World Cup finals of 1954
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
and the 1962
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
that followed, Italy again failed to progress past the first round, and did not even qualify for the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
.
During the early 1960s, the Italian football clubs AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and Internazionale dominated the international scene, the National team was not able to match these results. Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in 1960
1960 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1960 UEFA European Nations Cup was the first European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time....
(then known as the European Nations Cup), and was knocked out by the USSR
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
in the round of 16 (second round) of the 1964 European Championship
1964 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers of the final tournament:There were 13 goals scored in 4 games, for an average of 3.25 goals per game.2 goals Ferenc Bene Dezső Novák Jesús María Pereda...
.
Their participation in the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
is always remembered for their 0–1 defeat at the hands of North Korea. Despite being the tournament favourites, the Azzurri, whose 1966 squad included Rivera
Gianni Rivera
Giovanni Rivera is an Italian former football midfielder, mostly as an offensive playmaker, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. He played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan...
and Bulgarelli
Giacomo Bulgarelli
Giacomo Bulgarelli was an Italian international footballer. He was born in Portonovo di Medicina, province of Bologna....
, were eliminated in the first round by the semi-professional North Koreans and bitterly condemned upon their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Doo-Ik
Pak Doo-Ik
Pak Doo-Ik is a North Korean former footballer.Pak Doo-Ik was born at Pyongyang. He represented North Korea at the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, scoring the famous winning goal in their shock 1-0 win over Italy at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, a game since immortalized in World Cup lore and the...
was celebrated as the David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
who killed Goliath.
European champions and World Cup runners-up (1968–1976)
In 1968, the Azzurri won their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup, beating YugoslaviaYugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
in Rome for the European Championship
1968 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić...
title. The match holds the distinction of being the only major football tournament final to go to a replay. After extra time it ended in a 1–1 draw, and in the days before penalty shootouts, the rules required the match to be replayed a few days later. Italy won the replay 2–0 (with goals from Riva
Luigi Riva
Luigi Riva , best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono , is a former Italian footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team...
and Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi , nicknamed Petruzzu 'u turcu by fans, was an Italian footballer, playing in the striker role.Anastasi was born in Catania, Sicily. During his career he played for Massiminiana, Varese, Juventus, Internazionale and Ascoli...
) to take the trophy.
In 1970, Italian team was one of the favourite teams for the title. Exploiting the performances of European champions player like Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...
, Rivera
Gianni Rivera
Giovanni Rivera is an Italian former football midfielder, mostly as an offensive playmaker, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. He played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan...
and Riva
Luigi Riva
Luigi Riva , best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono , is a former Italian footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team...
and with a new center-forward Roberto Boninsegna
Roberto Boninsegna
Roberto Boninsegna is an Italian former football player.He started his career in Serie B with Prato in 1963-64 season. He transferred to FC Potenza, who was Serie B team in 1964-65 season. He also played for Varese in 1965-66 and Cagliari between 1966-1969...
, the Azzurri were able to came back to a world cup final match after 32 years of desolation. They reached this result after one of the most famous match in football history: Italy vs. West Germany 4–3, which is known as the "Game of the Century". Although they were defeated by the amazing Brazilians, the 1970s team is still recognized as one of the best Italian national teams. The "Mexican generation" ended its cycle of international successes in the 1974 World cup, being eliminated by Lato
Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Bolesław Lato is a former Polish football striker, and the leading scorer at the 1974 World Cup. Lato's playing career coincided with the golden era of Polish football, which began with Olympic gold in Munich in 1972 and ended a decade later with third place at the 1982 World Cup in...
's Polish team.
World Cup winners for the third time (1978–1982)
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
, held in Argentina, saw a new generation of Italian players, the most famous being Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi is an Italian former football striker. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot/top scorer honors, and the Golden Ball. After his performance at the 1982 FIFA World Cup he became a hero in the hearts of all Italians...
, coming to the international stage. Italy played very well in the first round, being the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. Second round games against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
led Italy to the third place final, where it was defeated by Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
2–1. As in the match against the Netherlands, Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
was beaten by a long-distance shot and thus blamed as the main culprit for the defeat. Italy then hosted the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship
1980 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980...
, the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four, and with the host team automatically qualified for the finals. Italy was beaten by Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
in the third place match on penalties.
After a scandal in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
where some National Team players such as Paolo Rossi were prosecuted and suspended for match fixing and illegal betting, the Azzurri arrived at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
amidst general scepticism and discomfort. Italy qualified for the second round after three uninspiring draws against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
and Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
. Having been loudly criticized, the Italian team decided on a press black-out from then on, with only coach Enzo Bearzot
Enzo Bearzot
Vincenzo "Enzo" Bearzot was an Italian association football player and manager. He is best known for having led the Italian national football team to a triumph in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.-Playing career:...
and captain Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
appointed to speak to the press.
