France suffered its first defeat under Zinédine Zidane, falling 1–3 to Italy at the San Siro on Thursday in the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League.
The match unfolded under a torrential downpour in Milan during the Group A fixture. Despite dominating early possession, the visitors surrendered their lead and slipped behind Italy in the race for the quarterfinals.
France opened the scoring after just ten minutes when Michael Olise capitalized on a glaring error by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to net his 12th international goal in 30 appearances. It marked a bright start for a visiting side missing injured Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
Italy responded in the 26th minute through Francesco Pio Esposito after an assist from Nicolò Cambiaghi. Following a period where France struck the woodwork through Bradley Barcola and Ryan Cherki, the home side seized control after the break with a 60th-minute penalty miss by Sebastiano Esposito proving only a temporary reprieve.
Davide Frattesi put Italy ahead in the 63rd minute from a Federico Dimarco cross. Francesco Pio Esposito then converted a 75th-minute penalty, sealing a 3–1 victory.
The defeat is the first for Zinédine Zidane since his September appointment, snapping a four-match unbeaten run that included three wins and a draw.
Zidane pointed to lost physical duels and defensive disorganization after the intermission as the primary catalysts for the collapse. Right-back Malo Gusto endured a difficult evening handling Italy’s left flank, while central defenders Dayot Upamecano and Jérémy Jacquet struggled to maintain defensive shape.
The victory lifts Roberto Mancini’s squad to 10 points, level with France but ahead on the head-to-head tiebreaker to claim top spot in Group 1. Italy secured its first home win over France in 64 years.
Both teams head into the final round on Sunday, November 15, 2026, with quarterfinal berths still hanging in the balance across the group.
| Team | Points | Next Match |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 10 | vs. Belgium (Nov 15) |
| France | 10 | vs. Turkey (Nov 15) |
| Belgium | 9 | vs. Italy (Nov 15) |
| Turkey | 0 | vs. France (Nov 15) |
Italy travels to face Belgium, while France returns home to Bordeaux to host Turkey needing at least a draw to advance to the March 2027 quarterfinals.
