Result Italy 0 – 2 Belgium, Friday 25 September 2026, UEFA Nations League
Matchday 1
56% Ball Possession ITALY and 44% Ball Possession BELGIUM
Italy 0 – 2 Belgium 
. 20′ Mika Godts
. 69′ Dodi Lukébakio
🏆👉 Belgium came away with a convincing 2-0 victory over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico during their opening Group A1 fixture in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League on September 25, 2026. It was a disappointing result for Italy to mark their historic 900th match with a loss. To make matters worse for the Azzurri, the evening was capped off by an intense confrontation between goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Belgium’s striker Romelu Lukaku.
I really thought Italy would put on a strong showing, but honestly, what we witnessed was pretty disappointing. Italy’s ongoing struggles are genuinely concerning. Playing on home turf at the Olimpico and failing to find the back of the net? That’s tough to swallow.
The honor goal never showed up. Italy made an effort in the second half, but unfortunately came up short. Ironically, both of Belgium’s goals were set up by players from Serie A! Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne provided the assist for Mika Godts’ opening goal. And Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere set up Dodi Lukébakio for the other one.
Before the action kicks off, the team paid tribute to legendary figures Sandro Mazzola and Franco Baresi. Roberto Mancini, back for his second stint as Italy’s Head Coach, sadly with a defeat.
Here’s what stood out from the Italian squad! Alessandro Romano, a 2006-born talent, made his exciting senior Italy debut. Pio Esposito and Moise Kean teamed up in the starting eleven. The Como striker positioned himself on the left wing of the attacking trio, while Cambiaghi held down the right flank. Romano stepped into the holding midfield spot for his debut, with Barella and Sandro Tonali providing support on either side. Since Bastoni was unavailable, Mancini and Coppola partnered up in central defense, with Di Lorenzo and Calafiori handling the full-back duties.
On the Belgian side, three Serie A regulars made appearances: Kevin De Bruyne, AC Milan’s new recruit Diego Moreira, and Atalanta’s De Ketelaere, who Van Bommel cleverly deployed as a false nine.
GROUP A1: RESULTS AND STANDINGS
Italy fell short against Belgium with a 0-2 defeat
Türkiye couldn’t find the back of the net in their 0-1 loss to France
Standings: Belgium and France are leading with 3 points each; Türkiye and Italy are still searching for their first points with 0
UEFA Nations League Football Tickets
Sports, Football, Soccer
Mancini’s Return: The Sequel. His last official match was on June 18, 2023, and now, 1195 days later, Roberto Mancini is back on the Italy bench. The coach will lead the Azzurri in their Nations League debut against Belgium’s new squad under Van Bommel, in the opening match of Group A1, which also features Zidane’s France and Montella’s Turkey.
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🇮🇹👉 Italy 0 – 1 Belgium 🇧🇪
Belgium struck early with a stunning goal in the 20th minute! Mika Godts found the back of the net for @BelRedDevils, firing a right-footed strike from inside the box that sailed into the bottom left corner. The assist came from Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne, who set up the chance perfectly after a swift counterattack. Things are already looking challenging for Italy as they face an uphill battle at the Olimpico…
🇮🇹👉 Italy 0 – 2 Belgium 🇧🇪
Dodi Lukébakio netted a stunning goal in the 69th minute for @BelRedDevils, striking a left-footed effort from well outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner. The assist came from @Atalanta_BC’s Charles De Ketelaere, who capitalized on a rapid counterattack. Things are looking pretty tough for the Azzurri right now.
#ITABEL #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro
Moise Kean in action against Belgium
Get ready for an exciting showdown! The Olimpico di Roma Stadium is all set to host the thrilling Italy vs Belgium match!
The Italian squad is making their way into the iconic Olimpico di Roma Stadium.
Italy’s official starting lineup against Belgium
UEFA Nations League
Group A
Italy 0 – 2 Belgium
Friday, 25 September 2026
Olimpico di Roma Stadium
Rome, Italy
20:45
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Sascha Stegemann GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Pascal Müller GER
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO
Attendance: 47,155.
⚽️ Goals: 20′ Mika Godts, 69′ Dodi Lukébakio
🟨 Yellow Cards: Raskin (B), Moreira (B), Mancini (I), Lavia (B), Fernandez-Pardo (B), Donnarumma (I) and Lukaku (B).
✅ Official lineups – Tabellino:
Lineup ITALIA (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Coppola, Calafiori; Tonali, Romano, Barella; Kean, Esposito, Cambiaghi.
Subs: Carnesecchi, Vicario, Kayode, Ahanor, Scalvini, Frattesi, Doumbia, Mandragora, Raspadori, Scamacca, Zoma, Maldini.
Head Coach: Roberto Mancini
Lineup BELGIUM (4-3-3): Lammens; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Raskin, De Bruyne; Moreira, De Ketelaere, Godts.
Subs: Vandervoordt, De Busser, Seys, Debast, Theate, Vanaken, Lukebakio, Lavia, Keita, Fernandez-Pardo, Openda, Lukaku.
Head Coach: Van Bommel
