Italy’s rain-soaked victory over France sparks belief in a new Azzurri era

Italy’s 3-1 victory over France in the Nations League has been hailed by the country’s media as the start of a revival for the Azzurri, only months after their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The win at San Siro on Thursday was particularly significant for a nation that has missed the past three World Cup finals. Italy overturned an early goal from Zinedine Zidane’s side despite France’s greater individual quality and moved top of Group A in League A with 10 points, ahead of Les Bleus on head-to-head record.

France, fourth at the 2026 World Cup, arrived in Milan seeking the victory that would have secured first place. Instead, Italy responded with a determined display and completed a remarkable comeback.

“For Italy, this is an astonishing achievement and almost difficult to believe,” RMC correspondent Daniele Manusia told the broadcaster. “From our point of view, France are the best team in the world in terms of their players. Italy are not in the same world as France when it comes to individual ability, but they won through their style of play.”

‘Italy shakes’

La Gazzetta dello Sport marked what it described as the beginning of a new era under Roberto Mancini with the front-page headline: “Italy shakes”.

The newspaper also used the difficult conditions at San Siro to capture the frantic opening to the game.

“Have you ever tried playing football in a swimming pool?” it wrote. “That is how Italy’s first 10 minutes looked: water everywhere. The rain was pouring down and France were applying huge pressure. They drowned and suffocated us. Chances were falling like rain.

“It could have been the beginning of a nightmare, but France eased off slightly and Italy regained their balance.”

La Gazzetta identified Sebastiano Esposito’s missed penalty in the 59th minute as the match’s turning point.

“Everyone thought the same thing: it is over, the game is turning,” the paper wrote. “And it did turn in Italy’s favour. Italy began to control the match, and San Siro started to believe that we had beaten the best team in the world and that a new Mancini era had officially begun.”

‘Italy regains its greatness’

La Repubblica declared that “Italy regains its greatness”, while Corriere della Sera described the result as the beginning of the national team’s return to prominence and urged readers not to underestimate it.

“In bars, on trams and on trains, some people will tell you that Italy always win when matches matter least, and that France, with Mbappe and Dembele absent, will finish top of the group,” it wrote. “They may be right, but what does it matter?

“Eight months ago, we were stranded in Zenica with no way out. Now San Siro is shaking with joy in the rain, as if this Italy team, beating France at home for the first time since 1962, when Altafini scored twice, had always existed and never stumbled.”

The paper said the current squad offered clear signs of a new generation, pointing to Pio, Kayode, Calafiori, Cambiaghi, Scalvini and Vergara. With an average age of 25, it said, the team was looking ahead with hope after a night that had seemed almost impossible.