Italy's strength finally showed in the second round group, a true Group of Death
Group of death
A group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament...
with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
– the defending champions and the team favoured to dethrone them. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2–1 over Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
's side after an ill-tempered battle in which Italy's defenders and midfielders proved their mastery in the rougher side of the game. Italy's goals, both excellent left-footed strikes, were scored by Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini is an Italian football former player. He played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team....
. After Brazil defeated Argentina 3–1, Italy needed to win in order to advance to the semifinals. Twice Italy went in the lead with Paolo Rossi goals, and twice Brazil came back. When Paulo Roberto Falcão
Paulo Roberto Falcão
Paulo Roberto Falcão is a Brazilian head coach and former footballer, currently managing Sport Club Internacional. He is widely considered one of the best players in Internacional and Roma history, and one of the most talented midfielders of all time, especially at his peak in the mid 1980s...
scored to make it 2–2 Brazil would have been through on goal difference; but in the 74th minute Rossi poked home the winning goal in a crowded penalty area to send Italy to the semifinals after one of the all-time greatest games in World Cup history. In the wake of its brilliant second round performance, Italy easily dispatched Poland in the first semi-final with another two goals from Rossi.
In the final match, Italy met their traditional opponent West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, who had advanced thanks to a penalty shootout victory against France. The first half ended scoreless, after Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini is an Italian football former player. He played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team....
missed a penalty awarded for a Hans-Peter Briegel
Hans-Peter Briegel
Hans-Peter Briegel is a former German football player and manager.One of the most popular players in his days, Hans-Peter Briegel's original sport was athletics, being successful in various events such as long jump , triple jump and specifically in heptathlon-forerunner pentathlon...
foul on Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti is an Italian ex-football player and former coach of the Serie A club Roma from 14 March 2005 to 30 June 2005. His two sons Daniele and Andrea are both professional footballers...
. In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal, and while the Germans were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Tardelli and substitute Alessandro Altobelli
Alessandro Altobelli
Alessandro Altobelli is a former professional Italian footballer.Nicknamed Spillo for his slender build. Altobelli was one of the most effective Italian forwards of the late 1970s and 1980s...
finalised two perfect contropiede
Football tactics and skills
There are various individual skills and team tactics needed to play effective association football . Football is in theory a very simple game, as illustrated by Kevin Keegan's famous assertion that his tactics for winning a match were to "score more goals than the opposition"...
counterattacks to make it 3–0. Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner is a former German football player. One of Germany's most controversial players, he was capped 48 times for his country.-Playing career:...
smashed home West Germany's consolation goal seven minutes from the end, making him the second man after Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
to score in two non-consecutives World Cup finals.
Tardelli's scream after his goal in the final is still remembered as the symbol of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph. Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals, and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup.
World Cup and European Championship runners-up (1984–2004)
For twenty-four years following the 1982 triumph, the Azzurri figured prominently on the world stage but did not win another tournament. Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship1984 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA...
and were knocked out in the Round of 16 of the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
by France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. 1988 saw them reach the semifinals of the European Championship
1988 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...
, where they were defeated 2–0 by the USSR
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
. It was the same year in which they lost to Zambia in the Olympic games.
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci , commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina , Juventus , Internazionale and Júbilo Iwata...
and a young Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
. Despite being favourites to win and not conceding a goal in their first five matches, Italy lost in the semifinal to defending champion Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, losing 4–3 on penalty kicks following a 1–1 draw after extra time, Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci , commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina , Juventus , Internazionale and Júbilo Iwata...
's first half opener having been equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Paul Caniggia is a former Argentine football forward, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team. He appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his...
's header for Argentina. Aldo Serena
Aldo Serena
Aldo Serena is an Italian former footballer. He played for the Azzurri in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. In total he earned 24 caps and scored 5 goals for Italy...
missed the final penalty kick (with Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea). Italy went on to defeat England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
2–1 in the third place match, with Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci , commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina , Juventus , Internazionale and Júbilo Iwata...
scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals. Italy then failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship
1992 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of...
.
In the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, Italy started very slowly but reached the final. They lost the opening match against Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
0–1, this being the only match Italy would lose (not counting games lost after shootout) over the span of three World Cup finals from 1990 to 1998 and one only of five games they have lost in regular time since 1988 in either a Euro or World Cup (losing 2–1 to Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in the first round of Euro 1996 is the second one, losing 2–1 to Croatia in the first round of 2002 World Cup is the third one, losing 3–0 to the Netherlands in the Euro 2008 opener is the fourth, and the 3–2 to Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
in the last match of the first round of 2010 World Cup is now the fifth). After a gritty 1–0 win against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
and a 1–1 draw with Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, Italy advanced from Group E based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points. In the Round of 16, Italy was down 0–1 late against Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, but Roberto Baggio came to the rescue with a splended equaliser in the 88th minute and a penalty in extra time to snatch the win. Baggio scored another late goal against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the quarter-final to seal a 2–1 win and two beautifully taken goals against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
in the semi-final for another 2–1 win. In the final, Italy and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
played 120 minutes of scoreless football, taking the match to a penalty shootout
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
. Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3–2 after Baggio, who had been playing with the aid of a pain-killing injection and a heavily bandaged hamstring, missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.
