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The traditional colour of the national team (as well as of all Italian teams and athletes except in motor sports) is light blue<ref>Light blue was the color of the [[house of Savoy|royal house]] of the Kingdom of Italy. In its first two matches, the Italian national team wore white shirts with shorts from the club of each player; the azure shirts were introduced in the third match.</ref> (<span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''azzurro''</span>, in [[Italian language|Italian]]), and therefore national team members are nicknamed <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">'''''Azzurri'''''</span>.
==History==
===Origins and first two World Cups (1910–1938)===
[[Image:1934 Football World Cup poster.jpg|120px|thumb|left|Poster of [[1934 World Cup]] edition.]]
The team's first match was held in [[Milan]] on [[15 May]] [[1910]]; Italy defeated [[France national football team|France]] by a score of 6-2.<ref>[http://www.figc.it/english/storia/storia_completa.htm#1913]. Some turmoil kept the players of [[Pro Vercelli]], the best team of the league, out of the game. At the end of the match, the players received as a prize some cigarette packets thrown by the 4,000 spectators.[http://www.figc.it/club_italia/html/mondiale_1910.htm] The Italian team (2-3-5): De Simoni; Varisco, Calì; Trerè, Fossati, Capello; Debernardi, Rizzi, Cevenini I, Lana, Boiocchi.[http://download.repubblica.it/pdf/motori/supplemento_ottobre06/04.pdf]</ref>
The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in [[1928 Summer Olympics]], held in [[Amsterdam]]. After losing the semi-final against [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]], a victory for 11-3 against [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]] secured third place in the competition.
After declining to participate in the first World Cup ([[Football World Cup 1930|1930]], in Uruguay), the Italian national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in [[Football World Cup 1934|1934]] and 1938, under the lead of coach [[Vittorio Pozzo]] and thanks to the genius of [[Giuseppe Meazza]], one of the best Italian players ever.
In the [[Football World Cup 1934|1934 World Cup]], the host <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> defeated [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]] 2–1 in [[Rome]], with goals by [[Raimundo Orsi]] and [[Angelo Schiavio]].
Italy won the Gold medal in the [[1936 Summer Olympics]], held in [[Berlin]], thanks to a victory in the final match against [[Austria national football team|Austria]].
Italy's predominance on international football in the 1930s was confirmed by the victory in [[Football World Cup 1938|1938 World Cup]]. The Italian team beat [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]] 4–2 in [[Paris]], with two goals by [[Silvio Piola]] (the all-time top scorer in Italian football) and two by [[Gino Colaussi]].
===Post-World War II (1946–1966)===
After [[World War II]], the Italian national team did not perform at its pre-war levels.
The tragic loss in 1949 of the players of [[Torino F.C.]] (the winners of the previous four [[Serie A]] titles) in the [[Superga air disaster]] saw the loss of ten out of the eleven constituting the initial line-up for the national team. The following year, Italy did not advance further than the first round of the [[Football World Cup 1950|1950 World Cup]], partly due to the long and physically devastating boat trip to [[Brazil]].
In the World Cup finals of [[Football World Cup 1954|1954]] and the [[Football World Cup 1962|1962]] that followed, Italy again failed to progress past the first round, and did not even qualify for the [[Football World Cup 1958|1958 World Cup]].
During the early 1960s, although Italian football clubs like [[AC Milan]] and [[Internazionale]] ruled the international scene, the National team was unable to replicate these results. Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in [[1960 European Football Championship|1960]] (then known as the European Nations Cup), and was knocked out by the [[USSR national football team|USSR]] in the round of 16 (second round) of the [[1964 European Football Championship|1964 European Championship]].
Their participation in the [[Football World Cup 1966|1966 World Cup]] is always remembered for their 0–1 defeat at the hands of [[North Korean national football team|North Korea]]. Despite being the tournament favourites, the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span>, whose 1966 squad was rich with talent including [[Gianni Rivera|Rivera]] and [[Giacomo Bulgarelli|Bulgarelli]], were eliminated in the first round by the semi-professional North Koreans and bitterly condemned upon their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Do Ik was celebrated as the [[David]] who killed [[Goliath]].[http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/cg/por_prk_1966.html]
===European champions and World Cup runners-up (1968–1976)===
In 1968, the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> won their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup, defeating [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] in Rome for the [[1968 European Football Championship|European Championship]] title. The match holds the distinction of being the only major football tournament final to go to a replay. After extra time it ended in a 1-1 draw, and in the days before penalty shootouts, the rules required the match to be re-played a few days later. Italy won the replay 2-0 (with goals from [[Luigi Riva|Riva]] and [[Pietro Anastasi|Anastasi]]) to lift the trophy.
