When Roberto Mancini took charge of Italy in May 2018, the Azzurri were broken. They had just failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since 1958, humiliated by Sweden in a playoff. The squad was ageing, the identity lost. Mancini inherited a side ranked 47th in the world and set about rebuilding from scratch.
What followed was the longest unbeaten run in the history of international football. From a scrappy 1-1 draw with Ukraine in Genoa on 10 October 2018 through to a 5-0 demolition of Lithuania on 8 September 2021, Italy went 37 consecutive matches without losing. Along the way, they won a European Championship, beat the world's number one ranked side on their own turf, and climbed from the fringes of the top 50 to second in the world.
The All-Time Top Three
37
Italy (2018-2021)
36
Argentina (2019-2022)
36
Brazil (1993-1996)Longest unbeaten runs in international football history
Italy's record across all 37 games in the unbeaten run
The Unbeaten Timeline
The streak started quietly. A home draw with Ukraine, an away win in Poland. No fanfare. But as the months rolled on, the wins stacked up. Euro qualifiers brought comfortable victories over Finland, Greece, Armenia, and Liechtenstein. By the time the Nations League campaign began in late 2020, Italy were firmly in the groove.
What stands out is the consistency. Of the 37 matches, only 8 were draws. Italy won 29 times. Even the draws came against quality opponents: Portugal, Netherlands (twice), and Switzerland. There was no lucky run of meaningless friendlies here.
Built Across Five Campaigns
The streak spanned five distinct campaigns: friendlies, the Nations League, Euro 2020 Qualifiers, the Euro 2020 tournament itself, and the early stages of World Cup 2022 qualifying. The competitive matches were the real test, and Italy passed them all. Ten Euro qualifying wins from ten games. Seven Euro 2020 matches unbeaten, culminating in the final at Wembley.
Who Did They Beat?
Critics of unbeaten runs often point to easy opponents. Italy's run tells a different story. Yes, they beat Liechtenstein, San Marino, and Moldova. But they also beat Belgium when Belgium were ranked number one in the world, knocked out Spain in a semi-final shootout, and won the European Championship final against England at Wembley.
Poland, Netherlands, Bosnia, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Greece - this was a squad that performed against every level of opposition, home and away, in friendlies and in knockout football under maximum pressure.
From Palermo to Wembley
Italy's unbeaten run took them across the continent. They played in 22 different cities across 14 countries, from Yerevan to Amsterdam, from Cagliari to London. Italian venues dominated, but the neutral and away performances were just as impressive.
Rome hosted the Euro 2020 group stage, where Italy swept Turkey, Switzerland, and Wales in three commanding performances. London hosted the knockout drama: the semi-final shootout win over Spain and that unforgettable final against England.
The Scoreline Matrix
Italy's most common result during the run was a 2-0 win - it happened seven times. They scored two or more goals in 26 of the 37 matches. Clean sheets were a trademark, with 22 games where the opposition failed to score. Only once did they concede more than one goal: the 1-1 draw against Bulgaria that would begin to signal the cracks.
The Euro 2020 Crescendo
The centrepiece of the streak was Euro 2020, delayed by a year due to the pandemic and finally played in summer 2021. Italy entered as dark horses and left as champions. Seven games, zero defeats, and some of the most thrilling knockout football the tournament has ever seen.
The group stage was total dominance: 3-0, 3-0, 1-0. The knockouts got harder. Austria pushed them to extra time in the Round of 16. Belgium, the world's top-ranked team, fell 2-1 in Munich. Spain took them to a penalty shootout in the semi-final. And then came the final. England scored after two minutes. Italy equalised through Bonucci, survived, and won on penalties at Wembley. Extraordinary.
The Climb
When the streak began, Italy were ranked 47th in the world. By the time it ended, they were 2nd. That is one of the most dramatic ranking climbs in international football history, driven entirely by consistent results against serious opposition.
The chart shows the trajectory. Each point is a game, each marker coloured by result. The trend is unmistakable: a steep and relentless rise, with the biggest jumps coming during the Euro 2020 knockout rounds. The win over Belgium alone was worth a massive leap.
A Goalscoring Machine
Italy scored 86 goals in 37 games, an average of 2.3 per match. But the distribution tells a richer story. They scored five or more goals six times, including a 9-1 demolition of Armenia and a 7-0 rout of San Marino. The traditional Italian reputation for defensive, low-scoring football was nowhere to be seen.
Defining Moments
Six matches that tell the story of the streak. From the breakthrough win in Amsterdam to the glory of Wembley.
Netherlands 0–1 Italy
Amsterdam, 7 September 2020
Italy went to Amsterdam and beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the Nations League. This was the performance that made the rest of Europe take notice. Barella's goal and a resolute defensive display signalled that Mancini's project was the real deal.
Turkey 0–3 Italy
Rome, 11 June 2021
The opening game of Euro 2020 and Italy put on a show. Three goals, total control, and a message to every other team in the tournament. Insigne, Immobile, and a Turkey own goal set the tone. The Olimpico erupted. Italy were back.
Belgium 1–2 Italy
Munich, 2 July 2021
Belgium were ranked number one in the world and had De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Hazard. Italy had fearlessness. Goals from Barella and Insigne put Italy 2-0 up. Lukaku pulled one back, but Italy held firm. A quarter-final masterclass against the best team on the planet.
Italy 1–1 Spain
London, 6 July 2021
Spain dominated possession and Morata equalised in the second half. But Italy clung on, dug deep, and won the penalty shootout 4-2. Jorginho sent the keeper the wrong way with the decisive kick. Wembley was a sea of blue. One game from glory.
Italy 1–1 England
London, 11 July 2021
Shaw scored after two minutes and Wembley roared. But Italy refused to panic. Bonucci equalised in the second half, and after extra time the final went to penalties. Donnarumma saved from Sancho and Saka. Italy were European Champions. The greatest night in a streak of 37.
Greece 0–3 Italy
Athens, 8 June 2019
Italy travelled to Athens and delivered one of the most complete away performances of the qualifying campaign. Three goals before half-time killed the contest. Greece, playing in front of their own fans, had no answer. It was a demonstration of how far Italy had come under Mancini in just a year.
The Bitter End
The streak ended in the most Italian way imaginable. On 6 October 2021, Spain beat Italy 2-1 in the Nations League semi-final. Then came the real agony. Italy drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland, drew 1-1 with Switzerland, and went into a World Cup playoff against North Macedonia. They lost 1-0 at home in the 92nd minute. European Champions in July, eliminated from the World Cup in March. Football is brutal.
But the 37-game run stands. No national team has ever gone longer without losing. Argentina came close at 36 before their run ended at the 2022 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Brazil matched 36 in the 1990s. Italy's record remains at the summit, a monument to what Mancini built from the ruins of 2018.
Where They Stand
Italy's 37 sits at the top of the all-time unbeaten run table, one game clear of Argentina and Brazil. The margin is razor-thin, but the record is Italy's and only Italy's.
The Full Record
All 37 games in Italy's record-breaking unbeaten run, grouped by tournament.