After six days of training at Coverciano, Italy Women will fly to Reggio Calabria this afternoon ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden (18:15 CET kick-off). It will be the Azzurre’s first-ever match at the Stadio Oreste Granillo, which is set to be awash in blue as fans come out to support Andrea Soncin’s side for the full 90 minutes against the favourites to top Group A1, which also includes Denmark and Serbia.

Only the group winner will earn a direct spot in the tenth edition of the World Cup, scheduled for 2027 in Brazil. That makes getting off to the right start essential, with the team aiming to build on last summer’s outstanding European Championship, both in terms of results and performances, and on the friendlies against Japan, Brazil, and the United States – matches that have allowed the squad to test themselves against some of the world’s top teams. A win over the Scandinavian side, currently fifth in the FIFA Ranking (Italy are 13th), has eluded them since 2018, but under Andrea Soncin the team has come close on four occasions, recording two draws and suffering two narrow defeats.

The Azzurre’s trip to Calabria, with the final training session at the Stadio Oreste Granillo scheduled for tomorrow at 17:15 CET, will begin with two off-field initiatives. In the morning, Delegation Head Sara Gama and several players will meet students at the ‘Telesio’ Comprehensive Institute, and immediately afterward they will visit the National Archaeological Museum, which currently features – alongside the Riace Bronzes and a wide collection of artifacts documenting Calabria’s rich history from prehistoric times to the Roman era – some memorabilia normally on display at the Football Museum in Coverciano.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Roma), Francesca Durante (Lazio), Laura Giuliani (Milan);

Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Roma), Lisa Boattin (Huston Dash), Federica D’Auria (Lazio), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Washington Spirit), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (London City Lionesses), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Angelica Soffia (Milan);

Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Matilde Pavan (Como), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Michela Cambiaghi (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Benedetta Glionna (Inter), Martina Piemonte (Lazio), Elisa Polli (Inter).