Antonio Vergara says Italy’s 1-1 draw with France gave the Azzurri renewed confidence, while admitting Michael Olise’s free-kick left him ‘speechless’ on his international debut.

The Napoli forward was handed his first Italy appearance in the 62nd minute at the Stade de France, replacing Francesco Pio Esposito as Roberto Mancini introduced him to the action.

Vergara had only recently received his first senior Italy call-up, but showed no signs of nerves against one of Europe’s strongest sides. His energy and attacking movement helped Italy push France back after Olise’s spectacular free-kick had opened the scoring.

The 23-year-old also helped create opportunities for Moise Kean and Nicolo Barella as Italy pushed for a winner, making an encouraging first impression despite having to settle for a point.

“I felt comfortable among so many champions. In the end, the French are human too,” Vergara told La Repubblica, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb .

The one exception, perhaps, was Bayern Munich star Olise’s remarkable set-piece .

Italy ultimately had to settle for a draw despite creating chances to claim all three points, but Vergara believes the performance can give the Azzurri further belief.

“We played a good game. Playing against France is not easy and having even risked winning gave us more confidence.”

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "New Italy debutant Vergara: ‘The result gave us confidence but Olise’s free kick left me speechless’" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "New Italy debutant Vergara: ‘The result gave us confidence but Olise’s free kick left me speechless’" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.