Italy did not progress beyond the group stage at the finals of Euro 96. Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
failed to convert a decisive penalty against Germany, who eventually won the tournament. Then, during the qualifying campaign for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, the Azzurri beat England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley for the second time with Zola scoring the only goal. In the final tournament
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, Italy found themselves in another critical shootout for the third World Cup in a row. The Italian side, where Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
and Baggio renewed the controversial staffetta (relay) between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970, held the eventual World Champions and host team France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
to a 0–0 draw after extra time in the quarterfinals, but lost 4–3 in the shootout. With two goals scored in this tournament, Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
is still the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
editions.
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in the semi-final. Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two in the shootout, while the Dutch players missed one other penalty during the match and one during the shootout with a rate of one penalty scored out of six attempts. Emerging star Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
scored his penalty with a cucchiaio (spoon) chip. Italy finished the tournament as runners-up, unluckily losing the final 2–1 against France (to a golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
in extra time) after conceding les Bleus equalizing goal just 30 seconds before the expected end of injury time (94'). After the defeat, coach Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
resigned in protest after being criticized by Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
president and politician Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
.
In the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, Italy again had a difficult time. A comfortable 2–0 victory against Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
with two Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...
goals was followed by a series of controversial matches. During the match against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, two goals were disallowed resulting in a 2:1 defeat for Italy. Despite two goals being ruled for 'questionable' offside, a goal from Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
help Italy to a 1–1 draw with Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
proving enough to advance to the knockout stages. However, co-host country South Korea knocked out Italy in the Round of 16.
A three-way tie in the group stage of the 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
left Italy as the "odd man out", and they failed to qualify for the quarterfinals after finishing behind Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
on the basis of number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams. The winning goal scored during stoppage time against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
by Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan as a striker. Nicknamed Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia , he is known for his short temper as much as his ability on the pitch, which led to the coining of the neologism Cassanata by his former coach, Fabio Capello, in November...
resulted useless, leaving the Italian striker in tears at the end of the game.
World champions for the fourth time (2006 World Cup)
Italy's campaign in the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
hosted by Germany was accompanied by open pessimism due to the controversy caused by the 2006 Serie A scandal
2006 Serie A scandal
The 2006 Italian football scandal involved Italy's top professional football leagues, Serie A and Serie B...
. These negative predictions were then refuted, as the Azzurri eventually won their fourth World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
Italy won their opening game against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
2–0, with goals from Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
(40') and substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
(83'). The team performance was judged the best among the opening games by FIFA president Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
.
The second match was a less convincing 1–1 draw with USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, with Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....
's diving header equalized by a Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer, who plays for Italian Serie A club Parma...
own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
. After the equalizer, midfielder Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...
and the USA's Pablo Mastroeni
Pablo Mastroeni
Pablo Mastroeni is an Argentine-born American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national soccer team.-Youth:...
and Eddie Pope
Eddie Pope
George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Youth:Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford...
were sent off, leaving only nine men on the field for nearly the entirety of the second half, but the score remained unchanged despite a controversial decision when Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
's shot was deflected in but disallowed because of an offside ruling. The same happened at the other end when U.S. winger DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
's goal was not given due to teammate Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
being ruled offside. De Rossi was suspended for four matches for elbowing McBride in the face and could only return for the final match.
Italy finished first in Group E with a 2–0 win against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
, with goals from defender Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi , is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender, and is currently a free agent.At the beginning of his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Premier League side Everton. He spent two periods with Perugia and signed for...
(26') and striker Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
(87'), advancing to the Round of 16 in the knockout stages, where they faced Australia. In this match, Materazzi was controversially sent off early in the second half (53') after an attempted two-footed tackle on Australian midfielder Marco Bresciano. In stoppage time a penalty kick was awarded to the Azzurri when referee Cantalejo
Cantalejo
Cantalejo is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 3,622 inhabitants. The dialect known as Gacería was spoken here....
ruled that Lucas Neill
Lucas Neill
Lucas Edward Neill is an Australian Soccer player who currently plays for UAE Pro-League club Al Jazira. He is a full back. Neill had spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2010 World Cup in South...
fouled Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...
. Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
converted into an upper corner of the goal past Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
for a 1–0 win.
In the quarterfinals Italy beat Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
3–0. Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his...
opened the scoring early (6') with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area after a quick exchange with Totti created enough space. Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
added two more goals in the second half (59' and 69'), as Ukraine pressed forward but were not able to score, hitting the crossbar and requiring several saves from Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
and a goal-line clearance from Zambrotta. Afterwards, manager Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
dedicated the victory to former Italian international Gianluca Pessotto
Gianluca Pessotto
Gianluca Pessotto is a former football player who spent the majority of his career with Juventus F.C., where he currently serves as team manager...
