Italy–Spain football rivalry

The Italy–Spain football rivalry (; ) sometimes referred to as the Mediterranean derby, is a football rivalry between the national football teams of Italy and Spain. The two countries have won six FIFA World Cups and six UEFA European Championship between them; Italy have won four World Cups and two European Championships, while Spain have won two World Cups and four European Championships. They have played against each other three times in the World Cup and seven times in the European Championship, including each of the five most recent Euros from 2008 to 2024. Most notably, the two met at the UEFA Euro 2012 final, which Spain won. They also met at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the UEFA Nations League semi-finals in both 2021 and 2023.

Spain has won 14, and Italy 11, of the 41 matches between them (including four at the Summer Olympic Games in the 1920s). Although the two nations are not immediate geographical neighbours, their rivalry at international level is enhanced by the strong performances of the representative clubs in UEFA competitions, in which they are among the leading associations and have each enjoyed spells of dominance. Including the defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, twelve continental finals have been contested between an Italian and a Spanish representative (eight victories for Spanish clubs and four victories of Italian teams). The frequent meetings between the clubs have led to the elite players becoming very familiar with one another when they meet at national level. The two nations' under-21 teams, which are also among the strongest in the world, are also acknowledged as rivals.

List of matches NumberDateLocationCompetitionResults 1 2 September 1920 Antwerp 1920 Summer Olympics Spain 2–0 Italy 2 9 March 1924 Milan Friendly Italy 0–0 Spain 3 25 May 1924 Colombes 1924 Summer Olympics Italy 1–0 Spain 4 14 June 1925 Valencia Friendly Spain 1–0 Italy 5 29 May 1927 Bologna Italy 2–0 Spain 6 22 April 1928 Gijón Spain 1–1 Italy 7 1 June 1928 Amsterdam 1928 Summer Olympics Italy 1–1 Spain 8 4 June 1928 Italy 7–1 Spain 9 22 June 1930 Bologna Friendly Italy 2–3 Spain 10 19 April 1931 Bilbao Spain 0–0 Italy 11 31 May 1934 Florence 1934 World Cup Italy 1–1 Spain 12 1 June 1934 Italy 1–0 Spain 13 19 April 1942 Milan Friendly Italy 4–0 Spain 14 27 March 1949 Madrid Spain 1–3 Italy 15 28 February 1959 Rome Italy 1–1 Spain 16 13 March 1960 Barcelona Spain 3–1 Italy 17 21 February 1970 Madrid Spain 2–2 Italy 18 20 February 1971 Cagliari Italy 1–2 Spain 19 25 January 1978 Madrid Spain 2–1 Italy 20 21 December 1978 Rome Italy 1–0 Spain 21 12 June 1980 Milan Euro 1980 Italy 0–0 Spain 22 14 June 1988 Frankfurt Euro 1988 Italy 1–0 Spain 23 9 July 1994 Foxborough 1994 World Cup Italy 2–1 Spain 24 18 November 1998 Salerno Friendly Italy 2–2 Spain 25 29 March 2000 Barcelona Spain 2–0 Italy 26 28 April 2004 Genoa Italy 1–1 Spain 27 26 March 2008 Elche Spain 1–0 Italy 28 22 June 2008 Vienna Euro 2008 Spain 0–0 Italy 29 10 August 2011 Bari Friendly Italy 2–1 Spain 30 10 June 2012 Gdańsk Euro 2012 Spain 1–1 Italy 31 1 July 2012 Kyiv Spain 4–0 Italy 32 27 June 2013 Fortaleza 2013 Confederations Cup Spain 0–0 Italy 33 5 March 2014 Madrid Friendly Spain 1–0 Italy 34 24 March 2016 Udine Italy 1–1 Spain 35 27 June 2016 Saint-Denis Euro 2016 Italy 2–0 Spain 36 6 October 2016 Turin 2018 World Cup qualification Italy 1–1 Spain 37 2 September 2017 Madrid Spain 3–0 Italy 38 6 July 2021 London Euro 2020Italy 1–1 Spain 39 6 October 2021 Milan 2021 Nations League finalsItaly 1–2 Spain 40 15 June 2023 Enschede 2023 Nations League finalsSpain 2–1 Italy 41 20 June 2024 Gelsenkirchen Euro 2024Spain 1–0 Italy