Two years later, the defending European Champions reached the final of the [[Football World Cup 1970|1970 World Cup]], held in Mexico. First, Italy won its first round group scoring only one goal, after a series of dull, uninspired games against [[Sweden national football team|Sweden]], [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]], and [[Israel national football team|Israel]]. The quarter-finals saw a transformed Italy prevail 4-1 over host [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]] after trailing 0-1. Then, the semi-final between Italy and [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]] went into the legend as one of the greatest games ever. This match, won by 4-3 after extra time, is known as the [[Game of the Century (football)|Game of the Century]], and a marker at the [[Estadio Azteca]] in Mexico City still commemorates it. Italy took a 1-0 lead through [[Roberto Boninsegna|Boninsegna]] on 8', then Germany pressed to equalize for the rest of the game, until the very end when sweeper [[Karl-Heinz Schnellinger|Schnellinger]], then with Italy's [[AC Milan]] club, scored in [[injury time]]. In extra time, [[Gerd Müller|Müller]] brought Germany the lead on 94' before Italian defender [[Tarcisio Burgnich|Burgnich]] leveled the score with a rare international goal. On 104', [[Luigi Riva|Riva]] made it 3-2, only for Müller to equalize six minutes later. The TV cameras were still replaying this goal when [[Gianni Rivera|Rivera]] finely volleyed a cross by Boninsegna for the winning goal in the 111'. For the very first time, people gathered in the streets of Italy in the late night to cheer for the victory, and after many years this game still remains the most noted in Italian football history.
In the two games against Mexico and West Germany, coach [[Ferruccio Valcareggi]] had Rivera replace [[Alessandro Mazzola|Mazzola]] in a programmed second half substitution, that was then called <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''staffetta''</span> (meaning relay as in [[athletics (track and field)|athletics]]). This tactic was not repeated in the final, where Italy was defeated by [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]. During the first half, Boninsegna answered [[Pelé]]'s 18' goal. In the second half, Brazil's firepower was simply too much for a tired Italian side, and the final 4-1 result consecrated Brazil as ''tri-campeão'' (three-time champion).
This generation of great Italian players, like Riva, Rivera, Mazzola and [[Giacinto Facchetti|Facchetti]], didn't keep up the same level during the next [[1972 European Football Championship|1972 European Championship]] where they didn't qualify to the play-offs. In [[1973]] they obtained prestigious victories in friendly matches, beating Brazil and twice England. In particular, Italy stormed [[Wembley Stadium (1924)|Wembley Stadium]], winning 1-0 with a goal by [[Fabio Capello]]. Despite these encouraging premises, coach Valcareggi was to resign after the elimination of the Italian team in the first round of the [[Football World Cup 1974|1974 World Cup]]. Italy was as well eliminated at an early stage in [[1976 European Football Championship|1976 European Championship]].
===World Cup winners for the third time (1978–1982)===
[[1978 FIFA World Cup]], held in Argentina, saw a new generation of Italian players, the most famous being [[Paolo Rossi]], coming to the international stage. Italy played very well in the first round, being the only team in the tournament to beat the latter World Champion and host team [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]]. Second round games against [[Germany national football team|West Germany]], [[Austria national football team|Austria]] and [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] led Italy to the third place final, where it was defeated by [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] 2-1. As in the match against the Netherlands, Italian goalkeeper [[Dino Zoff]] was beaten by a long-distance shot and thus blamed as the main responsible of the defeat. Italy then organized the [[1980 European Football Championship]], the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four, and with the host team automatically qualified for the finals. Italy was beaten by [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]] in the third place match after penalties.
After a clamorous scandal in the [[Serie A]], where also few National Team players like Paolo Rossi were prosecuted and suspended for fixed games and illegal bets, the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> arrived to the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]] among general scepticism and discomfort. Italy qualified to the second round after a series of uninspiring matches against [[Poland national football team|Poland]], [[Peru national football team|Peru]] and [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]]. Being violently criticized, the Italian team decided a press black-out from then on, with only coach [[Enzo Bearzot]] and captain [[Dino Zoff]] appointed to speak with the press.