, who was in the hospital recovering from an apparent suicide attempt.
In the semi-final, Italy beat host country Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
2–0 with the two goals coming in the last two minutes of extra time. After an exciting, back-and-forth half hour of extra time during which Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....
and Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his...
struck the post and the crossbar respectively, Grosso
Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...
scored in the 119th minute after a disguised Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
pass found him open in the penalty area for a bending left-footed shot into the far corner past German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
's dive. Substitute striker Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
then sealed the victory by scoring with the last kick of the game at the end of a swift counterattack by Cannavaro, Totti and Gilardino.
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, on 9 July, 5–3 on penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time. French captain Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a chipped penalty kick, controversially awarded for a foul by Materazzi. Twelve minutes later, a powerful header by Materazzi from a corner kick by Pirlo brought Italy even. In the second half, a goal by Toni was disallowed for a very close offside call, called by linesman Luc La Rossa. At 110', Zidane was sent off after a head butt, after a verbal exchange with Materazzi; the two players were eventually fined by FIFA for this incident. Italy then won the penalty shootout 5–3, the crucial penalty being David Trézéguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
's powerful attempt that hit the crossbar and stayed out.
Italy scored all five attempts in a shootout for the first time ever (Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero and Grosso). Italy remain the only side to have played in the two World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals that have ended in shootouts; in 1994 and 2006.
Ten different players scored for Italy and five goals out of twelve were scored by substitutes, while four goals were scored by defenders. Seven players — Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni — were named to the 23-man tournament All Star Team. Buffon also won the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he conceded only two goals in the tournament, the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane's penalty kick in the final, and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes.
In honour of Italy winning the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
for a fourth time, all of the World Cup Squad were awarded the Italian Order of Merit of Cavaliere Ufficiale.
After the World Cup (2006–2010)
After the Italian triumph in the World Cup, Lippi announced his resignation. 1994 World Cup star Roberto DonadoniRoberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
was announced the new coach of the Azzurri on 13 July. Italy played in the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B
2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B
-Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.Notes on the qualified teams:*Italy and France secured qualification to the tournament proper on 2007-11-17 following Italy's 2-1 win against Scotland, becoming the fifth and sixth teams in the whole of the qualification stage to...
, along with France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Italy won the group, with France being the runner-up. On 14 February 2007, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
ranked Italy 1st in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
, with a total of 1488 points, 37 points ahead of second ranked Argentina. This moved them up one from their previous rank, 2nd. The Azzurri had not received such an honour since 1993.
In Euro 2008, the Azzurri got off to a poor start, losing 0–3 to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. The following game against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
ended with 1–1, with a goal by Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci is a retired Italian footballer. He was a member of the Italian national team. Panucci is a right back, but can also play as a centre back.-Early career:...
that came only a minute after Romania's Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
capitalized on a mistake by Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his...
to give Romania the lead. The result was preserved by Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
who saved a penalty kick from Mutu in the 80th minute.
The final game against France, a rematch of the 2006 World Cup Final, was won with a 2–0 victory. Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
scored from the penalty spot and a free kick by Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...
took a wild deflection resulting Italy's second goal. Romania, entering the day a point ahead of the Italians in Group C, lost to the Netherlands 2–0, allowing Italy to pass into the quarterfinals against eventual champion Spain, where they lost 2–4 on penalties. Within a week after the game, Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
's contract was terminated and Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
was rehired as coach.
By virtue of winning the World Cup, Italy qualified for the Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
, held in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in June 2009. They won their opening match, against United States, 3–1, but defeats to Egypt (0–1) and Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
(0–3) meant that they finished third in the group on goals scored, and were eliminated. The national football team of Italy qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after playing home games at Stadio Friuli
Stadio Friuli
Stadio Friuli is a multi-purpose stadium in Udine, Italy. The stadium was built in 1976 and holds 41,652 people. It is currently used mostly for football matches and the home of Udinese Calcio.-Structure:...
, Stadio Via del Mare
Stadio Via del Mare
Stadio Via del Mare is a multi-purpose stadium in Lecce, Italy. It is mostly used for football matches and is the home of U.S. Lecce. The stadium was built in 1966 and holds 33,876. It takes its name from the street leading to the sea.-History:...
, Stadio San Nicola
Stadio San Nicola
The Stadio San Nicola is a multi-use all-seater stadium designed by Renzo Piano in Bari, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Associazione Sportiva Bari. It hosted the 1991 European Cup Final, won by Red Star Belgrade. The stadium itself resembles a...