Comparison of Italy's and Spain's positions in major international 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 CupDNP1934 FIFA World Cup1st5th Italy and Spain faced off in the quarter-final match which ended 1–1 and was replayed the following day where Italy won 1–0. Tournament played in Italy.1938 FIFA World CupDNP 1950 FIFA World Cup7th4th 1954 FIFA World Cup10thDNP 1958 FIFA World CupDNQ1960 European Nations' CupDNP1962 FIFA World Cup9th13th 1964 European Nations' CupDNQ1stTournament played in Spain.1966 FIFA World Cup9th10thUEFA Euro 19681stDNQTournament played in Italy.1970 FIFA World Cup2nd UEFA Euro 1972DNQ1974 FIFA World Cup10th UEFA Euro 1976DNQ1978 FIFA World Cup4th10th UEFA Euro 19807thTournament played in Italy.1982 FIFA World Cup1st12thTournament played in Spain.UEFA Euro 1984DNQ2nd1986 FIFA World Cup12th7thUEFA Euro 19884th6thItaly beat Spain 1–0 in their group stage match up; Spain did not advance from the group, while Italy did.1990 FIFA World Cup3rd10thTournament played in Italy.UEFA Euro 1992DNQ1994 FIFA World Cup2nd8thItaly beat Spain 2–1 in the quarter-finals, eliminating them from the tournament.UEFA Euro 199610th6th 1998 FIFA World Cup5th17thUEFA Euro 20002nd5th2002 FIFA World Cup15th5thUEFA Euro 20049th10th2006 FIFA World Cup1st9thUEFA Euro 20088th1stIn the quarter-finals, Spain eliminated Italy 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw.2010 FIFA World Cup26thUEFA Euro 20122ndItaly and Spain were matched up in the group stage, which ended 1–1 and later faced off in the final, in which Spain defeated Italy 4–0.2014 FIFA World Cup22nd23rdUEFA Euro 20165th10thIn the round of 16, Italy defeated Spain 2–0, eliminating them from the tournament.2018 FIFA World CupDNQ10thUEFA Euro 20201st3rdIn the semi-finals, Italy eliminated Spain 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Some games of the tournament were played in Italy and Spain.2022 FIFA World CupDNQ13thUEFA Euro 202414th1stItaly faced Spain in the second match of the group stage, with both teams placed in Group B. Spain defeated Italy 1–0.2026 FIFA World CupDNQUEFA Euro 2028TBDTBD

Major encounters

1934 FIFA World Cup On 31 May, Italy faced Spain in the quarter-final of the 1934 FIFA World Cup, where the two sides drew 1–1 after extra time with Spanish goal by Luis Regueiro in the 30th minute and Italian goal by Giovanni Ferrari in the 44th minute. They then faced off again in the replay match the following day to settle the team that advances; Italy won the replay 1–0 win the goal coming from Giuseppe Meazza in the 11th minute. Italy went on to win their first Fifa World Cup title.

Replay

UEFA Euro 1988 On 14 June, Italy and Spain were matched up for the second match in the group stage, where Italy won 1–0 with the goal coming from Gianluca Vialli in the 73rd minute. Italy went on to win their last group match, while Spain lost theirs; Italy made it out of the group, while Spain did not.

1994 FIFA World Cup On 9 July, Italy won the quarter-final match up against Spain in the 1994 World Cup 2–1 quarter-final at Foxboro Stadium, with Italian Dino Baggio scoring first in the 25th minute, the Spaniards equalised with a goal from José Luis Caminero in the 58th minute, before Roberto Baggio sealed the Italian victory in the 88th minute. A controversy in the match was Mauro Tassotti's elbow on Spanish player Luis Enrique, but during the match the incident went unpunished – Tassotti was later banned for eight games.Date set for Hendry decision; BBC Sport, 3 April 2001

UEFA Euro 2008 On 22 June, Italy and Spain were matched up for a quarter-final in Euro 2008; the game ended a goalless draw after 120 minutes and resulted in a penalty shoot-out which Spain won 4–2. Spain went on to win the European Championship for the second time.

