Italy at the FIFA World Cup


This is a record of Italy's results at the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase. The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.
Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of the World Cup, having won four titles, just one fewer than Brazil. The team was present in 18 out of the 21 tournaments, reaching six finals, a third place and a fourth place.

FIFA World Cup record

Champions Runners-up Third Place Fourth Place

Winning World Cups

By Match

Italy's score listed first
World CupRoundOpponentScoreVenueScorers
1934Round of 167–1RomeSchiavio, Orsi, Ferrari, Meazza
1934Quarter-finals1–1 FlorenceFerrari
1934Quarter-finalsFlorenceMeazza
1934Semi-finals1–0MilanGuaita
1934Final2–1 RomeOrsi, Schiavio
1938Round of 162–1 MarseilleFerraris, Piola
1938Quarter-finals3–1ParisPiola, Colaussi
1938Semi-finals2–1MarseilleColaussi, Meazza
1938Final4–2ParisColaussi, Piola
1950Group stage2–3São PauloCarapellese, Muccinelli
1950Group stage2–0São PauloCarapellese, Pandolfini
1954Group stage1–2LausanneBoniperti
1954Group stage4–1LuganoPandolfini, Galli, Frignani, Lorenzi
1954Group stageBaselNesti
1962Group stage0–0Santiago
1962Group stage0–2Santiago
1962Group stage3–0SantiagoBulgarelli, Mora
1966Group stage2–0SunderlandA. Mazzola, Barison
1966Group stage0–1Sunderland
1966Group stage0–1Middlesbrough
1970Group stage1–0TolucaDomenghini
1970Group stage0–0Puebla
1970Group stage0–0Toluca
1970Quarter-finals4–1TolucaRiva, Guzmán, Rivera
1970Semi-finals4–3 Mexico CityBoninsegna, Burgnich, Riva, Rivera
1970Final1–4Mexico CityBoninsegna
1974Group stage3–1MunichRivera, Benetti, Anastasi
1974Group stage1–1StuttgartPerfumo
1974Group stage1–2StuttgartCapello
1978Group stage2–1Mar del PlataRossi, Zaccarelli
1978Group stage3–1Mar del PlataRossi, Bettega, Benetti
1978Group stage1–0Buenos AiresBettega
1978Second round0–0Buenos Aires
1978Second round1–0Buenos AiresRossi
1978Second round1–2Buenos AiresBrandts
1978Third place play-off1–2Buenos AiresCausio
1982Group stage0–0Vigo
1982Group stage1–1VigoConti
1982Group stage1–1VigoGraziani
1982Second round2–1BarcelonaTardelli, Cabrini
1982Second round3–2BarcelonaRossi
1982Semi-finals2–0BarcelonaRossi
1982Final3–1MadridRossi, Tardelli, Altobelli
1986Group stage1–1Mexico CityAltobelli
1986Group stage1–1PueblaAltobelli
1986Group stage3–2PueblaAltobelli, Cho K. R.
1986Round of 160–2Mexico City
1990Group stage1–0RomeSchillaci
1990Group stage1–0RomeGiannini
1990Group stage2–0RomeSchillaci, R. Baggio
1990Round of 162–0RomeSchillaci, Serena
1990Quarter-finals1–0RomeSchillaci
1990Semi-finals1–1
NaplesSchillaci
1990Third place play-off2–1BariR. Baggio, Schillaci
1994Group stage0–1East Rutherford
1994Group stage1–0East RutherfordD. Baggio
1994Group stage1–1Washington, D.C.Massaro
1994Round of 162–1 FoxboroughR. Baggio
1994Quarter-finals2–1FoxboroughD. Baggio, R. Baggio
1994Semi-finals2–1East RutherfordR. Baggio
1994Final0–0
Pasadena
1998Group stage2–2BordeauxVieri, R. Baggio
1998Group stage3–0MontpellierVieri, Di Biagio
1998Group stage2–1Saint-DenisVieri, R. Baggio
1998Round of 161–0MarseilleVieri
1998Quarter-finals0–0
Saint-Denis
2002Group stage2–0SapporoVieri
2002Group stage1–2IbarakiVieri
2002Group stage1–1ŌitaDel Piero
2002Round of 161–2 DaejeonVieri
2006Group stage2–0HanoverPirlo, Iaquinta
2006Group stage1–1KaiserslauternGilardino
2006Group stage2–0HamburgMaterazzi, Inzaghi
2006Round of 161–0KaiserslauternTotti
2006Quarter-finals3–0HamburgToni, Zambrotta
2006Semi-finals2–0 DortmundGrosso, Del Piero
2006Final1–1
BerlinMaterazzi
2010Group stage1–1Cape TownDe Rossi
2010Group stage1–1NelspruitIaquinta
2010Group stage2–3JohannesburgDi Natale, Quagliarella
2014Group stage2–1ManausMarchisio, Balotelli
2014Group stage0–1Recife
2014Group stage0–1Natal

Record by Opponent

World Cup Finals

1934 World Cup Final v Czechoslovakia">Czech Republic national football team">Czechoslovakia

With temperatures around 40 °C, Italy won their home tournament in 1934 after going into extra time against Czechoslovakia.