, Stadio Olimpico di Torino and Stadio Ennio Tardini
Stadio Ennio Tardini
Stadio Ennio Tardini, commonly referred to as just Il Tardini, is a football stadium in Parma, Italy, located near the centre of Parma, between the town centre and the city walls. It is currently the home of Parma F.C.. The stadium was built in 1923 and was named after one of Parma's former...
. In October 2009, the national team of Italy qualified for the 2010 World Cup South Africa after drawing with Republic of Ireland 2–2. On 4 December 2009, the draw for the World Cup was made, Italy was in Group F alongside Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.
At the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa, Italy were eliminated in the first round
2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning World Cup holders Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy previously met Paraguay in 1950, in which Italy defeated Paraguay 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.Paraguay...
, finishing last place in their group. After being held to 1–1 draws by Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and New Zealand, they lost 3–2 to Slovakia.The results from the group stage sent shock waves across the world. It was the first time Italy failed to win a single game at World Cup finals, and in doing so became the third nation to be eliminated in the first round while holding the World Cup crown, the first one being Brazil in 1966 and the second France in 2002. Incidentally, the French national team, losing finalist in the 2006 World Cup, was also eliminated without winning a game in the first round in South Africa, making it the first time ever that no finalists of the previous edition were able to reach the second round.
Cesare Prandelli Era (2010–Present)
Marcello Lippi stepped down after Italy's World Cup campaign and was replaced by Cesare PrandelliCesare Prandelli
Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...
, although Lippi's successor had already been announced before the tournament. Italy began their campaign with Prandelli with a disappointing 0–1 loss to Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
in a friendly match. Then, during the 2012 Euro Qualifier, Italy came back from behind to defeat Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
2–1. In the next UEFA Qualifier, Italy dominated the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
5–0. Italy then tied 0–0 with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
. Five days later, Italy played Serbia; however, Serbian fans in Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,...
began to riot, throwing flares and shooting fireworks onto the pitch, subsequently ending the game. Upon UEFA Disciplinary Review, Italy was awarded a 3–0 victory that propelled them to the top of their group. In their first match of 2011, Italy drew 1–1 a friendly with Germany at Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, in the same stadium where they beat Germany 2–0 to advance to the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. In March 2011, Italy pulled out a 1–0 win over Slovenia to again secure its spot at the top of the qualification table. They then defeated Ukraine 2–0 in a friendly, despite being reduced to ten men for the late stages of the match. With their 3–0 defeat of Estonia in another Euro 2012 qualifier, Prandelli's Italy secured the table lead and also climbed to a 6–3–0 record since their initial debacle. That record equaled Italy's 2002 run of 9 straight undefeated games (under then-manager Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
). The streak was ended on June 7, 2011 by Trapattoni's current charges, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, with Italy losing 0–2 in a friendly in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
.
At the beginning of the second season under coach Prandelli, on August 10, 2011, Italy defeated the reigning World champions Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
for 2–1 in a friendly match.
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body... |
FIFA World Cup Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | ||||||||||||
 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Did Not Enter | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
Champions 1934 FIFA World Cup Final The 1934 FIFA World Cup Final was the deciding match of the 1934 FIFA World Cup. It was contested by Italy and Czechoslovakia. Italy won the game 2-1.... |
1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Champions 1938 FIFA World Cup Final - External links :*... |
1st | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Group Stage | 7th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
Group Stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Did Not Qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |||||||
 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
Group Stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Group Stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 |
 19701970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
Runners-up 1970 FIFA World Cup Final The 1970 FIFA World Cup Final was contested by Brazil and Italy on 21 June 1970 in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, to determine the winner of the 1970 FIFA World Cup.... |
2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
Group Stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Fourth Place | 4th | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 4 |
 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Champions 1982 FIFA World Cup Final - External links :**... |
1st | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 |
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
Third Place | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Runners-up 1994 FIFA World Cup Final The 1994 FIFA World Cup Final took place in Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, United States. Brazil won the World Cup against Italy on a penalty shootout after the score was 0–0. This was Brazil's fourth World Cup title. It was also the first ever World Cup final to be decided by a penalty... |
2nd | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 7 |
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Quarter-Final | 5th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Champions 2006 FIFA World Cup Final The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time... |
1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 8 |
 20102010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Group Stage | 26th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 7 |
| Total | 4 Titles | 17/19 | 80 | 44 | 21 | 15 | 126 | 74 | 87 | 61 | 19 | 7 | 181 | 51 |
-
- Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
- ***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1960 |
Did Not Enter | |||||||
 1964 |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1968 |
Champions UEFA Euro 1968 Final The UEFA Euro 1968 Final was a football match played on 10 June 1968 to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1968. The match was contested by Italy and Yugoslavia at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome... |
1st | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
 1972 |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
 1976 |
||||||||
| 1980 |
Fourth Place | 4th | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1984 |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1988 |
Semi Final | 4th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1992 |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| 1996 |
Group Stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
 2000 |
Runners-up UEFA Euro 2000 Final The final of UEFA Euro 2000 was a football match played on 2 July 2000 at Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 2000... |
2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
 2004 |
Group Stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
 2008 |
Quarter-Final | 8th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
  2012 |
Qualified | |||||||
| 2016 UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
| Total | Champions | 8/14 | 27 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 27 | 18 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
- **Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Confederations Cup
| FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Results | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
 19971997 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1999 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2001 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2003 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2005 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2009 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... |
Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Total | 1/6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Honours
- This is a list of honours for the senior Italian national team
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
- Winner (4): 19341934 FIFA World CupThe 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, 19381938 FIFA World CupThe 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
, 19821982 FIFA World CupThe 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... - Runner-up (2): 19701970 FIFA World CupThe 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
, 19941994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... - Third place (1): 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
- Fourth place (1): 19781978 FIFA World CupThe 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
- UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
- Winner (1): 1968
- Runner-up (1): 2000
- Fourth place (1): 1980
- Semi-finals (1): 1988
- Olympic football tournamentFootball at the Summer OlympicsAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
- Gold Medal (1): 1936Football at the 1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Olympic football tournament, won by Italy, has come to share an affinity with the political backdrop against which it was being played; in terms of the history of football, however, the tournament suffered as a reaction to the development of the FIFA World Cup.The introduction of the first...
