The Germany–Italy football rivalry (; ) between the national football teams of Germany and Italy, the two most successful football nations in Europe, is a long-running one. Overall, the two teams have won eight FIFA World Cup championships (four each, including one win on each other's home soil) and made a total of 14 appearances in the final of the tournament (eight by Germany and six by Italy) - more than all other European countries combined.
They have played against each other five times in the World Cup, (Italy having won three games, drawn two, and never lost) and many of these matches have been notable in the history of the tournament. The "Game of the Century", the 1970 semifinal between the two countries that Italy won 4–3 in extra time, was so dramatic that it is commemorated by a plaque at the entrance of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Germany has also won the European Championship three times while Italy has won it twice. The two countries have faced each other four times in the European championship, with one victory for each country and two draws.
While Germany has won more international championships, Italy is largely dominant in the head-to-head international match-up, having beaten Germany 15 times in 39 games, with 13 draws and 11 defeats.Italy national football team: record v Germany All of Germany's wins over Italy came in minor tournaments or friendly competitions alongside their win on penalties after the score was 1–1 after extra time in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016. There were also four matches played between Italy and East Germany which resulted in 1 win for each country and 2 draws.
List of matches Number Date Location Competition Game Results 1 1 January 1923 Milan Friendly Italy – Germany 3–1 2 23 November 1924 Duisburg Germany – Italy 0–1 3 28 April 1929 Turin Italy – Germany 1–2 4 2 March 1930 Frankfurt Germany – Italy 0–2 5 1 January 1933 Bologna Italy – Germany 3–1 6 15 November 1936 Berlin Germany – Italy 2–2 7 26 March 1939 Florence Italy – Germany 3–2 8 26 November 1939 Berlin Germany – Italy 5–2 9 5 May 1940 Milan Italy – Germany 3–2 10 30 March 1955 Stuttgart Germany – Italy 1–2 11 18 December 1955 Rome Italy – Germany 2–1 12 31 May 1962 Santiago 1962 World Cup Italy – Germany 0–0 13 13 March 1965 Hamburg Friendly Germany – Italy 1–1 14 17 June 1970 Mexico City 1970 World Cup Italy – Germany 4–3 15 26 February 1974 Rome Friendly Italy – Germany 0–0 16 8 October 1977 Berlin Germany – Italy 2–1 17 14 June 1978 Buenos Aires 1978 World Cup Italy – Germany 0–0 18 11 July 1982 Madrid 1982 World CupItaly – Germany 3–1 19 22 May 1984 Zürich Friendly Germany – Italy 1–0 20 5 February 1986 Avellino Italy – Germany 1–2 21 18 April 1987 Köln Germany – Italy 0–0 22 10 June 1988 Düsseldorf Euro 1988 1–1 23 25 March 1992 Turin Friendly Italy – Germany 1–0 24 23 March 1994 Stuttgart Germany – Italy 2–1 25 21 June 1995 Zürich Germany – Italy 2–0 26 19 June 1996 Manchester Euro 1996 Germany – Italy 0–0 27 20 August 2003 Stuttgart Friendly Germany – Italy 0–1 28 1 March 2006 Florence Italy – Germany 4–1 29 4 July 2006 Dortmund 2006 World Cup Germany – Italy 0–2 30 9 February 2011 Dortmund Friendly Germany – Italy 1–1 31 28 June 2012 Warsaw Euro 2012 Germany – Italy 1–2 32 15 November 2013 Milan Friendly Italy – Germany 1–1 33 29 March 2016 Munich Germany – Italy 4–1 34 2 July 2016 Bordeaux Euro 2016 Germany – Italy 1–1 35 15 November 2016 Milan Friendly Italy – Germany 0–0 36 4 June 2022 Bologna 2022–23 Nations League Italy – Germany 1–1 37 14 June 2022 Mönchengladbach Germany – Italy 5–2 38 20 March 2025 Milan 2024–25 Nations League Italy – Germany 1–2 39 23 March 2025 Dortmund Germany – Italy 3–3
Comparison in major tournaments Key Denotes which team finished better in that particular competition. DNQ: Did not qualify. DNP: Did not participate. TBD: To be determined.