UEFA Euro 2012

On 1 July, Spain and Italy were matched up for the final of Euro 2012. The sides had already met in the group stage, drawing 1–1. Spain took the lead in the 14th minute, though, when Andrés Iniesta played a through-ball to Cesc Fàbregas, who drove past Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to the by-line before pulling back a cross for David Silva to head into the net from six yards. Chiellini was clearly struggling with a thigh injury he had picked up in the earlier rounds, and he was replaced by Federico Balzaretti after 20 minutes. Italy responded with a couple of shots from Antonio Cassano that were saved by Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas, but Spain doubled their lead before half-time when Xavi picked out left-back Jordi Alba, who capped a long forward run with a precise finish past Gianluigi Buffon in the Italy goal.

Antonio Di Natale came on for Cassano at half-time and twice went close to scoring, the second effort forcing a save from the onrushing Casillas. Italy's final substitution saw Thiago Motta replace Riccardo Montolivo, but he soon suffered a hamstring injury; with all of their substitutes used, Italy had to play the last 30 minutes of the match with ten men. Fernando Torres replaced Fàbregas with 15 minutes left to play, and scored in the 84th minute – assisted by Xavi – to become the first man to score in two European Championship finals. Torres then turned provider four minutes later, cutting the ball back with the outside of his boot for fellow substitute and Chelsea forward Juan Mata to sweep into an empty net for a final score of 4–0, the widest margin of victory in any European Championship final. Spain became the first team to retain the European Championship title and also the first European team to win three major international competitions in a row.

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup On 22 June, Italy and Spain faced off in the semi-final of the 2013 Confederations Cup hosted by Brazil. The game finished 0-0 after 120 minutes, with Spain edging Italy, this time 7–6 on penalties. Italy still then beat out Uruguay in the third-place position, while Spain lost to the host nation Brazil in the final, ending their world-record 29-game unbeaten streak in competitive matches.

UEFA Euro 2016 On 27 June, Italy and Spain matched up for the round of 16 in the Euro 2016, in a rematch of the previous tournament's final and the group game, both four years ago. Italy won 2–0 with goals from Giorgio Chiellini in the 33rd minute and Graziano Pellè in stoppage time of the second half. Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea made several impressive saves to keep Spain in the match, notably on Pellè's first-half header attempt, however, it ultimately ended in defeat, eliminating the two-time defending European champions Spain.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification The two teams were drawn together for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, in UEFA Group G. In the rematches of the last four matches of the UEFA European Championships, Italy and Spain drew 1–1 in the first leg in Turin and then Spain defeated Italy 3–0 in the return leg in Madrid.

UEFA Euro 2020 On 6 July 2021, Italy and Spain faced each other in the semi-finals of the Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) at Wembley Stadium in London, marking the fourth consecutive European Championship that the sides meet. Italy and Spain, could not break the deadlock after 120 minutes, and Italy won 4–2 in the resulting penalty shoot-out en route to their first European title in 53 years and their first major international football title in 15 years.

UEFA Euro 2024 On 20 June 2024, Italy and Spain faced each other in the second match of Group B, the fifth consecutive European Championships they played each other. Spain won 1–0 through a Riccardo Calafiori own goal, marking their first victory over Italy in a major tournament since the Euro 2012 final. Spain would go on to lift the European Championship for a record fourth time.

Statistics Overall

Competition Matches Wins Draws Goals Italy Spain Italy Spain FIFA World Cup 3 2 0 1 4 2 FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2 0 1 1 1 4 UEFA European Championship 8 2 2 4 5 7 UEFA Nations League 2 0 2 0 2 4 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 0 0 1 0 0 Summer Olympics 4 2 1 1 9 4 All competitions 20 6 6 8 21 21 Friendly 21 5 8 8 25 25 All matches 41 11 14 16 46 46

Trophies