- Bronze Medal (2): 1928Football at the 1928 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:...
, 2004Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's tournamentThe men's football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured 16 men's national teams from the six continental confederations. The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four, in which each team would play each of the others once... - Central European International Cup
- Winner (2): 1927–30, 1933–35
- Runner-up (1): 1931–32
- Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the YearLaureus World Sports Award for Team of the YearList of winners and nominees of the Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year. Winning team is bolded and shaded in gray.-List of winners and nominees:-See also:*Sportsman of the Year*Sportswoman of the Year*Breakthrough of the Year...
: 2007
- FIFA World Cup
Coaches
During the earliest days of Italian nation football, it was common for a Technical Commission to be appointed. The Commission took the role that a standard coach would currently play. Ever since 1967, the national team has been controlled by the coaches only.For this reason, the coach of the Italian national team is still called Technical Commissioner (Commissario tecnico or CT).
- Technical Commission (1910–1912)
- Vittorio PozzoVittorio PozzoVittorio Pozzo 21 December 1968) was an Italian football coach who was most famous for leading the Italian national team to victory in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cups; managed the side that won the 1930 and 1935 editions of the Central European International Cup, as well as the...
(1912) - Technical Commission (1912–1924)
- Vittorio Pozzo (1924)
- Technical Commission (1924–1925)
- Augusto Rangone (1925–1928)
- Carlo CarcanoCarlo CarcanoCarlo Carcano born in Masnago, Province of Varese was an Italian footballer and manager. As a player Carcano was a one club man, playing for Alessandria as well as representing Italy....
(1928–1929) - Vittorio Pozzo (1929–1948) — World Champions 1934, World Champions 1938
- Ferruccio NovoFerruccio NovoFerruccio Novo was an Italian football player, coach, and club president. He was born in TurinHe was a player of Torino F.C., and became club president in 1939. Moreover, as the Technical Commission Chairman of the Italy national football team, he led them to the 1950 FIFA World Cup....
(1949–1950) — as Technical Commission Chairman - Technical Commission (1951)
- Carlino Beretta (1952–1953)
- Technical Commission (1953–1959)
- Giuseppe VianiGiuseppe VianiGiuseppe Viani was an Italian football player and manager from the Province of Treviso. Viani played his entire career in the Italian football system; he is most well known for his time with Internazionale and Lazio.After retiring from playing, Viani went on to manage many Italian football clubs,...
(1960) - Giovanni FerrariGiovanni FerrariGiovanni Ferrari was an Italian football player. He played 125 times for Juventus F.C and scored 35 goals for the club...
(1960–1961) - Giovanni Ferrari and Paolo MazzaPaolo MazzaPaolo Mazza was an Italian football manager. He was co-manager of the Italy national football team at the 1962 FIFA World Cup, together with Giovanni Ferrari....
(1962) - Edmondo FabbriEdmondo FabbriEdmondo Fabbri was an Italian football player and coach.Fabbri was born at Castel Bolognese-He was the head coach of the Italy national football team from 1962 to 1966, with a record of 18 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses, and led the team in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated in the...
(1962–1966) - Ferruccio Valcareggi and Helenio HerreraHelenio HerreraHelenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
(1966–1967) - Ferruccio Valcareggi (1967–1974) — European Champions 1968, Runners-Up World Cup 1970
- Fulvio BernardiniFulvio BernardiniFulvio Bernardini was an Italian footballer and coach.During his playing career, he played for Lazio, Inter, Roma and M.A.T.E.R....
