France-Italy Nations League match tests Zidane’s home start
France lead Group A1 on six points ahead of Friday’s match at the Stade de France, where Zinedine Zidane will coach at home for the first time.
France host Italy in a 2026–27 UEFA Nations League Group A1 match on Friday, 2 October. The fixture marks Zinedine Zidane’s first match as France coach on home soil since his appointment in late July.
France have opened the group with two 1–0 wins, over Türkiye and Belgium, and sit on six points. Italy have three after losing 2–0 to Belgium before beating Türkiye 4–1. The Nations League’s promotion and relegation structure gives the group standings a bearing beyond friendly-match form.
France will be without Kylian Mbappé, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, who has a thigh injury. Italy’s Matteo Guendouzi is suspended.
Al Jazeera’s match preview identifies Michael Olise and Désiré Doué as players to watch for France, and Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi for Italy. The teams published in the preview are probable line-ups, not confirmed selections.
France beat Italy 3–1 in their most recent Nations League meeting, in November 2024. Friday’s match is scheduled for the Stade de France.