1938 World Cup Final v Hungary">Hungary national football team">Hungary

After a difficult route to the final, defeating hosts France in the quarter-finals and Brazil in the semis, Italy was the first team to win the World Cup title on foreign ground. Also, it was the first of only two times in World Cup history that a team successfully defended their title.

1970 World Cup Final v Brazil">Brazil national football team">Brazil

In 1970, the Brazilian team featured superstars like Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto and were considered favourites for the title. Particularly in the second half, the Italians were outclassed by the Brazilians passing play.

1982 World Cup Final v West Germany">Germany national football team">West Germany

Italy played three draws in the first group stage in a worrisome start to the tournament, proceeding ahead of Cameroon only on number of goals scored. However, the Italians continued to defeat Brazil, Argentina and a strong Polish side over the course of the tournament and faced West Germany in the final in Madrid.
Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty in the goalless first half, but the dominant Italian side eventually built up a 3–0 lead and won by 3–1 in the end, securing their third World Cup trophy.

1994 World Cup Final v Brazil">Brazil national football team">Brazil

The 1994 final was the first ever to be decided on penalties after goalless 120 minutes. Italian captain Franco Baresi missed the very first penalty, and Roberto Baggio the decisive last one.
Italy became the first team to lose two World Cup finals against the same opponent.

2006 World Cup Final v France">France national football team">France

Italian defender Marco Materazzi was involved in all three outstanding moments of the first 120 minutes: He conceded the penalty that was converted by Zinedine Zidane early in the game, equalised with a powerful header soon after, and provoked Zidane in a manner that lead to the French captain being sent off. He also scored in the penalty-shootout that was to follow.
It was only the second time a World Cup final was decided on penalties, again involving Italy after the 1994 final lost to Brazil.

Player appearances

is the player with the third-most matches at FIFA World Cups, trailing only behind the Germans Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose. This also makes him the player with the most World Cup matches who has never won the trophy.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is one of only three players who have been part of five FIFA World Cup squads.
No.NameMatchesWorld Cups
1Paolo Maldini231990, 1994, 1998 and 2002
2Antonio Cabrini181978, 1982 and 1986
2Gaetano Scirea181978, 1982 and 1986
2Fabio Cannavaro181998, 2002, 2006 and 2010
5Dino Zoff171974, 1978 and 1982
6Giuseppe Bergomi161982, 1986, 1990 and 1998
6Roberto Baggio161990, 1994 and 1998
8Paolo Rossi141978 and 1982
8Gianluigi Buffon142002, 2006, 2010 and 2014
10Claudio Gentile131978 and 1982
10Marco Tardelli131978 and 1982
10Gianluca Zambrotta132002, 2006 and 2010

Top goalscorers

Two Italians were awarded the Golden Boot for best goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup: Paolo Rossi in 1982 and Salvatore Schillaci in 1990 with 6 goals each.
No.NameGoalsWorld Cups
1Paolo Rossi91978 and 1982
1Roberto Baggio91990, 1994 and 1998
1Christian Vieri91998 and 2002
4Salvatore Schillaci61990
5Silvio Piola51938
5Alessandro Altobelli51982 and 1986
7Angelo Schiavio41934
7Gino Colaussi41938
9Raimundo Orsi31934
9Giuseppe Meazza31934 and 1938
9Luigi Riva31970
9Gianni Rivera31970 and 1974

Awards and Records

Team Awards

Golden Ball award
Golden Boot award
Other individual awards
Three World Cup finals have been officiated by representatives of the Italian football federation, only English referees have had the honour more often. The 1978 final between Argentina and the Netherlands has been led by Sergio Gonella, who had already officiated the European Championship final two years earlier. The other referees are Pierluigi Collina in 2002, and Nicola Rizzoli in 2014.
The Italian referee with the most World Cup matches, however, is Roberto Rosetti, who has been in charge of six matches total in 2006 and 2010.