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Having competed at the XX Mediterranean Games in Puglia from 22 to 30 August and won the asymmetrical tournament in Croatia from 26 September to 5 October, the Under-18 National Team are preparing to return to action for a training camp from 12 to 15 November at the Centro di Preparazione Olimpica Acqua Acetosa ‘Giulio Onesti’ in Rome. The camp will serve as preparation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which takes place in Qatar from 19 November to 13 December.
Head coach Daniele Franceschini has named a 21-man squad for the occasion. All the players were born in 2009, with the exception of two born in 2010: Atalanta midfielder Francesco Olivieri and Fiorentina forward Federico Croci. The Azzurrini will meet up in the Italian capital on Thursday before travelling to Doha on the afternoon of Monday 16 November.
Italy, who won a historic bronze medal at the previous edition of the tournament, also held in Qatar, have been drawn in Group E alongside Jamaica, Côte d’Ivoire and Uzbekistan. The Azzurrini head into the competition as European champions, having won the title on 7 June (Belgium 1-1 Italy, 4-5 on penalties). Italy will open their campaign against Jamaica on Friday 20 November (16:00 CET) at Pitch 3 of the Aspire Zone in Doha. They will then face Côte d’Ivoire on Monday 23 November (15:30 CET), also at Pitch 3, before taking on Uzbekistan at Pitch 5 on Thursday 26 November (15:00 CET).
The top two teams from each of the twelve groups, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will progress to the knockout stage. This will feature the Round of 32 (Monday 30 November and Tuesday 1 December), the Round of 16 (Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December), the quarter-finals (Monday 7 December), the semi-finals (Thursday 10 December) and the final matches on Sunday 13 December. The third-place play-off will kick off at 13:30 CET at Pitch 2 of the Aspire Zone, while the final will take place at 17:00 CET at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha.
THE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Lorenzo Costoli (Genoa), Carlo Galliera (Inter), Christian Lupo (Lecce);
Defenders: Matteo Albini (Como), Giampaolo Bonifazi (Roma), Jacopo Del Fabro (Juventus), Djibril Diallo (Parma), Andrea Donato (Inter), Davide Rigo (Juventus), Ludovico Varali (Parma);
Midfielders: Riccardo Cassano (Como), Francesco Gasparello (Atalanta), Gioele Giammattei (Roma), Gianluca Tommaso Okon-Engstler (Club Brugge), Francesco Olivieri (Atalanta);
Forwards: Tommaso Casagrande (Hellas Verona), Thomas Corigliano (Juventus), Federico Croci (Fiorentina), Marcello Fugazzola (Atalanta), Jacopo Landi (Lazio), Diego Perillo (Atalanta).
Staff – Head coach: Daniele Franceschini; Head of Delegation: Giovanni Galli; Youth National Teams Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach: Marco Scarpa; Goalkeeping Coach: Francesco Antonioli; Fitness Coach: Roberto Ghielmetti; Match Analyst: Francesco Donzella; Doctors: Cosma Calderaro, Giorgio Liberati Petrucci and Lorenzo Sapegno; Physiotherapists: Aldo Abbadia and Saverio Didonato; Nutritionist: Giuseppe Cuzzocrea; Press Officer: Alessandro Paoli; Administration, Finance and Control Office: Antonio Martuscelli; Club Italia: Adrian Lupinski and Emanuele Sica; Team Secretary: Guglielmo Cammino.
FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026
Group stage (19–27 November)*
Group A: Qatar, Panama, Egypt, Greece
Group B: South Korea, Uganda, New Caledonia, Ecuador
Group C: Argentina, Australia, Mozambique, Denmark
Group D: France, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group E: ITALY, Jamaica, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan
Group F: Senegal, Croatia, Cuba, Tajikistan
Group G: Mali, New Zealand, Belgium, Vietnam
Group H: Spain, China, Fiji, Morocco
Group I: Brazil, Ireland, Tanzania, Costa Rica
Group J: United States, Montenegro, Chile, Algeria
Group K: Mexico, Romania, Cameroon, Venezuela
Group L: Japan, Colombia, Serbia, Honduras
Matchday 1
Thursday 19 November
14:00: New Caledonia vs. Ecuador, Pitch 4
14:00: France vs. Haiti, Pitch 9
14:30: South Korea vs. Uganda, Pitch 1
15:00: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, Pitch 5
16:00: Mozambique vs. Denmark, Pitch 3
16:30: Qatar vs. Panama, Pitch 2
17:00: Egypt vs. Greece, Pitch 7
17:00: Argentina vs. Australia, Pitch 8
Friday 20 November
14:00: Cuba vs. Tajikistan, Pitch 4
14:00: Belgium vs. Vietnam, Pitch 9
14:30: Mali vs. New Zealand, Pitch 1
15:00: Spain vs. China, Pitch 5
16:00: ITALY vs. Jamaica, Pitch 3
16:30: Senegal vs. Croatia, Pitch 2
17:00: Côte d’Ivoire vs. Uzbekistan, Pitch 8
17:00: Fiji vs. Morocco, Pitch 7
Saturday 21 November
13:30: Japan vs. Colombia, Pitch 9
13:30: Serbia vs. Honduras, Pitch 4
14:00: Tanzania vs. Costa Rica, Pitch 1
14:30: Cameroon vs. Venezuela, Pitch 5
15:30: United States vs. Montenegro, Pitch 3
16:00: Brazil vs. Ireland, Pitch 2
16:30: Chile vs. Algeria, Pitch 7
16:30: Mexico vs. Romania, Pitch 8
Matchday 2
Sunday 22 November
13:30: Greece vs. Panama, Pitch 9
13:30: Denmark vs. Australia, Pitch 4
14:00: Ecuador vs. Uganda, Pitch 1
14:30: France vs. Saudi Arabia, Pitch 5
15:30: South Korea vs. New Caledonia, Pitch 3
16:00: Qatar vs. Egypt, Pitch 2
16:30: Argentina vs. Mozambique, Pitch 7
16:30: Uruguay vs. Haiti, Pitch 8
Monday 23 November
13:30: Tajikistan vs. Croatia, Pitch 9
13:30: Spain vs. Fiji, Pitch 4
14:00: Uzbekistan vs. Jamaica, Pitch 1
14:30: Senegal vs. Cuba, Pitch 5
15:30: ITALY vs. Côte d’Ivoire, Pitch 3
16:00: Morocco vs. China, Pitch 2
16:30: Mali vs. Belgium, Pitch 7
16:30: Vietnam vs. New Zealand, Pitch 8
Tuesday 24 November
13:30: Costa Rica vs. Ireland, Pitch 4
13:30: Venezuela vs. Romania, Pitch 9
14:00: Japan vs. Serbia, Pitch 1
14:30: Mexico vs. Cameroon, Pitch 5
15:30: United States vs. Chile, Pitch 3
16:00: Brazil vs. Tanzania, Pitch 2
16:30: Algeria vs. Montenegro, Pitch 7
16:30: Honduras vs. Colombia, Pitch 8
Matchday 3
Wednesday 25 November
13:30: Ecuador vs. South Korea, Pitch 4
13:30: Uganda vs. New Caledonia, Pitch 9
14:30: Uruguay vs. France, Pitch 5
15:30: Greece vs. Qatar, Pitch 2
15:30: Panama vs. Egypt, Pitch 3
16:30: Denmark vs. Argentina, Pitch 7
16:30: Australia vs. Mozambique, Pitch 8
Thursday 26 November
14:00: Vietnam vs. Mali, Pitch 9
14:00: New Zealand vs. Belgium, Pitch 4
15:00: Uzbekistan vs. ITALY, Pitch 5
15:00: Jamaica vs. Côte d’Ivoire, Pitch 1
16:00: Morocco vs. Spain, Pitch 2
16:00: China vs. Fiji, Pitch 3
17:00: Tajikistan vs. Senegal, Pitch 7
17:00: Croatia vs. Cuba, Pitch 8
Friday 27 November
14:00: Honduras vs. Japan, Pitch 4
14:00: Colombia vs. Serbia, Pitch 9
15:00: Costa Rica vs. Brazil, Pitch 5
15:00: Ireland vs. Tanzania, Pitch 1
16:00: Algeria vs. United States, Pitch 2
16:00: Montenegro vs. Chile, Pitch 3
17:00: Venezuela vs. Mexico, Pitch 7
17:00: Romania vs. Cameroon, Pitch 8
Knockout stage (30 November–13 December)
Round of 32 (Monday 30 November and Tuesday 1 December)*
Round of 16 (Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December)*
Quarter-finals (Monday 7 December)*
Semi-finals (Thursday 10 December)*
Finals (Sunday 13 December)
Third-place play-off
13:30: Loser SF1-Loser SF2, Pitch 2
Final
17:00: Winner SF1-Winner SF2, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Doha
*Matches will be played at the Aspire Zone in Doha.
NB: All kick-off times are in CET (Central European Time).