Italy's strength was finally shown in the second round group, a true Group of Death with [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] and [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]]. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2-1 over [[Diego Maradona]]'s side after an ill-tempered, obscure battle in which Italy's defenders and midfielders proved their mastery in the rougher side of the game. The winning goals were scored by [[Marco Tardelli]] and [[Antonio Cabrini]]. After Brazil defeated Argentina 3-1, Italy was obliged to win to pass to semifinals. Twice Italy went in the lead on Paolo Rossi goals, and twice Brazil came back. With the 2-2 scored by [[Paulo Roberto Falcão]], Brazil would have been through on goal difference, but on 74' Rossi scored the winning goal sending Italy to the semifinals in one of the all-time great games of World Cup history[http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/cg/ita_bra_1982.html]. In the wake of its brilliant second round performance, Italy easily dispatched Poland in the first semi-final through two goals scored by Rossi.
[[Image:Tardelli1982.jpg|thumb|280px|[[Marco Tardelli|Tardelli]]'s howl after scoring against [[Germany national football team|West Germany]] in [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982 World Cup]] final.]]
In the final match, Italy met their traditional opponent [[Germany national football team|West Germany]], who were coming from a penalty shoot-out against France. The first half ended without goals, after [[Antonio Cabrini|Cabrini]] missed a penalty for Italy. In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal, and while the Germans were trying to balance the result, [[Marco Tardelli]] and [[Alessandro Altobelli]] scored 3-0, before [[Paul Breitner]] could score West Germany's consolation goal seven minutes from end.
Tardelli's howl after his goal in the final is still recorded as the symbol of 1982 World Cup victory. Paolo Rossi won the [[World Cup Golden Boot|Golden Boot]] with six goals, and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper [[Dino Zoff]] became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup.
*
===World Cup and European Championship runners-up (1984–2004)===
For twenty-four years following the 1982 triumph, the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> figured prominently on the world stage but did not win another tournament. Italy failed to qualify for the [[1984 European Football Championship|1984 European Championship]] and were knocked out in the Round of 16 of the [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986 World Cup]] by [[France national football team|France]]. 1988 saw them reach the semi-finals of the [[1988 European Football Championship|European Championship]], where they were defeated 2-0 by [[USSR national football team|USSR]].
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]. The Italian attack featured forwards [[Salvatore Schillaci]] and a young [[Roberto Baggio]]. Despite being favourites[http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-worldhistory19821990dc&prov=reuters&type=lgns] to win and not conceding a goal during five matches, Italy was knocked-out in the semi-final by defending World Champion [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]], losing 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw after extra time; [[Aldo Serena]] missed the final penalty kick (with [[Roberto Donadoni]] having earlier had his penalty saved). Italy went on to defeat [[England national football team|England]] 2-1 in the third place match. Italy then failed to qualify for the [[1992 European Football Championship|1992 European Championship]].
In the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]], Italy started slowly but reached the final. They lost the opening match against [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Ireland]] 0-1, this being the only match Italy would lose (not counting games lost after shootout) over the span of three World Cup finals from 1990 to 1998, but advanced from [[1994 FIFA World Cup#Group E|Group E]] based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points. In the Round of 16, Italy was down 0-1 late against [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]], but Roberto Baggio equalized in the 89th minute and scored the go-ahead goal in extra time.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/pwc/mr_3091.html
|title=Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Nigeria - Italy
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref> Baggio scored another late goal against [[Spain national football team|Spain]] in the quarter-final to seal a 2-1 win and two goals against [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]] in the semi-final for another 2-1 win.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/pwc/mr_3097.html
|title=Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Italy - Spain
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/pwc/mr_3100.html
|title=Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Bulgaria - Italy
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref> In the final, Italy and [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] played 120 minutes of scoreless football, taking the match to [[penalty shootout (football)|penalty shootout]]. Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3-2 after Baggio missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/pwc/1994.html
|title=USA 1994
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref>
Italy didn't progress beyond the group stage during the finals of [[Euro 96]]. Again, [[Gianfranco Zola]] failed to convert a decisive penalty against Germany, who eventually won the tournament. Then, during the qualification for the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]], the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> beat [[England national football team|England]] in [[Wembley Stadium (1924)|Wembley]] for the second time, 1-0 with a goal by Zola. In the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|final tournament]], Italy found themselves in another critical shootout, for the third World Cup in a row. The Italian side, where [[Alessandro Del Piero|Del Piero]] and Baggio renewed the controversial <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''staffetta''</span> (relay) between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970, held to a 0-0 draw the eventual World Champions and host team [[France national football team|France]] after extra time in the quarter-finals, but lost 4-3 in the shootout. With two goals scored in this tournament, [[Roberto Baggio]] is still the only Italian player who scored in three different [[FIFA World Cup]] editions.
