The fixture, scheduled for 20:45 local time (19:45 WAT), comes 20 years after Zidane’s last appearance at the stadium as a player. Appointed in late July to succeed Didier Deschamps, the former Real Madrid coach has guided Les Bleus to consecutive 1-0 away victories over Türkiye and Belgium, placing them top of the group with six points.
Italy, managed by returning coach Roberto Mancini, sit on three points after a 2-0 defeat to Belgium and a convincing 4-1 win over Türkiye. Mancini’s side will look to build on their improved second performance as they face one of their traditional rivals.
France will again be without captain Kylian Mbappé, who is sidelined with a knee injury sustained after scoring against Türkiye. Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery is also unavailable through injury, while Matteo Guendouzi remains suspended. Zidane has been able to call on squad depth, with Michael Olise and Désiré Doué among the standout performers so far.
Italy travel with a fully fit squad. Young striker Francesco Pio Esposito has already made an impact, while midfielders such as Davide Frattesi and Sandro Tonali provide creativity and steel.
The two nations last met in the Nations League in November 2024, when France won 3-1 in Milan. Across 41 previous encounters, Italy hold the historical edge with 20 victories to France’s 12, with nine draws.
A near-capacity crowd of close to 80,000 is expected at the national stadium as Zidane seeks a third successive win in charge of the two-time world champions.