Italy overcame the loss of Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori to injury and secured a surprising 3-1 victory over France in their Nations League opener.
Calafiori was injured in an unfortunate incident when Ousmane Dembele was tackled, and Dembele’s studs accidentally caught Calafiori’s leg as he landed.
Despite attempting to continue, the Gunners defender had to be substituted.
France took an early lead, with Bradley Barcola scoring just 12 seconds into the match after intercepting an Italian pass and slotting the ball home.
Italy nearly equalized five minutes later, but Davide Frattesi’s header struck the crossbar. Federico Dimarco eventually leveled for Italy with a stunning volley from a Sandro Tonali flick.
It was Newcastle midfielder Tonali’s first international appearance since September 2023, following his 10-month suspension for breaching gambling regulations.
Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi put Italy ahead early in the second half with a composed finish from a Mateo Retegui pass.
Giacomo Raspadori added a third, expertly controlling a Destiny Udogie pass and beating William Saliba to score.
France handed a senior debut to Bayern Munich’s London-born winger Michael Olise, who previously represented them at the Olympic Games this summer.