In [[2000 European Football Championship|Euro 2000]], another shootout was this time to favour Italy, in the semi-final against co-host nation, [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]]. Italian goalkeeper [[Francesco Toldo]] saved one penalty during the match and two during the shootout, while the Dutch players missed one other penalty during the match and one during the shootout with a rate of one penalty scored out of six attempts. Emerging football star [[Francesco Totti]] scored his penalty with a [[Francesco Totti#Additional information|''cucchiaio'']] (spoon) chip. Italy finished the tournament as runners-up, losing the final 2–1 against France (to a [[golden goal]] in extra time), after conceding ''les Bleus''' equalizing goal just 30 seconds before the end of injury time (94'). After the defeat, coach [[Dino Zoff]] resigned after being clamorously criticized by [[A.C. Milan]] president and politician [[Silvio Berlusconi]].
In the [[Football World Cup 2002|2002 World Cup]] co-host country [[South Korea national football team|South Korea]] knocked out Italy in the Round of 16, reviving the 1966 nightmare. The match was marked by controversy, as referee [[Byron Moreno]] gave [[Francesco Totti]] a second yellow card in extra time for an alleged dive, and disallowed an Italian goal. Replays seemed to indicate both that the card was unfounded and the goal was good, but the decisions stood and South Korea won 2-1, again with a golden goal in extra time.<ref>See [[2002 FIFA World Cup (match reports)]]. Subsequent comments by Italian coach [[Giovanni Trapattoni]] and some other public figures in Italy [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/features/newsid_2060000/2060961.stm], coupled with more controversial refereeing decisions in South Korea's subsequent Quarter-final against [[Spanish national football team|Spain]] led to a conspiracy theory that South Korea were being unfairly favoured by officials. Even [[Sepp Blatter]], FIFA president, recognized that several episodes of wrong or controversial decisions against the ''Azzurri'' had cumulated during the course of the tournament, including Totti's yellow card, even if he rejected any conspirancy against the Italian team.[http://www.arabnews.com/?page=8§ion=0&article=16212&d=21&m=6&y=2002]</small>. Referee Byron Moreno was suspended and removed by his federation a few years later, due to similar unfair decisions in other local matches.</ref>.
A three-way tie in the group stage of the [[2004 European Football Championship|2004 European Championship]] left Italy as the "odd man out", and they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals, finishing behind [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] and [[Sweden national football team|Sweden]] on the basis of number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams.<ref>There was some controversy as both Sweden and Denmark knew before their final match that a 2-2 draw between them would qualify both Scandinavian sides, leaving the Italians out, and that is exactly what transpired. Totti again found himself at the center of controversy for the Italian side after being suspended for three games for a spitting incident in the match against Denmark.</ref> The winning goal scored during [[stoppage time]] against [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]] by [[Antonio Cassano|Cassano]] resulted useless, leaving the Italian striker in tears at the end of the game.
===2006 World Cup: Champions for the fourth time===
Italy's campaign in the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]], held in Germany, was followed by open pessimism[http://english.people.com.cn/200605/23/eng20060523_267753.html], caused by the controversies following clamorous [[2006 Serie A scandal]]. But these predictions were then going to be refuted, since <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> eventually won their fourth [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]].
Italy won their opening game against [[Ghana national football team|Ghana]] 2-0, with goals coming from [[Andrea Pirlo]] (40') and [[Vincenzo Iaquinta]] (83'). The team performance was judged the best among the opening games by FIFA president [[Sepp Blatter]][http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201171.html].
The second match was a much less convincing 1-1 draw with [[USA national football team|USA]], with the opening goal by [[Alberto Gilardino]] equalized by a [[Cristian Zaccardo]] [[own goal]]. After the equalizing goal, [[Daniele De Rossi]] and two American players were sent off, leaving only nineteen men on the field for nearly the entirety of the second half, but the score remained the same. De Rossi was suspended for four matches for elbowing American player [[Brian McBride]] and could only return for the eventual final match.
