Six Italy players at risk of quarter-final suspension if booked against Belgium

MILAN - NOVEMBER 12: Pio Esposito of Italy celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nicolo Cambiaghi and Sandro Tonali during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

Italy have a decisive final Nations League group stage match away against Belgium coming up on Sunday evening, and six of Roberto Mancini’s players will need to avoid a booking if they are to remain eligible to feature in the quarter-finals assuming that the Azzurri qualify. 

Italy sit at the top of their Nations League group heading into Sunday’s final round of fixtures. The Nazionale have picked up 10 points from their first five games of the competition, the same as second-placed France. Sunday’s opponents Belgium, who beat Italy 2-0 in September, are in third on nine points and Turkey will finish last given that they remain on zero points. 

A draw against Belgium will be enough for Italy to claim a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals, but a victory is required to mathematically secure top spot without relying on results elsewhere. Italy cannot win the group if they lose against Belgium and will require Turkey to beat France if they are to lose and still qualify for the quarter-finals. 

11 different Italy players have been booked across their first five matches of the 2026-27 Nations League campaign. Six of those players are in the matchday squad to face Belgium on Sunday: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Fagioli, Antonio Vergara, Pio Esposito and Gianluca Scamacca. 

Davide Frattesi, Moise Kean, Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Ruggeri have also been booked this Nations League campaign, but are not in the matchday squad to face Belgium. 

When do Nations League yellow cards reset? 

Players earn one-match suspensions for every even number of yellow cards they earn during the Nations League group stage and quarter-finals, i.e. after every second and fourth booking. 

Yellow cards will be wiped at the end of the quarter-final stage and will be reset ahead of the Nations League finals, which includes both semi-finals and the final, and is set to be held between June 9 and June 13, 2027.