Zidane sets a double negative record against Italy at San Siro
In the opening minute, Pio Esposito opened the scoring for Italy at the San Siro. Italy then closed out a 3-1 win against France, giving Zinedine Zidane the first double record of defeat against the Azzurri both as a player and as a coach. The evening, which took place on Thursday night, was described as a night to forget for the Les Bleus.
Italy had not beaten France at home since 1962 and had lost all three previous home matches against the Les Bleus. The victory came against the third nation at the World, confirming the strength of the Italian side.
History and standings
Pio Esposito scored a brace, now considered a candidate to surpass Gigi Riva's goal record for the national team. Davide Frattesi added an individual goal that pushed Italy towards victory. With these three goals, Italy overtook France and placed itself at the top of the Nations League group.
Italy now has 10 points and a goal difference of +5, while France has 10 points but a goal difference of +3. Belgium sits on 9 points and Turkey remains at zero, already eliminated. Italy needs only a draw against Belgium on Sunday to reach the quarter‑finals.
Dayot Upamecano returns to Munich after France's defeat in Italy
Consequences and upcoming challenges
If France loses to Turkey and Belgium beats Italy, Belgium will move to 12 points, while Italy and France will stay at 10. In case of a tie on points, UEFA uses the head‑to‑head criterion, where France has a 1‑1 draw and a 3‑1 loss against Italy, leaving Italy ahead. Therefore France must absolutely avoid defeat on Sunday evening.
In the dressing room the French players appeared irritated: Malo Gusto, Rayan Cherki and a tension with Bradley Barcola were noted. Dayot Upamecano was absent, sent back to Monaco for personal reasons. Desiré Doué suffered an elbow strike from Davide Frattesi, losing a tooth; the staff confirmed that his dentition is stabilized and that he will see a dentist at noon.
Bayern star Dayot Upamecano leaves France – team without him
Zinedine Zidane said “Horrible for a coach” before the match. He defended his players, avoided individual criticism and highlighted Michael Olise’s positive attitude. He also stated that there was no lack of intervention by the coach on the field and that the team did not fail in fighting spirit or character, adding “Pas du tout.”