TournamentNotes1930 FIFA World CupDNPDNP1934 FIFA World Cup3rd1stTournament hosted by Italy.1938 FIFA World Cup10th1950 FIFA World CupDNP7th Germany not a member of FIFA.1954 FIFA World Cup1st10th1958 FIFA World Cup4thDNQEuro 1960DNPDNP1962 FIFA World Cup7th9thIn the group stage, the match ended 0–0.Euro 1964DNPDNQ1966 FIFA World Cup2nd9thEuro 1968DNQ1stTournament hosted by Italy.1970 FIFA World Cup3rd2ndIn the semifinals, Italy defeated Germany 4–3 after extra time.Euro 19721stDNQ1974 FIFA World Cup1st10thTournament hosted by West Germany.Euro 19762ndDNQ1978 FIFA World Cup6th4thIn the second round, the match ended 0–0.Euro 19801st4thTournament hosted by Italy.1982 FIFA World Cup2nd1stIn the final, Italy defeated Germany 3–1.Euro 19845thDNQ1986 FIFA World Cup2nd12thEuro 19883rd4thTournament hosted by West Germany. In the group stage, the match ended 1–1.1990 FIFA World Cup1st3rdTournament hosted by Italy.Euro 19922ndDNQ1994 FIFA World Cup5th2ndEuro 19961st10thIn the group stage, the match ended 0–0.1998 FIFA World Cup7th5thEuro 200015th2nd2002 FIFA World Cup2nd15thEuro 200412th9th2006 FIFA World Cup3rd1stTournament hosted by Germany. In the semifinals, Italy defeated Germany 2–0 after extra time.Euro 20082nd8th2010 FIFA World Cup3rd26thEuro 20123rd2ndIn the semifinals, Italy defeated Germany 2–1.2014 FIFA World Cup1st22ndEuro 20163rd5thIn the quarter-finals, Germany beat Italy 6–5 on penalties after the score was 1–1 after extra time.2018 FIFA World Cup22ndDNQEuro 202015th1stTournament hosted by multiple countries; Germany and Italy hosted some matches.2022 FIFA World Cup17thDNQEuro 20245th14thTournament hosted by Germany.2026 FIFA World Cup18thDNQEuro 2028TBDTBD
Major encounters 1962 World Cup This game was the first match ever played in a World Cup between Germany and Italy, and saw few scoring chances for both sides. In the first half Uwe Seeler hit the bar, Albert Brülls and Omar Sívori also had their chances. In the second half the game became more physical and sometimes brutal but in the end defences overcame attacks and no goals were scored.
1970 World Cup
Italy led for the majority of the semi-final match, after Roberto Boninsegna scored in the 8th minute. Germany's Franz Beckenbauer dislocated his shoulder after being fouled, but stayed on the field carrying his dislocated arm in a sling, as his side had already used their two permitted substitutions.
Defender Karl-Heinz Schnellinger equalized for West Germany during injury time at the end of the second half. German television commentator Ernst Huberty exclaimed "Schnellinger, of all people!", since Schnellinger played in Italy's professional football league, Serie A, at A.C. Milan (for whom he rarely scored) and previously for A.S. Roma and A.C. Mantova. It was also his first and only goal in 47 matches for the national team. The second half ended with the scores deadlocked at 1–1, and at this point the match became a battle of endurance during the two periods of extra time.
