France U17 vs Italy U17

France set the tone early, establishing control in the first quarter. Playing in front of referees Petar Pesic (SRB), Yevgeniy Mikheyev (KAZ) and Paulina Gajdosz (POL), the French side built a lead they would never surrender.

Italy, who had looked sharp in their 93-64 opening win over Japan on June 27, struggled to find rhythm against France's defensive pressure. The French held Italy well below their tournament scoring average of 93 points per game coming into the contest.

The match was played at 12:15 GMT+0 (15:15 local time) at the BDC National Teams Venue in Istanbul, the dedicated national teams facility hosting the tournament from 27 June to 5 July 2026.

France's first-half defensive intensity proved decisive. After conceding 115 to the USA on Day 1 — a game that marked Tony Parker's highly-publicised coaching debut for France in a 115-84 loss — the French side made defensive adjustments that Italy could not solve. Italy, who had shot 50% from two-point range and 40.9% from three in their tournament averages, were consistently forced into difficult looks.

While specific individual box-score data from this game was not published at the time of writing, France's collective effort on both ends stood out. The French squad showed significant improvement from their opening performance, particularly in transition defence and half-court execution.

Italy's leading scorers from their opening win against Japan could not replicate that production against France's more disciplined defensive scheme.

The 88-68 final score reflects a game France controlled from start to finish. Coming into the match, France and Italy had contrasting tournament averages: France were averaging 84 points but had allowed 115 against the USA, while Italy averaged 93 points but had conceded only 64 to Japan. France's 88-point output is consistent with their tournament average, but holding Italy to 68 — 25 below their own tournament average — was the story of the game.

The 20-point margin is significant in Group A tiebreaker scenarios, where point differential could determine quarter-final positioning.

Group A standings after this result (as of 28 June):

• USA (1-0, +31 point differential after 115-84 win over France)
• France (1-1, net +0 after losing to USA and beating Italy)
• Italy (1-1, net +5 after beating Japan and losing to France)
• Japan (0-1, -29 after losing to Italy, pending their result against USA later on 28 June)

France next face Japan in their final group game on 30 June. Italy take on the USA on the same day in what shapes as a crucial contest for quarter-final seeding.

For France, this win restores momentum after the difficult opening fixture. For Italy, it is a setback but not a fatal one — a win against the USA would keep their group-stage hopes firmly alive.

France answered the question of whether they could compete defensively after the USA blowout. The answer was emphatic. Italy's tournament remains on track, but they will need to find an answer for physical defensive pressure before facing the USA.