France vs. Italy: Italian Player Booed Right Away During Warm-ups

In Saint-Denis, the atmosphere is electric for the France-Italy match, part of Matchday 3 of Group 1 in League A of the 2026-2027 Nations League. Roberto Mancini’s team is looking to pull off an upset against Zinedine Zidane’s Galletti, who have won their first two group matches against Belgium and Turkey without conceding a goal.

There were some tense moments before the match: Parisian fans had their sights set on Italian national team goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was booed as he entered the field to warm up alongside the other Italian goalkeepers. Donnarumma played for PSG for four years before transferring to Manchester City.

Roberto Mancini has decided to field a front three consisting of Kean and the two Esposito brothers, Pio and Sebastiano. In midfield are Tonali, Frattesi, and Fagioli, who was re-selected after his excellent performance in Turkey. In defense, Calafiori returns on the left, while Kayode remains on the right. In front of Donnarumma in the center are Bastoni and Scalvini.

Leonardo Bonucci, a member of Mancini’s staff, had this to say before the match: “Our philosophy must always remain the same. We’ll need to defend with a deep block, but without losing our identity. It’s a process; we need patience and to keep improving.”

The Azzurri head into this match in high spirits after their convincing 4-1 victory over Montella’s Turkey in Bursa—a result that got their group campaign back on track following a 2-0 loss to Belgium in their opener in Rome. On that evening in Turkey, Frattesi, Kayode, and Pio Esposito were the standout performers, with the latter scoring a goal and providing a beautifully crafted assist.