Gerd Müller put Germany ahead in the 94th minute, but Tarcisio Burgnich tied it back up four minutes later and Luigi Riva put the Italians back in front. Gerd Müller scored again for West Germany to tie up the score at 3–3. Yet, as television cameras were still replaying Müller's goal, Italy's Gianni Rivera scored the game-winning goal in the 111th minute. Being left unmarked near the penalty area, Rivera connected a fine cross made by Boninsegna, clinching the victory for Italy at 4–3.1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico. Match report. Italy - Germany FR FIFA.com
1978 World Cup This match was played in the first matchday of Group A of the 1978 FIFA World Cup, a round robin played between the winners and the runners-up of the groups of the first phase; the game ended in a scoreless draw. At the end of the second phase Italy managed to reach the match for third place against Brazil, while Germany were eliminated as third in the group.
1982 World Cup
On 11 July, after a scoreless first half during which Antonio Cabrini fired a penalty low and wide to the right of goal, Paolo Rossi scored first, heading home a bouncing Claudio Gentile cross from the right from close range. Marco Tardelli then scored from the edge of the area with a low left footed shot before Alessandro Altobelli, at the end of a counterattack by winger Bruno Conti, made it 3–0 with another low left footed shot. Paul Breitner scored for Germany in the 83rd minute, firing low past the goalkeeper from the right, but Italy held on to claim their first World Cup title in 44 years, and their third in total with a 3–1 victory.
Euro 1988 Both the sides faced-off in the opening match of Euro 1988 in group stage held in West Germany. The first half ended without any goals. Within 10 minutes of the second half Roberto Mancini gave the Italian side the lead by scoring at the 52nd minute, however the lead was short lived as Andreas Brehme scored the equalizer for West Germany at the 55th minute. The game ended in a draw with one goal for each side. Both sides would advance past round 1 but Italy would lose to the Soviet Union while Germany would lose to the Netherlands.
Euro 1996 The two teams were matched up in the final game of the group stage of UEFA Euro 1996. Germany was already guaranteed progress to the next stage unless Italy and Czech Republic both won their matches while Italy was faced with a must-win situation if the Czech Republic did not lose to Russia. Gianfranco Zola had a penalty saved by Andreas Köpke in the 9th minute and Thomas Strunz was sent off in the 59th minute. Despite the man advantage and the lion's share of possession, Italy failed to score due to the heroic display of Köpke. The goalless draw resulted in Italy being eliminated from the tournament as the Czech Republic drew with Russia.
2006 World Cup This was the semi-final match played in Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, in front of a crowd of 65,000 on 4 July 2006. Until then, the Westfalenstadion had been a fortress-like stadium for the Germany national team, as Germany had never lost there in 14 matches. During an eventful match, this record was broken when two late goals in the closing half of extra-time scored by Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero saw Italy advance to the final. Italy went on to win the World Cup for a fourth time.
German midfielder Torsten Frings was suspended for this match after the media released footage of him throwing a punch at Argentinian player Julio Cruz after a brawl broke out in Germany's quarter-final against Argentina; FIFA announced his suspension one day before the semi-final match.
Euro 2012 Italy met Germany again in the semi-final match of Euro 2012 in the evening of 28 June 2012 at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Prior to this match, Germany had set a football world record of 15 consecutive wins in competitive matches, which started with the 3-2 win over Uruguay in the third place play-off of the 2010 World Cup and ended with the 4–2 victory over Greece in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals. However, this record was to be broken by Italy on that day.
In the 20th minute, Italian striker Mario Balotelli scored the first goal for Italy, in the left corner of the net, heading past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after receiving a cross from Antonio Cassano, then in the 36th minute, Balotelli scored again for Italy, this time blasted into the top right corner on a one-on-one with Neuer, assisted by a Riccardo Montolivo lob over the German defence, giving them a two-goal lead. In the second half, the Germans attacked, trying to even the score. Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made several impressive saves to many German shots. Two minutes into added time, Italian defender Federico Balzaretti committed a handball inside the penalty box. The resulting penalty was successfully converted by the German midfielder Mesut Özil.
Thus, the final score was 2–1 to Italy, who went on to the finals against defending champions Spain. As in their previous encounter in the 2006 World Cup semifinal match, Andrea Pirlo was again elected the man of the match.
Euro 2016