The Italy–Spain football rivalry (Italian: Rivalità calcistica Italia-Spagna; Spanish: Rivalidad futbolística Italia-España) sometimes referred to as the Mediterranean derby,[1] is a football rivalry between the national football teams of Italy and Spain,[2] the two countries have won five FIFA World Cups and five UEFA European Championship between them. Italy has won four FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships while Spain have won one FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. They have played against each other three times in the World Cup and six times in the European Championship, including each of the previous four Euros from 2008 to 2020 editions. Most notably, the two met at the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, which Spain won 4–0. They also met at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
 | |
| Teams |  Italy Spain |
|---|---|
| First meeting | Spain 2–0 Italy 1920 Summer Olympics (2 September 1920) |
| Latest meeting | Italy 1–2 Spain UEFA Nations League (6 October 2021) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 39 |
| Most wins | Spain (12) |
| All-time series | Italy: 11 Draw: 16 Spain: 12 |
| Largest victory | Italy 7–1 Spain 1928 Summer Olympics (4 June 1928) |
| Largest goal scoring | Italy 7–1 Spain 1928 Summer Olympics (4 June 1928) |
  Italy Spain | |
Spain has won 12, and Italy 11, of the 39 matches between them (including four at the Summer Olympic Games in the 1920s).[3] Although the two nations are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of the representative clubs in UEFA competitions, in which they are among the leading associations and have each enjoyed spells of dominance. Including the defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, twelve continental finals have been contested between an Italian and a Spanish representative (Spain dominate this with eight victories).[4][5] The frequent meetings between the clubs have led to the elite players becoming very familiar with one another when they meet at national level. The two nations' under-21 teams, which are also among the strongest in the world, are also acknowledged as rivals.[1]
List of matches
| Number | Date | Location | Competition | Game | Results |
| 1 | 2 September 1920 |  Antwerp |
1920 Summer Olympics | Spain – Italy | 2–0 |
| 2 | 9 March 1924 |  Milan |
Friendly | Italy – Spain | 0–0 |
| 3 | 25 May 1924 |  Colombes |
1924 Summer Olympics | Italy – Spain | 1–0 |
| 4 | 14 June 1925 |  Valencia |
Friendly | Spain – Italy | 1–0 |
| 5 | 29 May 1927 | Bologna |
Italy – Spain | 2–0 | |
| 6 | 22 April 1928 | Gijón |
Spain – Italy | 1–1 | |
| 7 | 1 June 1928 |  Amsterdam |
1928 Summer Olympics | Italy – Spain | 1–1[a] |
| 8 | 4 June 1928 | Italy – Spain | 7–1[b] | ||
| 9 | 22 June 1930 | Bologna |
Friendly | Italy – Spain | 2–3 |
| 10 | 19 April 1931 |  Bilbao |
Spain – Italy | 0–0 | |
| 11 | 31 May 1934 | Florence |
1934 World Cup | Italy – Spain | 1–1[c] |
| 12 | 1 June 1934 | Italy – Spain | 1–0[d] | ||
| 13 | 19 April 1942 | Milan |
Friendly | Italy – Spain | 4–0 |
| 14 | 27 March 1949 |  Madrid |
Spain – Italy | 1–3 | |
| 15 | 28 February 1959 | Rome |
Italy – Spain | 1–1 | |
| 16 | 13 March 1960 | Barcelona |
Spain – Italy | 3–1 | |
| 17 | 21 February 1970 | Madrid |
Spain – Italy | 2–2 | |
| 18 | 20 February 1971 | Cagliari |
Italy – Spain | 1–2 | |
| 19 | 25 January 1978 |  Madrid |
Spain – Italy | 2–1 | |
| 20 | 21 December 1978 | Rome |
Italy – Spain | 1–0 | |
| 21 | 12 June 1980 | Milan |
Euro 1980 | Italy – Spain | 0–0 |
| 22 | 14 June 1988 |  Frankfurt |
Euro 1988 | Italy – Spain | 1–0 |
| 23 | 9 July 1994 |  Foxborough |
1994 World Cup | Italy – Spain | 2–1 |
| 24 | 18 November 1998 | Salerno |
Friendly | Italy – Spain | 2–2 |
| 25 | 29 March 2000 | Barcelona |
Spain – Italy | 2–0 | |
| 26 | 28 April 2004 |  Genoa |
Italy – Spain | 1–1 | |
| 27 | 26 March 2008 | Elche |
Spain – Italy | 1–0 | |
| 28 | 22 June 2008 |  Vienna |
Euro 2008 | Spain – Italy | 0–0[e] |
| 29 | 10 August 2011 | Bari |
Friendly | Italy – Spain | 2–1 |
| 30 | 10 June 2012 |  Gdańsk |
Euro 2012 | Spain – Italy | 1–1 |
| 31 | 1 July 2012 |  Kiev |
Spain – Italy | 4–0 | |
| 32 | 27 June 2013 |  Fortaleza |
2013 Confederations Cup | Spain – Italy | 0–0[f] |
| 33 | 5 March 2014 | Madrid |
Friendly | Spain – Italy | 1–0 |
| 34 | 24 March 2016 | Udine |
Italy – Spain | 1–1 | |
| 35 | 27 June 2016 | Saint-Denis |
Euro 2016 | Italy – Spain | 2–0 |
| 36 | 6 October 2016 | Turin |
2018 World Cup qualification | Italy – Spain | 1–1 |
| 37 | 2 September 2017 | Madrid |
Spain – Italy | 3–0 | |
| 38 | 6 July 2021 |  London |
Euro 2020 | Italy – Spain | 1–1[g] |
| 39 | 6 October 2021 | Milan |
2021 Nations League finals | Italy – Spain | 1–2 |
- ^ The quarter-final match ended in a draw after extra time.
- ^ The quarter-final was replayed after ending in a draw; Italy won the replay and advanced.
- ^ The quarter-final match ended in a draw after extra time.
- ^ The quarter-final was replayed the next day after ending in a draw; Italy won the replay and advanced.
- ^ Spain won 4–2 on penalties after extra time.
- ^ Spain won 7–6 on penalties after extra time.
- ^ Italy won 4–2 on penalties after extra time.
Comparison of Italy's and Spain's positions in major international tournaments
- Key
Denotes which team finished better in that particular competition.
DNQ: Did not qualify.
DNP: Did not participate.
TBD: To be determined.
| Tournament | Italy
|
Spain
|
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 FIFA World Cup | DNP | DNP | |
| 1934 FIFA World Cup | 1st | 5th | Italy and Spain faced off in the quarter-final match which ended 1–1 and was replayed the following day where Italy won 1–0. Tournament played in Italy. |
| 1938 FIFA World Cup | 1st | DNP | |
| 1950 FIFA World Cup | 7th | 4th | |
| 1954 FIFA World Cup | 10th | DNP | |
| 1958 FIFA World Cup | DNQ | ||
| 1960 European Nations' Cup | DNP | ||
| 1962 FIFA World Cup | 9th | 13th | |
| 1964 European Nations' Cup | DNQ | 1st | |
| 1966 FIFA World Cup | 9th | 10th | |
| UEFA Euro 1968 | 1st | DNQ | Tournament played in Italy. |
| 1970 FIFA World Cup | 2nd | ||
| UEFA Euro 1972 | DNQ | ||
| 1974 FIFA World Cup | 10th | ||
| UEFA Euro 1976 | DNQ | ||
| 1978 FIFA World Cup | 4th | 10th | |
| UEFA Euro 1980 | 7th | Tournament played in Italy. | |
| 1982 FIFA World Cup | 1st | 12th | Tournament played in Spain. |
| UEFA Euro 1984 | DNQ | 2nd | |
| 1986 FIFA World Cup | 12th | 7th | |
| UEFA Euro 1988 | 4th | 6th | Italy beat Spain 1–0 in their group stage match up; Spain did not advance from the group, while Italy did. |
| 1990 FIFA World Cup | 3rd | 10th | Tournament played in Italy. |
| UEFA Euro 1992 | DNQ | ||
| 1994 FIFA World Cup | 2nd | 8th | Italy beat Spain 2–1 in the quarter-finals, eliminating them from the tournament. |
| UEFA Euro 1996 | 10th | 6th | |
| 1998 FIFA World Cup | 5th | 17th | |
| UEFA Euro 2000 | 2nd | 5th | |
| 2002 FIFA World Cup | 15th | 5th | |
| UEFA Euro 2004 | 9th | 10th | |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup | 1st | 9th | |
| UEFA Euro 2008 | 8th | 1st | In the quarter-finals, Italy and Spain were matched up in a goalless draw after 120 minutes in which Spain won 4–2 on penalties, eliminating Italy from the tournament. |
| 2010 FIFA World Cup | 26th | ||
| UEFA Euro 2012 | 2nd | Italy and Spain were matched up in the group stage, which ended 1–1 and later faced off in the final, in which Spain defeated Italy 4–0. | |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup | 22nd | 23rd | |
| UEFA Euro 2016 | 5th | 10th | In the round of 16, Italy defeated Spain 2–0, eliminating them from the tournament. |
| 2018 FIFA World Cup | DNQ | 10th | |
| UEFA Euro 2020 | 1st | 3rd | In the semi-finals, Italy eliminated Spain 4–2 on penalties. Some games of the tournament played in Italy and Spain. |
| 2022 FIFA World Cup | TBD | TBD | |
| UEFA Euro 2024 | TBD | TBD | |
Major encounters
1934 FIFA World Cup
On 31 May, Italy faced Spain in the quarter-final of the 1934 FIFA World Cup, where the two sides drew 1–1 after extra time with Spanish goal by Luis Regueiro in the 30th minute and Italian goal by Giovanni Ferrari in the 44th minute. They then faced off again in the replay match the following day to settle the team that advances; Italy won the replay 1–0 win the goal coming from Giuseppe Meazza in the 11th minute.[6] Italy went on to win their first World Cup title.
- Replay
UEFA Euro 1988
On 14 June, Italy and Spain were matched up for the second match in the group stage, where Italy won 1–0 with the goal coming from Gianluca Vialli in the 73rd minute.[6] Italy went on to win their last group match, while Spain lost theirs; Italy made it out of the group, while Spain did not.
1994 FIFA World Cup
On 9 July, Italy won the quarter-final match up against Spain in the 1994 World Cup 2–1 quarter-final at Foxboro Stadium, with Italian Dino Baggio scoring first in the 25th minute, the Spaniards equalised with a goal from José Luis Caminero in the 58th minute, before Roberto Baggio sealed the Italian victory in the 88th minute.[6] A controversy in the match was Mauro Tassotti's elbow on Spanish player Luis Enrique,[7] but during the match the incident went unpunished – Tassotti was later banned for eight games.[8]
UEFA Euro 2008
On 22 June, Italy and Spain were matched up for a quarter-final in Euro 2008; the game ended a goalless draw after 120 minutes and resulted in a penalty shoot-out which Spain won 4–2.[6] Spain went on to win the European Championship for the second time.
UEFA Euro 2012
On 1 July, Spain and Italy were matched up for the final of Euro 2012. The sides had already met in the group stage, drawing 1–1. Spain took the lead in the 14th minute, though, when Andrés Iniesta played a through-ball to Cesc Fàbregas, who drove past Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to the by-line before pulling back a cross for David Silva to head into the net from six yards.[10] Chiellini was clearly struggling with a thigh injury he had picked up in the earlier rounds, and he was replaced by Federico Balzaretti after 20 minutes.[10] Italy responded with a couple of shots from Antonio Cassano that were saved by Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas,[10] but Spain doubled their lead before half-time when Xavi picked out left-back Jordi Alba, who capped a long forward run with a precise finish past Gianluigi Buffon in the Italy goal.[10]
Antonio Di Natale came on for Cassano at half-time and twice went close to scoring, the second effort forcing a save from the onrushing Casillas.[10] Italy's final substitution saw Thiago Motta replace Riccardo Montolivo, but he soon suffered a hamstring injury; with all of their substitutes used, Italy had to play the last 30 minutes of the match with ten men.[10] Fernando Torres replaced Fàbregas with 15 minutes left to play, and scored in the 84th minute – assisted by Xavi – to become the first man to score in two European Championship finals.[11] Torres then turned provider four minutes later, cutting the ball back with the outside of his boot for fellow substitute and Chelsea forward Juan Mata to sweep into an empty net for a final score of 4–0,[10] the widest margin of victory in any European Championship final. Spain became the first team to retain the European Championship title and also the first European team to win three major international competitions in a row.
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
On 27 June, the semi-final of the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil was contested between Italy and Spain, where after a goalless 120 minutes, Spain won 7–6 in the resulting penalty shoot-out; Italy's Leonardo Bonucci was the only player to miss.[14]
| Spain | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
Xavi  Iniesta Piqué Ramos Mata Busquets Navas |
7–6 | Candreva Aquilani De Rossi Giovinco Pirlo Montolivo Bonucci |
UEFA Euro 2016
On 27 June, Italy and Spain matched up for the round of 16 in the Euro 2016, in a rematch of the previous tournament's final. Italy won 2–0 with goals from Giorgio Chiellini in the 33rd minute and Graziano Pellè in stoppage time of the second half. Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea made several impressive saves to keep Spain in the match, notably on Pellè's first-half header attempt, however, it ultimately ended in defeat, eliminating the defending European champions Spain.[15][16]
2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying
Italy was not seeded into the first pot, being placed into the second pot due to being in 17th place in the FIFA World Rankings at the time of the group draws; Italy and Spain, from pot one, were drawn together on 25 July 2015.[18] Italy and Spain drew 1–1 in Turin on 6 October 2016, followed by a 3–0 Spain win in Madrid on 2 September 2017, as Spain topped Group G, leaving Italy in second place five points behind.[19][20] Italy were then required to go through the play-off against Sweden. After a 1–0 aggregate loss to Sweden, on 13 November 2017, Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1958.[21]
UEFA Euro 2020
On 6 July 2021, Italy and Spain faced each other in the semi-finals of the Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) at Wembley Stadium in London, marking the fourth consecutive European Championship that the sides meet. Italy and Spain, could not break the deadlock after 120 minutes, and Italy won 4–2 in the resulting penalty shoot-out en route to their first European title in 53 years.
2021 UEFA Nations League finals
On 6 October 2021, Italy and Spain faced each other in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League at San Siro in Milan, Italy. Spain ended Italy's world-record 37-game unbeaten run with a 2–1 win as they reach their first UEFA Nations League final. Italy, defeated at home in a competitive game for the first time since 1999, thus failed to emulate the success of 2019 hosts Portugal in becoming the reigning European champions to win the Nations League.[23]
| Italy | 1–2 | Spain |
|---|---|---|
Pellegrini  83' |
Report | Ferr. Torres 17', 45+2' |
Statistics
Overall
- As of 6 October 2021
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Goals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Spain | Italy | Spain | |||
| FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| FIFA World Cup qualifiers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| UEFA European Championship | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4[a][b] | 5 | 6 |
| UEFA Nations League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 0 |
| Summer Olympics | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
| All competitions | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 18 |
| Friendly | 21 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 25 |
| All matches | 39 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 45 | 43 |
- ^ Spain defeated Italy in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in 120 minutes.
- ^ Italy defeated Spain in the Euro 2020 semi-finals 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in 120 minutes.
- ^ Spain defeated Italy in the 2013 Confederations Cup semi-finals 7–6 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in 120 minutes.
See also
References
- ^ a b "El derbi mediterráneo: historia de una rivalidad entre las dos mejores selecciones Sub-21" [The Mediterranean derby: history of a rivalry between the two best Under-21 teams]. Sefutbol.com (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ "Spain renews its rivalry with Italy". TSN.ca. 25 June 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Spain national football team: record v Italy". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ "Spain v Italy: UEFA Champions League finals". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Cambiasso: Juventus only Italian club that lose to the Spanish". Forza Italian Football. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d Richard Martin (25 June 2016). "Italy v Spain: five unforgettable meetings". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Luis Enrique full of respect". BBC Sport. 20 June 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ Date set for Hendry decision; BBC Sport, 3 April 2001
- ^ "Full-time report Spain-Italy" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 22 June 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g McNulty, Phil (1 July 2012). "Spain 4–0 Italy". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ Rostance, Tom; Dawkes, Phil (2 July 2012). "Euro 2012 final: as it happened". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "Full-time report Spain-Italy" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Full-time report Spain–Italy" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Match Report Spain-Italy". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013.
- ^ Jim Foulerton (27 June 2016). "Dominant Italy brush aside champions Spain". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "David De Gea's save in Spain vs. Italy was a 'miracle' - Graziano Pelle". ESPNFC.com. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Italy v Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
- ^ "European teams learn World Cup qualifying fate". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 July 2015.
- ^ "World Cup 2018: Italy and the nightmare of their play-off against Sweden". bbc.com. 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Ogden: Isco superb as Spain thrash Italy". espn.co.uk.
- ^ "Ignominious Italy out of World Cup". Football Italia. 13 November 2017.
- ^ "Full Time Summary – Italy v Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ Begley, Emlyn (6 October 2021). "Italy 1-2 Spain: La Roja end Azzurri's long unbeaten run to reach Nations League final". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Italy v Spain" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.