Italy v Belgium: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch

Preview for Italy v Belgium

Italy and Belgium will both begin a new era on Friday night when they meet in their opening 2026-27 UEFA Nations League fixture at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roberto Mancini has returned to take charge of Italy for a second spell, while Belgium have appointed Mark van Bommel following Rudi Garcia’s departure.

The two sides are joined by France and Turkey in League A Group 1, with all four teams set to play their first four matches over the next 11 days.

Italy’s latest rebuilding job comes after another disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign saw them miss out on the 2026 tournament.

The Azzurri finished second behind Norway in qualifying before beating Northern Ireland in the playoff semi-final, only to suffer another painful exit in the final when Bosnia-Herzegovina prevailed on penalties.

That failure led to Gennaro Gattuso’s departure, with youth coach Silvio Baldini taking temporary charge for two post-season friendlies. Italy subsequently beat Luxembourg and Greece 1-0 before Mancini was appointed for his second spell in charge.

Belgium are also entering a new era after Rudi Garcia left his position despite guiding the Red Devils to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Spain.

Former PSV, Wolfsburg and Antwerp boss Van Bommel has now taken charge, with his first task coming against an Italy side that have enjoyed the better of recent meetings.

Belgium had been unbeaten in 18 matches before their World Cup defeat to Spain and still possess considerable experience, with Kevin De Bruyne and record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku remaining key figures.

Team News for Italy v Belgium

Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma will lead Mancini’s new-look squad after earning 83 caps for his country.

The hosts will be without Alessandro Bastoni through suspension, while Federico Dimarco, Bryan Cristante and Manuel Locatelli are all unavailable because of injury.

Mateo Retegui has not been selected, leaving Moise Kean, Gianluca Scamacca, Sebastiano Esposito and Pio Esposito competing for the central striker role.

Belgium have also moved towards a younger squad, with Godts and Lavia among the players pushing for involvement.

Youri Tielemans is expected to captain the Red Devils, while Malick Fofana and Matias Fernandez-Pardo could make their competitive debuts.

Axel Witsel has retired from international football, while goalkeeper Mats Selz has stepped aside and Thibaut Courtois is taking a break from international duty.

Andre Onana is absent after the long-term injury he suffered at the World Cup, while Leandro Trossard is also unavailable. Jeremy Doku, who only recently returned to action, has not been included.

Expected line-ups for Italy v Belgium

Italy: Donnarumma; Kayode, Mancini, Scalvini, Calafiori; Barella, Tonali, Frattesi; Inacio, P. Esposito, Raspadori

Belgium: Lammens; Castagne, De Winter, Theate, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Lavia; Lukebakio, De Bruyne, Godts; Lukaku

Recent Form & Stats for Italy v Belgium

• Italy have won four of their last five meetings with Belgium.
• The most recent meeting in Rome ended 2-2 in October 2024, with Italy surrendering a two-goal lead.
• Italy missed the 2026 World Cup after losing their qualifying playoff final to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties.
• Belgium reached the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Spain.
• Belgium were unbeaten in 18 matches before their World Cup quarter-final defeat.
• Italy have introduced nine uncapped players in Mancini’s first 34-man squad of his second spell.

Where to Watch Italy v Belgium: TV and online streams

Italy v Belgium will be shown live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. The match is part of Prime Video’s pay-per-view coverage of Nations League matches that do not involve the UK home nations. Kick-off is at 7:45pm BST on Friday, September 25.

The match can be watched online through Prime Video on a compatible smart TV, computer, mobile device, tablet, games console or streaming device.

Fans in Italy can watch the match on Rai 1 and RaiPlay, with the game being broadcast live from the Stadio Olimpico.

Prediction for Italy v Belgium

Both teams are starting a new chapter, so there could be a degree of caution at the Stadio Olimpico.

Italy have home advantage and a strong recent record against Belgium, but Mancini is still putting his new squad together and Van Bommel is facing his first competitive game in charge of the Red Devils.

A close contest could therefore end with both sides taking a point from their opening Group 1 fixture.

Italy

1 – 1

Belgium

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