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Friday, October 2, 2026

Nations League official line-ups: France vs. Italy

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Francesco Pio Esposito celebrates with his brother Sebastiano Esposito during Turkiye vs. Italy in the Nations League (@azzurri)

Francesco Pio Esposito celebrates with his brother Sebastiano Esposito during Turkiye vs. Italy in the Nations League (@azzurri)

Italy go all attack with the Esposito brothers and Moise Kean, confirming Michael Kayode at right-back, while France start Serie A stars Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Da Cunha.

It kicks off at the Stade de France in Paris at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from the Nations League on the Liveblog.

BURSA, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 28: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Italy, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
BURSA, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Italy, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

The Azzurri had vastly different performances so far under returning coach Roberto Mancini, losing 2-0 at home to Belgium, then emerging with a 4-1 victory in Turkiye.

There were also huge changes in the line-up between those two games, so this is a hybrid of the two, with Riccardo Calafiori, Nicolò Barella and Moise Kean returning to the XI.

Kean was not 100 per cent fit, but the Como striker has recovered in time to start with the two Esposito brothers Pio and Sebastiano confirmed upfront.

ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 25: Moise Kean of Italy in action during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 25: Moise Kean of Italy in action during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)

Davide Frattesi, who scored in Turkiye, keeps his place in an unchanged midfield.

Calafiori returns in place of Matteo Ruggeri in his Arsenal left-back role, but Kayode impressed enough to stay on the right.

Giacomo Raspadori and Nicolò Zaniolo left the camp due to injuries, with Honest Ahanor moved to the Under-21 side.

Left behind in Florence are Samuele Inacio, Alessandro Romano, Honest Ahanor, Nicolò Cambiaghi, Diego Coppola, Daniele Ghilardi, Eddy Kouadio, Rolando Mandragora and Massimo Pessina.

BURSA, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 28: Davide Frattesi of Italy celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
BURSA, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Davide Frattesi of Italy celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

France won both games so far under Zinedine Zidane, 1-0 away to Turkiye and Belgium, but this is his first match on home soil back where he won the World Cup as a player.

Kylian Mbappé got injured in Turkiye and was sent home, followed by squad rotation in Brussels for a last-gasp winner from substitute Michael Olise.

He returns to the starting XI with Ousmane Dembélé, Milan’s Adrien Rabiot and more.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - SEPTEMBER 28: Zinedine Zidane, Head Coach of France, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Belgium and France at Stade Roi Baudouin on September 28, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – SEPTEMBER 28: Zinedine Zidane, Head Coach of France, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Belgium and France at Stade Roi Baudouin on September 28, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

A surprise is that Como midfielder Lucas De Cunha keeps his spot after impressing on his senior France debut, taking the place of Roma midfielder Manu Koné.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan of course is another Serie A representative with Juventus full-back Pierre Kalulu surprisingly confirmed.

Curiously, the last four meetings between these sides all ended 3-1, only one of those with an Italy victory.

PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 13: Manu Kone of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between France and Ukraine at Parc des Princes on November 13, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 13: Manu Kone of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between France and Ukraine at Parc des Princes on November 13, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

France: Maignan; Kalulu, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Cherki, Da Cunha, Rabiot; Olise, Dembelé, Doué

Italy: Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Frattesi, Tonali, Fagioli; Kean, P Esposito, S Esposito

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