(1974–1975) - Enzo BearzotEnzo BearzotVincenzo "Enzo" Bearzot was an Italian association football player and manager. He is best known for having led the Italian national football team to a triumph in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.-Playing career:...
(1975–1986) — World Champions 1982— 4th Place World Cup 1978 - Azeglio Vicini (1986–1991) — 3rd Place World Cup 1990
- Arrigo SacchiArrigo SacchiArrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach. He is best known for his success coaching Italian teams, particularly with Milan where he won back to back European Cups as coach in the late eighties where he was head coach of the Italy national football team . He was twice manager of A.C...
(1991–1996) — Runners-Up World Cup 1994 - Cesare MaldiniCesare MaldiniCesare Maldini is an Italian football manager and former player. He played as a centre back and spent the majority of his career with AC Milan. Maldini also represented Italy at international level in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. His son Paolo, also a defender, previously held the record for the...
(1997–1998) - Dino ZoffDino ZoffDino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
(1998–2000) — Runners-Up European Championships 2000 - Giovanni TrapattoniGiovanni TrapattoniGiovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
(2000–2004) - Marcello LippiMarcello LippiMarcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
(2004–2006) — World Champions 2006 - Roberto DonadoniRoberto DonadoniRoberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
(2006–2008) - Marcello Lippi (2008–2010)
- Cesare PrandelliCesare PrandelliCesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...
(2010–present)
Recent results and forthcoming fixtures
| Date | Location | Opponent | Score* | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 February 2011 | Dortmund, Germany Westfalenstadion Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga.... |
1–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 25 March 2011 | Ljubljana, Slovenia Stožice Stadium Stožice Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was designed by Slovenian Sadar Vuga d.o.o. architects and is the biggest football stadium in the country. It is one of two main stadiums in the city and lies in the Bežigrad district, north of the city centre... |
1–0 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 29 March 2011 | Kiev, Ukraine Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium Dynamo Stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskiy is a football stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. It is currently used for football matches, and is the home of FC Dynamo Kyiv... |
2–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 3 June 2011 | Modena, Italy Stadio Alberto Braglia Stadio Alberto Braglia is a football stadium in Modena, Italy. The stadium was built in 1936 and holds 21,151 people.Artists that have performed at the stadium include Sting, Prince, U2, Pink Floyd and Rage Against the Machine, among others.... |
3–0 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 7 June 2011 | Liège, Belgium Stade Maurice Dufrasne Stade Maurice Dufrasne is a football stadium in Liège, Belgium. The stadium holds 30,023 people. It is also known as Stade de Sclessin and is the home stadium of Standard Liège... |
0–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 10 August 2011 | Bari, Italy Stadio San Nicola The Stadio San Nicola is a multi-use all-seater stadium designed by Renzo Piano in Bari, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Associazione Sportiva Bari. It hosted the 1991 European Cup Final, won by Red Star Belgrade. The stadium itself resembles a... |
2–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 2 September 2011 | Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Tórsvøllur Tórsvøllur is a football stadium on the sport site Gundadalur in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. The stadium holds 6,040 people and was built in 1999 to provide a grass surface in the island's capital on which international football matches could be played... |
1–0 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 6 September 2011 | Florence, Italy | 1–0 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 7 October 2011 | Belgrade, Serbia | 1–1 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 11 October 2011 | Pescara, Italy Stadio Adriatico Stadio Adriatico is a stadium in the city of Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy, which opened in 1955. For the 1960 Summer Olympics, it hosted some of the football preliminaries. It originated as a multipurpose facility and is a center of the CONI... |
3–0 | Euro 2012 qualifier UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C This page shows the standings and results for Group C of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group C fixtures were negotiated between the participants in a meeting held in Belgrade on 8 March 2010.----... |
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| 11 November 2011 | Wrocław, Poland | 2–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 15 November 2011 | Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football... |
0–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 29 February 2012 | Genoa, Italy Stadio Luigi Ferraris Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,... |
Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
Current squad
Players called up for friendlyExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
matches against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
on 11 November 2011, and Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
on 15 November 2011.
Caps and goals as of 15 November 2011.
