Italy has pivoted to familiarity after yet another World Cup absence, with Roberto Mancini, the man who led the Azzurri to Euro 2020 glory, back for the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League.

Italy’s campaign starts against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, having twice finished third in this competition’s short history.

While the Azzurri reverted to a manager who led the most successful period since the 2006 World Cup, Belgium has opted for something new. Rudi Garcia’s side exceeded expectations at the World Cup this summer, reaching the quarterfinals before losing admirably to eventual winners Spain.

Garcia, somewhat surprisingly, decided to leave his post after the tournament, and, resisting the temptation to rehire the newly available Roberto Martínez, the Royal Belgian FA decided to appoint former Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel.

Unlike Mancini, this is Van Bommel’s first taste of international management, having previously led PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg and Royal Antwerp with varying degrees of success.

Friday’s bout kicks off a busy period for both teams, with three more outings upcoming for both. France and Türkiye are the other two teams in Nations League Group A1.

Italy vs. Belgium Score Prediction

Mancini’s Return Begins With Win

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) got itself into a right mess in the summer, and were forced to changed tack completely after Paolo Maldini left his role as technical director after just a couple of weeks.

Maldini had tried to tempt Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, but was eventually content with Andrea Pirlo. However, the former midfielder’s ties to a Russian betting company saw him withdraw from the race, and Maldini subsequently resigned.

So, Italy turned back to Mancini. The suave 61-year-old has been forgiven for his Middle Eastern venture, and has already proven once that he’s capable of reigniting the Italian national team.

• Head-to-head record: Italy has had a stranglehold over Belgium historically, winning 17 of 26 past meetings. The Azzurri is also five games unbeaten against the Red Devils, whose last victory in this fixture came in 2015.
• Italy at the Olimpico: While the host has certainly gotten used to losing in recent years, especially at San Siro, it has an impressive record at the Stadio Olimpico. Italy was last defeated here by Argentina in a friendly 13 years ago. It’s eight games unbeaten since, winning three times en-route to Euro 2020 glory.

Prediction: Italy 2–1 Belgium

Italy Predicted Lineup vs. Belgium

Italy is without the suspended Alessandro Bastoni, who was sent off in the World Cup playoff defeat to Bosnia & Herzegovina, resulting in missing out for the third straight time.

Giorgio Scalvini is likely to be available despite missing training on Tuesday, but Diego Coppola is set to partner Gianluca Mancini in Bastoni’s absence.

Brentford’s Michael Kayode is pushing for a start over Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, as is the in-form Davide Frattesi in midfield. Mancini is poised to hand 20-year-old Alessandro Romano his first cap on Friday alongside Nicolò Barella and Sandro Tonali in the engine room.

Daniel Maldini, son of Paolo, could start on the left, despite his recent car accident, while Francesco Pio Esposito is battling Moise Kean for the starting berth up top. Nicolò Zaniolo’s slow start to the season means Bologna’s Nicolò Cambiaghi may complete Italy’s attack.

Italy predicted lineup vs. Belgium (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Coppola, Calafiori; Romano, Barella, Tonali; Cambiaghi, Esposito, Maldini.

Belgium Predicted Lineup vs. Italy

Van Bommel has called up 28 players, but Belgium is without two key players at both ends of the pitch. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ruled himself out of selection for the Red Devils‘ upcoming games, and Jérémy Doku has been struggling with a calf injury at the start of the new season.

Fortunately, Belgium is well stocked in reserve. Manchester United‘s Senne Lammens is poised to start in goal, while Paris Saint-Germain winger Mika Godts will line up down the left-hand side.

Alexis Saelemaekers and Thomas Meunier missed out on selection, while Axel Witsel ended his international career after the World Cup. Romelu Lukaku has been included, but his minutes will be carefully managed by Van Bommel, who is set to deploy a 4-3-3 at the start of his reign.

Belgium predicted lineup vs. Italy (4-3-3): Lammens; Castagne, De Winter, Theate, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Lavia, De Bruyne, Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Godts.

What Time Does Italy vs. Belgium Kick Off?

• Location: Rome, Italy
• Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
• Date: Friday, Sept. 25
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
• Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
• VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)

How to Watch Italy vs. Belgium on TV, Live Stream