Reggio Calabria and Vicenza will be the first two stops in the Azzurre’s journey to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Andrea Soncin’s squad, drawn into Group 1 of League A, will begin their battle for a place in the tenth edition of the tournament by facing Sweden on Tuesday, 3 March (kick-off at 18:15 CET) at the ‘Oreste Granillo’ stadium, and Denmark on Saturday, 7 March (18:15 CET) at the ‘Romeo Menti’ stadium.

 

A double Scandinavian showdown that could already prove decisive in the qualification race, and one that must be passed with flying colours, spurred on by the support of the fans. To secure direct qualification for the World Cup, and avoid the play-offs, the Azzurre will need to finish top of the group. The Italian side have already accomplished this before in the EURO 2025 qualifiers, when they beat the Netherlands and Norway in an intense final push.

Italy’s 2026 campaign will therefore begin in Calabria, just as it did two years ago with the victory in Cosenza against the Oranje, and at the ‘Granillo’, which will host a Women’s National Team match for the first time. There have been two previous fixtures at the ‘Menti’, which staged games against Spain in 2014 and 2024, the latter ending 1–1 (Beccari on the scoresheet) in front of more than 5,500 spectators.

 

THE OPPONENTS. Sweden, fifth in the FIFA standings, head into the qualifiers after being knocked out after the quarter-finals in a disappointing EURO 2025 campaign and suffering two defeats against Spain in the Nations League semi-finals. It will be the fifth encounter between the Swedish side and the Azzurre. Following the two draws and two defeats, Italy will be hoping to secure all three points and record their fifth win against Sweden. The Scandinavians, however, have won 16 of their 28 games.

The Azzurre’s record against Denmark is also not in their favour. The Danes, ranked 14th in the world, one place below Italy, have lost just five times in 19 meetings. However, last April the Azzurre claimed their first-ever away win against Denmark, with a huge 3–0 victory thanks to goals from Caruso, Di Guglielmo, and Girelli.

GROUP 1 FIXTURES (LEAGUE A)

Matchday 1 (3 March): ITALY vs. Sweden, Denmark vs. Serbia
Matchday 2 (7 March): ITALY vs. Denmark, Serbia vs. Sweden
Matchday 3 (14 April): Serbia vs. TALY, Sweden vs. Denmark
Matchday 4 (18 April): Denmark vs. ITALY, Sweden vs. Serbia
Matchday 5 (5 June): ITALY vs. Serbia, Denmark vs. Sweden
Matchday 6 (9 June): Sweden vs. ITALY, Serbia vs. Denmark