The Azzurri kick off their Nations League journey in Paris at the Parc des Princes on Friday, 6 September, against France, who are coming off a EURO 2024 semifinal loss to Spain. It's the first matchday of Group 2 in League A, which also includes Israel and Belgium.

From the Italian national team's first match in 1910 (May 15 at Arena Civica in Milan) to their last World Cup victory in 2006 (6-5 on penalties in Berlin), Italy vs. France is a fixture steeped in history. The upcoming clash will mark their 40th encounter, the 17th on French soil, and the 15th in Paris, where Italy has faced France in four different stadiums (Saint-Ouen, Colombes, Parc des Princes, and Saint-Denis). Italy leads the rivalry with 18 wins, 11 losses, 10 draws, 82 goals scored, and 56 conceded. However, France has won the last three friendlies, with Italy’s most recent victory dating back over 16 years to a 2-0 win at EURO 2008 in Zurich.

The Azzurri and Les Bleus have crossed paths five times at the World Cup. Italy secured consecutive wins in 1938 (3-1 in the quarter-finals on their way to a second straight World Cup) and in 1978 (2-1 in Mar del Plata). France responded with victories in 1986 (Round of 16 in Mexico City) and 1998 (quarter-finals in Paris on penalties). In 2006, Italy turned the tables in Berlin, celebrating a penalty shootout win to claim their fourth World Cup title.

The top scorers in this historic clash are Eugène Maes and Giuseppe Meazza, with five goals each. Italy's biggest victory was a 7-0 triumph in Turin on 22 March 1925 (adding to a 9-4 win in 1920 and a 5-0 in 1931), while France’s best results have been four 3-1 wins.

So far, the Italian national team has played 20 matches in Paris: 14 against France, two against Spain, and one each against Switzerland, Hungary, Luxembourg, and Austria, across the Olympic Games and the World Cup. Italy has never beaten France at the Parc des Princes and hasn't won in Paris since 11 April 1954, when they secured a 3-1 victory in a friendly at the Stade de Colombes.

From Paris to Budapest for the second matchday of the Nations League. On Monday, 9 September, the Azzurri will face Israel on neutral ground. Italy and Israel have met five times between 1961 and 2017, with four wins for Italy and one draw, which occurred during the 1970 World Cup in Toluca (0-0). In the two encounters in 1961 for the 1962 World Cup qualifiers in Chile, Altafini made his debut with a goal in Tel Aviv, and Sivori scored four in the 6-0 win in the return fixture. The most recent meeting was a 1-0 victory in Reggio Emilia during the ill-fated 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

The Bozsik Stadion, home to Honvéd Budapest, was demolished and rebuilt between 2019 and 2021, now accommodating around 8,000 spectators. Italy has faced Hungary 16 times in Budapest, with a record of 6 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. The early visits in 1910 and 1924 were tough, with two defeats and 13 goals conceded, including a 7-1 loss on 13 April 1924, which remains Italy's heaviest defeat. However, later matches showed improvement: Italy secured three consecutive victories in the 1930s and had a balanced record of 3 wins and 3 draws between 1925 and 1949. The last defeat was in August 2007 (3-1 in a friendly), while the most recent win came in September 2022 (0-2), which earned Italy first place in the Nations League group and a spot in the 2023 Finals.