Belgium beat Italy 2-0 in Mancini's first match in charge

Italy suffered a 2-0 defeat against Belgium in the match held at the Stadio Olimpico in the capital, Rome, as part of the first round of the UEFA Nations League 2026-2027. This loss comes at the start of Roberto Mancini's second term with the Italian national team.

Italy's national team entered the match under the guidance of Mancini, who returned to take charge of the team after a hiatus, in an attempt to start anew following the tough times that "the Azzurri" have experienced in recent years.

Belgium opened the scoring through Mika Jutkiewicz after a pass from De Bruyne in the 20th minute, and Dodi Lukébakio scored the second goal in the 69th minute, allowing Belgium to earn their first three points in the UEFA Nations League.

This result comes after the last encounter between the two national teams ended in a 2-2 draw in Rome in October 2024, while Italy won 1-0 in the return match held in Belgium during the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League.

With this loss, the Italian national team starts its journey in Group A of League A of the UEFA Nations League without any points, in a group that includes Belgium, France, and Turkey, while Italy prepares to continue its journey with consecutive matches during the current international break.