After away victories against World Cup runners-up France and Israel, Italy resumes their Nations League journey with their first two home matches of the season. On Thursday, 10 October (20:45 CEST, live on Rai 1), they will face Belgium at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, while on Monday, 14 October (20:45 CEST, live on Rai 1), the Stadio Friuli in Udine will host their second clash with Israel. The goal is to stay top of the table and secure a quarter-final spot with two more wins.

Head coach Luciano Spalletti has called up 23 players, including four making their first appearance for the national team: Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, Milan defender Matteo Gabbia, Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli, and Monza forward Daniel Maldini. Over 22 years after his father Paolo’s last appearance (June 18, 2002) and 61 years after his grandfather Cesare, a Maldini is once again set to wear the Azzurri shirt.

The national team will gather on Sunday at Coverciano and travel to Rome on the afternoon of Wednesday, 9 October before returning to the Federal Technical Centre on Thursday night. On Sunday, they will head to Udine, on the eve of the match against Israel. For Spalletti, it’s a reverse journey from 2005, when he moved from Udinese to Roma, two pivotal experiences in his managerial career.

THE SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Michele Di Gregorio (Juventus), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Caleb Okoli (Leicester), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham);
Midfielders: Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Forwards: Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Monza), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Atalanta).

THE NEW FORMAT OF THE NATIONS LEAGUE

Unlike the previous edition, where the top-ranked team qualified directly for the Final Four, this time the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. In March 2025, they will play the quarter-finals (home and away). The winners of these matches will secure their place in the Finals, set to take place in June 2025 at the venue of one of the four finalists. The team finishing fourth in the group will be relegated to League B, while, in another new twist, the third-placed team will enter a play-off to avoid relegation against one of the second-placed teams from League B. The finalists will also earn a spot in the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.

Groups of League A in the UEFA Nations League 2024/25

Group 1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
Group 2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
Group 3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group 4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia

Results and Standings for Group 2 of League A in the Nations League

Matchday 1 (6 September)
Belgium 3 - 1 Israel
France 1 - 3 Italy

Matchday 2 (9 September)
Israel 1 - 2 Italy
France 2 - 0 Belgium

Standings:

1. Italy: 6 points
2. France: 3 points
3. Belgium: 3 points
4. Israel: 0 points

The top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. The third-placed team will enter a play-off to avoid relegation against one of the second-placed teams from League B, while the fourth-placed team will be relegated to League B.

Upcoming Matches for Italy

• 10 October 2024: Italy vs. Belgium (20:45 CEST– Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
• 14 October 2024: Italy vs. Israel (20:45 CEST – Stadio Friuli, Udine)
• 14 November 2024: Belgium vs. Italy (20:45 CET – King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels)
• 17 November 2024: Italy vs. France (20:45 CET – Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan)