PHOTO
The Azzurrini will fly out from Milan on Thursday 30 October, following their final day of work at the Novarello training base. The group, visited earlier today by Maurizio Viscidi, coordinator of Italy’s national youth teams, assembled on Tuesday and has since completed an intense training schedule at the local sports complex.
Italy will open their Group A campaign against hosts Qatar on Monday 3 November (18:45 local / 16:45 CET) on Pitch 7 of Doha’s Aspire Zone. The Azzurrini will then face Bolivia on Thursday 6 November (15:30 local / 13:30 CET) on Pitch 3 and South Africa on Sunday 9 November (18:45 local / 16:45 CET) on Pitch 9.
The top two teams from each of the twelve groups, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will progress to the round of 32 (14–15 November). The round of 16 and quarter-finals will take place on 18 and 21 November, the semi-finals on 24 November, and the third-place playoff and final on Thursday 27 November – at 15:30 and 19:00 respectively – the latter at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
This marks Italy’s seventh appearance at the U18 World Cup (after 1991, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2019). The Azzurrini’s best finishes came in 2009 in Nigeria under Pasquale Salerno (quarter-final defeat to Switzerland, 2-1) and in 2019 in Brazil under current U-20 coach Carmine Nunziata (quarter-final defeat to Brazil, 2-0).
SQUADLIST
Goalkeepers: Francesco Cereser (Torino), Alessandro Longoni (AC Milan), Sebastiano Nava (Juventus)
Defenders: Benit Borasio (Juventus), Leonardo Noah Bovio (Inter), Cristiano De Paoli (Como), Dauda Amihere Iddrisa (West Bromwich Albion), Jean-Tryfose Mambuku (Stade de Reims), David Marini (Cesena), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Alessio Baralla (Empoli), Andrea Luongo (Torino), Valerio Maccaroni (Roma), Fabio Pandolfi (AC Milan), Vincenzo Prisco (Napoli), Federico Steffanoni (Atalanta)
Forwards: Antonio Arena (Roma), Thomas Campaniello (Empoli), Destiny Onoguekhan Elimoghale (Juventus), Samuele Inácio (Borussia Dortmund), Simone Lontani (AC Milan)
STAFF
Head Coach: Massimiliano Favo; Head of Delegation: Filippo Corti; Assistant Coach: Davide Cei; Goalkeeper Coach: Davide Quironi; Fitness Coach: Adalberto Zamuner; Match Analyst: Andrea Loiacono; Medical Staff: Sofia Calaciura Clarich, Alessio Rossato; Physiotherapists: Giorgio Giannini, Enrico Matera; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; Academic Tutor: Stefano Presciutti; Press Officer: Alessandro Paoli; Team Secretary: Massimo Petracchini.
FIFA U18 World Cup Qatar 2025
Group A: Qatar, ITALY, South Africa, Bolivia
Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal
Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, UAE
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Switzerland
Group G: Germany, Colombia, North Korea, El Salvador
Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
Group I: USA, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czechia
Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Ireland
Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
Full Match Schedule (Timings in CET)
Group Stage 3-11 November
Monday 3 November
13:30 – South Africa v Bolivia, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – Costa Rica v UAE, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:00 – Senegal v Croatia, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – Japan v Morocco, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – Argentina v Belgium, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – New Caledonia v Portugal, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – Qatar v ITALY, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – Tunisia v Fiji, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Tuesday 4 November
13:30 – Ivory Coast v Switzerland, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
13:30 – Brazil v Honduras, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
14:00 – Mexico v South Korea, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – Haiti v Egypt, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – Germany v Colombia, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – England v Venezuela, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – North Korea v El Salvador, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
16:45 – Indonesia v Zambia, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
Wednesday 5 November
13:30 – Tajikistan v Czechia, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
13:30 – Panama v Ireland, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
14:00 – Paraguay v Uzbekistan, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – Austria v Saudi Arabia, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – Mali v New Zealand, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – USA v Burkina Faso, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – France v Chile, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – Canada v Uganda, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Thursday 6 November
13:30 – Bolivia v ITALY, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – Portugal v Morocco, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:00 – Japan v New Caledonia, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – Argentina v Tunisia, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – Fiji v Belgium, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – UAE v Croatia, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – Qatar v South Africa, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – Senegal v Costa Rica, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Friday 7 November
13:30 – England v Haiti, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – El Salvador v Colombia, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:00 – Germany v North Korea, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – Egypt v Venezuela, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – Mexico v Ivory Coast, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – Switzerland v South Korea, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – Brazil v Indonesia, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – Zambia v Honduras, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Saturday 8 November
13:30 – Czechia v Burkina Faso, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – Uganda v Chile, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:00 – Mali v Austria, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
14:30 – France v Canada, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
15:45 – USA v Tajikistan, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:15 – Paraguay v Panama, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – Ireland v Uzbekistan, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
16:45 – Saudi Arabia v New Zealand, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
Sunday 9 November
13:30 – Fiji v Argentina, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – Belgium v Tunisia, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:30 – Portugal v Japan, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
14:30 – Morocco v New Caledonia, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
15:45 – UAE v Senegal, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
15:45 – Croatia v Costa Rica, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
16:45 – Bolivia v Qatar, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – ITALY v South Africa, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Monday 10 November
13:30 – Switzerland v Mexico, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – South Korea v Ivory Coast, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:30 – El Salvador v Germany, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
14:30 – Colombia v North Korea, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
15:45 – Zambia v Brazil, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
15:45 – Honduras v Indonesia, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:45 – Egypt v England, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – Venezuela v Haiti, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Tuesday 11 November
13:30 – Uganda v France, Aspire Zone Pitch 3, Doha
13:30 – Chile v Canada, Aspire Zone Pitch 8, Doha
14:30 – Ireland v Paraguay, Aspire Zone Pitch 5, Doha
14:30 – Uzbekistan v Panama, Aspire Zone Pitch 1, Doha
15:45 – Czechia v USA, Aspire Zone Pitch 4, Doha
15:45 – Burkina Faso v Tajikistan, Aspire Zone Pitch 2, Doha
16:45 – Saudi Arabia v Mali, Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
16:45 – New Zealand v Austria, Aspire Zone Pitch 9, Doha
Knockout Stage 14-27 November
Round of 32: Friday 14 & Saturday 15 November
Round of 16: Tuesday 18 November
Quarter-finals: Friday 21 November
Semi-finals: Monday 24 November
Finals 27 November
Third Place Playoff: 13:30 – Aspire Zone Pitch 7, Doha
Final: 17:00 – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha