France vs Italy Prediction & Betting Tips - Nations League
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by Devesh Jaganath | in Nations League Predictions
France will meet Italy for their first match in Week 1 of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League on Wednesday. This is the pick of the opening day matchups, but we are leaning toward a Gli Azzurri victory as our main prediction, given they are on a seven-match unbeaten run.
France were one of the strongest teams during the preliminary phase of last year’s VNL, but their campaign ended in disappointment after losing to Slovenia in the quarter-finals.
The Roosters have not been in their best form of late. They lost to Argentina and Finland in the World Championship last year before going down 3-1 to Belgium in a VNL warm-up match last week.
The biggest story surrounding France is that this is not the same squad that won Olympic gold in Paris, with Andrea Giani opting for a much younger roster for this tournament.
Meanwhile, Italy enter the 2026 VNL as one of the favourites for the title after another excellent year. They were beaten finalists in this competition 12 months ago - their best performance in the competition.
Since the 2025 VNL, Gli Azzurri won the World Championships by beating Bulgaria in the final. They then defeated both Belgium (3-2) and Turkiye (3-0) in the lead-up to this tournament.
Unlike France, Italy are expected to be at full strength, with the likes of Simone Giannelli, Yuri Romano, Fabio Balaso and Daniele Lavia all part of the squad for the opening week.
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France v Italy Best Betting Odds
| Bookmaker | 1 | 2 | Bonus up to |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2.33 | 1.61 |
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2.3 | 1.62 |
|
|
2.54 | 1.46 |
|
|
2.58 | 1.48 |
|
|
2.24 | 1.53 |
|
France vs Italy Form
France and Italy Last Matches
2/6 (33%)
4/6 (67%)
18 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
16 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
14 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
31 Jul 2025 - Nations League
20 Jul 2025 - Nations League
19 Jul 2025 - Nations League
1/6 (17%)
5/6 (83%)
18 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
16 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
14 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
31 Jul 2025 - Nations League
20 Jul 2025 - Nations League
26 Jun 2025 - Nations League
6/6 (100%)
0/6 (0%)
19 Jul 2025 - Nations League
18 Jul 2025 - Nations League
16 Jul 2025 - Nations League
29 Jun 2025 - Nations League
28 Jun 2025 - Nations League
25 Jun 2025 - Nations League
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
24 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
21 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
18 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
16 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
24 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
18 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
16 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
14 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
2 Aug 2025 - Nations League
30 Jul 2025 - Nations League
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
28 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
27 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
21 Sept 2025 - Volleyball World Championship
3 Aug 2025 - Nations League
20 Jul 2025 - Nations League
19 Jul 2025 - Nations League
France vs Italy Stats: Head to Head (H2H)
67 %
33 %
13 Jun 2025 - Nations League
7 Aug 2024 - Men's Olympic Tournament
28 Jun 2024 - Nations League
5 Jun 2024 - Nations League
14 Sept 2023 - Euro Volley
7 Sept 2022 - Volleyball World Championship
France - Italy Key Points
- Italy are ranked second in the world.
- Italy are on a seven-match win streak in all competitions.
- Italy were runners-up in this competition last year.
- France are on a three-match losing streak in all competitions.
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Our France vs Italy Prediction
France have the better recent record against this opponent, with wins in their last four encounters, but their form over the past year has been disappointing. They are now on a three-match losing streak coming into this one.
In contrast, Italy are riding a seven-match winning run, a period during which they crowned World Champions last September. Gli Azzurri are a side we firmly expect to see in at least the semi-finals this year. Our France vs Italy prediction is Italy wins.
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