Italy finished on top of Group E with a neat 2-0 win against the [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech Republic]], with goals from [[Marco Materazzi]] (26') and [[Filippo Inzaghi]] (87'), advancing to the [[2006 FIFA World Cup#Round of 16|Round of 16]] in the [[2006 FIFA World Cup#knockout stages|knockout stages]], where [[Australia national football team|Australia]] were beaten 1-0. In this match, Materazzi was [[2006 FIFA World Cup controversies#Italy vs. Australia .28Second round.29|controversially]] sent off early in the second half, but in the end the <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> won with a controversial penalty kick, won by [[Fabio Grosso]] and converted in the 95th minute by Totti.
The quarter-final match was a 3-0 victory against [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]], with [[Gianluca Zambrotta]] opening the scoring (6') and [[Luca Toni]] scoring twice (59' and 69'). Manager [[Marcello Lippi]] dedicated the victory to former Italian international [[Gianluca Pessotto]], who was recovering from an alleged suicide attempt.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Lippi dedicates win to Pessotto
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/italy/5123318.stm
|publisher=BBC
|date=[[2006-06-30]]
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref>
In the semi-final, that would be remembered as the most memorable game of the event, Italy beat hosts [[Germany national football team|Germany]] 2-0, with the two goals coming in the last two minutes of extra-time. [[Fabio Grosso]] scored the first goal in the 119th minute, after a disguised Pirlo pass found him open in the penalty area, and [[Alessandro Del Piero]] sealed the victory, by scoring in the last minute of extratime.
[[Image:FIFA world cup 2006 - Rome circus maximus flag.jpg|thumb|250px|Within the crowd in [[Circus Maximus]] in [[Rome]], after the Italian team scored against France]]
The <span lang="it" xml:lang="it">''Azzurri''</span> won their fourth World Cup, defeating [[France national football team|France]] in [[Berlin]], on [[July 9]], 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time. French captain [[Zinedine Zidane]] opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a tricky penalty kick, controversially awarded for a foul by Materazzi. Twelve minutes later, a header by Materazzi, from a perfectly placed corner by Pirlo, scored the equalizer. In the second half, a headed goal by Toni was nullified for an offside. At 110', Zidane was sent off after a head butt, provoked by an insult directed at him by Materazzi; the two players were eventually fined by the FIFA. Italy then won the penalty shoot-out 5-3, after [[David Trézéguet]]'s attempt hit the crossbar and Italy scoring on all five attempts, Grosso converting the final penalty past French keeper Barthez.
Ten different players scored for Italy and five goals out of twelve were scored by substitutes, while four goals were scored by defenders. Seven players - [[Gianluigi Buffon]], [[Fabio Cannavaro]], [[Gianluca Zambrotta|Zambrotta]], [[Andrea Pirlo|Pirlo]], [[Gennaro Gattuso]], [[Francesco Totti|Totti]] and [[Luca Toni|Toni]] - were named to the 23-man tournament [[FIFA World Cup awards#All-Star Team|All Star Team]].<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Azzurri prominent in All Star Team
|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060707/1/8n9b.html
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|date=[[2006-07-07]]
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref> Buffon also won the [[FIFA World Cup awards#Yashin Award|Lev Yashin Award]], given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he conceded only two goals in the tournament, the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane's penalty, and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Buffon collects Lev Yashin Award
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/italy/5123318.stm
|publisher=FIFAworldcup.com
|date=[[2006-07-10]]
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref>
===After the World Cup===
Days after the Italian triumph in the World Cup, Lippi announced his resignation.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Lippi the latest to be sucked into crisis
|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1779716,00.html
|first=Kevin
|last=Buckley
|publisher=Guardian
|date=[[2006-05-21]]
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}</ref>1994 World Cup star [[Roberto Donadoni]] was announced the new coach of the ''Azzurri'' on [[July 13]]. Italy is currently playing in the [[2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B]], along with [[France national football team|France]].<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Lippi resigns as Italy head coach
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/italy/5165406.stm
|publisher=BBC
|date=[[2006-07-12]]
|accessdate=2006-07-25
}}
</ref> On [[February 14]], [[2007]], [[FIFA]] ranked Italy 1st in the [[FIFA World Rankings]], moving them up one from their previous rank, 2nd. The ''Azzurri'' had not received such an honour since 1993.<ref>
{{cite news
|title=Italy oust Brazil to take top spot
|url=http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,131847,00.html?articleid=131847
|publisher=FIFA
|date=[[2006-02-14]]
|accessdate=2006-02-14
}}
</ref>
==World Cup record==
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