Italy and Belgium begin their 2026/27 UEFA Nations League campaigns at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on September 25.
Both teams also begin new managerial eras. Roberto Mancini has returned for a second spell as Italy coach, while former Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel will take charge of Belgium for the first time.
France and Türkiye complete Group A1, making this one of the strongest groups in League A. The top two teams advance to the quarter-finals.
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Italy vs Belgium Match Details
Competition: 2026/27 UEFA Nations League
League: League A
Group: A1
Stage: Matchday 1
Date: September 25, 2026
Kick-off: 20:45 CEST
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Italy coach: Roberto Mancini
Belgium coach: Mark van Bommel
Italy vs Belgium Head-to-Head Record
Italy have a strong historical advantage in this fixture. The teams have met 26 times, with Italy recording 17 victories, Belgium winning four, and five matches ending level.
Italy have also dominated the recent meetings. Their last six encounters were:
Belgium 0-1 Italy – November 2024
Italy 2-2 Belgium – October 2024
Italy 2-1 Belgium – October 2021
Belgium 1-2 Italy – July 2021
Belgium 0-2 Italy – June 2016
Belgium 3-1 Italy – November 2015
Italy are therefore unbeaten in the last five meetings, winning four of them. Two of those matches came in the previous Nations League group stage. Italy drew 2-2 with Belgium in Rome before winning 1-0 in Brussels.
Italy Recent Form
Italy enter this Nations League campaign after another difficult World Cup qualification cycle. They missed the 2026 World Cup after losing their European play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties.
Italy had taken the lead through Moise Kean, but Alessandro Bastoni's first-half red card changed the game before Bosnia equalised and won the shootout 4-1. Their last five matches were:
Greece 0-1 Italy
Luxembourg 0-1 Italy
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy – Bosnia won on penalties
Italy 2-0 Northern Ireland
Italy 1-4 Norway
The two June victories need some context. Italy used a highly experimental young squad under interim coach Silvio Baldini, with Pio Esposito scoring the winner against both Luxembourg and Greece.
Mancini must now combine established senior players with some of the younger options who were given opportunities during the summer.
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Belgium Recent Form
Belgium had a much stronger 2026 World Cup. They reached the quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to eventual champions Spain. Before that defeat, Belgium had beaten Senegal after extra time and produced an impressive 4-1 win over the United States.
Their last five World Cup matches were:
Spain 2-1 Belgium
USA 1-4 Belgium
Belgium 3-2 Senegal – after extra time
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Belgium 0-0 Iran
Belgium started the tournament slowly but improved considerably once the knockout phase began. Van Bommel therefore inherits a team that showed attacking quality at the World Cup but is now beginning another transition.
Italy Team News
Mancini's official Nations League squad had not yet been announced when I prepared this preview. That makes his first selection particularly important.
Italy's established senior core includes players such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella, Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean, while the June friendlies also gave several younger players an opportunity to push for future involvement.
Pio Esposito is one of the most interesting names after scoring the winning goal in both of Italy's summer friendlies. The bigger question is how much Mancini changes from the team used during Italy's failed World Cup qualification campaign.
His first spell was built around technical midfielders, structured possession and a strong collective identity. He has already indicated that he intends to shape his system around the qualities of the players available rather than forcing them into one fixed structure.
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Belgium Team News
Van Bommel has named a 28-player squad for his first international window. Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, Romelu Lukaku, Charles De Ketelaere, Loïs Openda and Leandro Trossard are among the experienced attacking options.
Romeo Lavia returns to the national-team setup, while Mika Godts, Malick Fofana and Diego Moreira add younger options. There are also important absences.
Thibaut Courtois is sitting out the Nations League campaign after reaching an agreement with Van Bommel, although he has not retired from international football.
Jérémy Doku and Amadou Onana are also unavailable through injury. That leaves Belgium without two players whose physical qualities can be particularly important in transition.
Key Players
Sandro Tonali
Tonali could become particularly important in Mancini's second spell. He offers energy, ball progression and defensive work in midfield. Against Belgium, his ability to compete physically while still moving possession forward could help Italy control central areas.
Pio Esposito
Esposito's two goals in June strengthened his case for a larger senior role. His physical presence gives Italy a focal point, but he can also link play and occupy centre-backs. His development could become significant as Italy search for more consistency at centre-forward.
Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne remains one of Belgium's most important creators. Italy cannot allow him time to receive possession facing forward because his passing can quickly release Lukaku, Openda or Belgium's wide attackers.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku remains a difficult matchup for almost any defence because of his strength, movement and finishing. His impact at the World Cup also showed that Belgium do not necessarily need him to start every match for him to influence games.
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Tactical Battle
Midfield should be central to this match. Italy traditionally wants technical control, and Mancini is unlikely to abandon that principle. Players such as Barella and Tonali can help Italy circulate possession while also pressing aggressively when the ball is lost.
Belgium can respond with De Bruyne, Tielemans, Lavia and Nicolas Raskin. Van Bommel's challenge is finding the right balance between Belgium's experienced creators and their younger attacking players.
Italy must also be careful about Belgium's transition threat. If the hosts push too many players forward, Lukaku, Openda and De Ketelaere can exploit the space left behind.
Where the Match Could Be Decided
Italy's midfield control
Belgium become much more dangerous when De Bruyne and Tielemans can dictate possession. Italy need to prevent them from receiving the ball comfortably between the lines while still maintaining enough pressure going forward.
Belgium's defence against Italian movement
Italy do not necessarily need a traditional target striker to create chances. Quick movement from midfield and wide positions can force Belgium's defenders to make difficult decisions about whether to step forward or protect the penalty area.
Transitions
Both teams can be vulnerable immediately after losing possession. Italy need protection behind their attacking players, while Belgium must avoid allowing Barella, Tonali and Italy's forwards to attack an unorganised defence.
What the H2H Record Tells Me
Italy clearly have the stronger record. They have won 17 of the 26 meetings and have not lost any of the last five. They also beat Belgium at Euro 2016, Euro 2020 and the 2021 Nations League third-place match.
But this fixture comes at a different moment. Italy are rebuilding after missing another World Cup and have brought Mancini back to lead that process.
Belgium reached the World Cup quarter-finals but have also changed coach and are entering the Nations League without Courtois, Doku and Onana. The historical numbers therefore favour Italy, but the current situation makes this a much more interesting test.
Final View
For me, this match is less about old head-to-head numbers and more about how quickly two new coaching projects take shape.
Italy have home advantage and an excellent recent record against Belgium. Mancini also knows the national-team environment well, which could make his transition easier than that of a completely new coach.
Belgium arrive with confidence from reaching the World Cup quarter-finals and still possess considerable attacking quality through De Bruyne, Lukaku, Tielemans, De Ketelaere and Openda.
Their challenge is adapting quickly to Van Bommel while dealing with several important absences. I expect midfield control and defensive transitions to be decisive. If Italy control De Bruyne's influence and prevent Belgium from attacking quickly after turnovers, they can dictate much of the game.
If Belgium break Italy's pressure and find their forwards early, the visitors have enough quality to cause serious problems. With France and Türkiye also in Group A1, neither side will want to begin such a difficult group by immediately dropping valuable points.