Italy
Historical rivalry reference. A current shirt record is not available here; no shirt image or buying claim is implied.
The rivalry, in football culture
Italy famously hold a long-running World Cup edge over Germany, with a series of knockout-round wins in Italian football folklore. Italy beat West Germany in the 1970 semi-final and the 1982 final, then Germany in the 2006 semi-final in Dortmund. That 2006 result ended Germany's home tournament dreams and gave Italy the path to their fourth title. Correction, 19 September 2026: an earlier version wrongly called 2006 Germany's only World Cup defeat by Italy.
Notable meetings
- 1970 World Cup semi-final — Italy 4-3 West Germany after extra time. Considered by many football historians the greatest World Cup match ever played.
- 1982 World Cup final — Italy 3-1 West Germany in Madrid. Paolo Rossi's golden tournament. Italy's third title.
- 2006 World Cup semi-final — Italy 2-0 Germany in Dortmund (a.e.t.). Grosso. Del Piero. Heartbreak for the host nation.
Kit comparison
Germany and Italy: shirt records
This page covers the historical football rivalry. Only the available current-shirt record is shown above; a complete two-shirt comparison is not available here.
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