October is the month of draws. Over the next four weeks, the Men’s First Team, Women’s First Team and Men’s Under-21s will learn their opponents for their respective upcoming competitions. Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri, who recently booked their place in the Final Four of the UEFA Nations League, are waiting to find out who they are drawn against in their qualifying group for EURO 2024 in Germany. The draw will be held at 12:00 CEST on Sunday 9 October in Frankfurt. Hosts Germany have already qualified for the finals while the other 53 teams (divided into pots based on their performance in the 2022/23 Nations League) will be drawn into ten groups: seven groups of five and three groups of six. Reigning European Champions Italy are guaranteed to be in pot 1 and will also be drawn into one of the groups of five given their involvement in the Nations League finals in the Netherlands in June.

The ten group winners and ten runners-up will qualify directly for the finals, while the remaining three spots will be decided via the playoffs in March of 2024. Following the decision taken on 28 February by the UEFA Executive Committee, which was subsequently upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 15 July Russia will be excluded from the draw. FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and head coach Mancini will attend the draw in Frankfurt.

U21 EURO
On Tuesday 18 October, it is the turn of the Under-21s, who will learn the group stage opponents at the finals of the U21 European Championships in Romania and Georgia in June and July of next year. The event will be held at the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest at 18:00 CEST, with Italy represented by coach Paolo Nicolato. 16 teams will be drawn into four groups of four, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the knockout rounds. The tournament will also decide Europe’s allocation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris; as well as host nation France, the top three teams from U21 EURO will make it to the games.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
On Saturday 22 at 19:30 local time (8:30 CEST) in New Zealand, the Azzurre will be sorted into their group for the upcoming Women’s World Cup – their second consecutive appearance at the tournament. Milena Bertolini will attend the event. The number of teams participating in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has risen from 24 to 32 since the tournament in France. There will be eight groups of four teams, and the top two teams will progress to the knockout rounds. The two best-ranked UEFA teams at the 2023 FIFA World Cup (excluding host nation France) will earn a place at the next Olympic Games.