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Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the Italy squad within the last 12 months. Players that have retired from the national team and are not available for selection anymore are not displayed.|-----
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Previous squads
World Cup- 1934 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1938 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1950 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1954 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1962 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1966 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1970 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1974 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1978 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1982 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1986 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1990 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1994 FIFA World Cup squad
- 1998 FIFA World Cup squad
- 2002 FIFA World Cup squad
- 2006 FIFA World Cup squad
- 2010 FIFA World Cup squad
European Football Championship
- UEFA Euro 1968 squad
- UEFA Euro 1980 squad
- UEFA Euro 1988 squad
- UEFA Euro 1996 squad
- UEFA Euro 2000 squad
- UEFA Euro 2004 squad
- UEFA Euro 2008 squad
Most capped players
As of 15 November 2011, the players with the most capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Italy are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy... |
1997–2010 | 136 | 2 |
| 2 | Paolo Maldini Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club... |
1988–2002 | 126 | 7 |
| 3 | Dino Zoff Dino Zoff Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the... |
1968–1983 | 112 | 0 |
| Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history... |
1997–present | 112 | 0 | |
| 5 | Gianluca Zambrotta Gianluca Zambrotta Gianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his... |
1999–2010 | 98 | 2 |
| 6 | Giacinto Facchetti Giacinto Facchetti Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered... |
1963–1977 | 94 | 3 |
| 7 | Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain.... |
1995–2008 | 91 | 27 |
| 8 | Marco Tardelli | 1976–1985 | 81 | 6 |
| Franco Baresi Franco Baresi Franco Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and former player. He played as a sweeper and spent his entire career with Serie A club AC Milan, acknowledged as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game. Baresi was nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "Little one"... |
1981–1994 | 81 | 1 | |
| Giuseppe Bergomi Giuseppe Bergomi Giuseppe Bergomi is a retired Italian footballer who spent his entire career at Internazionale, being equally at ease as a central or right defender.... |
1982–1998 | 81 | 6 | |
| Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position... |
2002–present | 81 | 9 |
Bold denores still active players.
Top goalscorers
As of 15 November 2011, the players with the most goals for Italy are:| # | Name | Career | Goals | Caps | Goals per match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luigi Riva Luigi Riva Luigi Riva , best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono , is a former Italian footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team... |
1965–1974 | 35 | 42 | 0.83 |
| 2 | Giuseppe Meazza Giuseppe Meazza Giuseppe "Peppino" Meazza , also known as il Balilla, was an Italian footballer playing mainly for Internazionale in the 1930s, scoring 242 goals in 365 games for the club. He led Italy to win two World Cups: in 1934 and in 1938, winning the Golden Ball Award in 1934. He is widely considered the... |
1930–1939 | 33 | 53 | 0.62 |
| 3 | Silvio Piola Silvio Piola Silvio Piola was an Italian footballer from Robbio Lomellina, province of Pavia. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring two goals in the final.Piola is third in the all-time... |
1935–1952 | 30 | 34 | 0.88 |
| 4 | Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time... |
1988–2004 | 27 | 56 | 0.48 |
| Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain.... |
1995–2008 | 27 | 91 | 0.28 | |
| 6 | Adolfo Baloncieri | 1920–1930 | 25 | 47 | 0.53 |
| Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan.... |
1997–2007 | 25 | 57 | 0.44 | |
| Alessandro Altobelli Alessandro Altobelli Alessandro Altobelli is a former professional Italian footballer.Nicknamed Spillo for his slender build. Altobelli was one of the most effective Italian forwards of the late 1970s and 1980s... |
1980–1988 | 25 | 61 | 0.41 | |
| 9 | Christian Vieri Christian Vieri Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations... |
1997–2005 | 23 | 49 | 0.47 |
| Francesco Graziani Francesco Graziani Francesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome.... |
1975–1983 | 23 | 64 | 0.36 |
Bold denotes still active players.
Head-to-Head records against other countries
| Opponent | GP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 37 | 17 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 24 | 18 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 29 | 10 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 58 | 28 | 22 | 8 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
See also
- CovercianoCovercianoCoverciano, also known as Casa Italia, located in the quartiere of Florence with the same name, is the central training ground and technical headquarters of the FIGC, the Italian Football Association. The complex covers technical and training events associated with various Italian national football...
- Football in ItalyFootball in ItalyFootball is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
- Italy national under-21 football teamItaly national under-21 football teamThe Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
- Italy national under-20 football team
- Italy national under-19 football teamItaly national under-19 football teamThe Italy national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year....
- Italy national under-17 football teamItaly national under-17 football teamThe Italy national U-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, held every year.-UEFA U-17 Championship Record:...
- Game of the Century
- Battle of HighburyBattle of HighburyThe "Battle of Highbury" was the name given to the football match between England and Italy that took place on 14 November 1934 at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury, London...
- Battle of SantiagoBattle of SantiagoThe Battle of Santiago is the name given to a particularly unsavoury and infamous football match during the 1962 FIFA World Cup. It was a game played between hosts Chile and Italy on June 2, 1962 in Santiago...
Titles
External links
- Italian Football Federation (Official news about the national team)
- Italy World Cup News
- RSSSF archive of international results 1910—
- RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
- RSSSF archive of coaches 1910—
- Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup
- Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup
- Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup qualifiers
- Profile of the Italian national team on footballdatabase.com
- Forza Azzurri Statistics — A comprehensive Statistics archive
- Italian Calcio by Steve Amoia. History of the Azzurri and the Serie A. English language site.
- Football Italiano – U.K based site on Italian Football
- Italian Football News
- Italian World Cup 2010 – Meet the Italian World Cup Squad (VIDEO)