Massimo Oddo always had a special relationship with the national team. Since the earliest years of his career he was selected to almost any level of the Azzurri selections, the only exception being the Under 21 selection as he was playing in Serie C when he could have been selected.
Even before reaching the senior selection, Massimo had had a successful career with the national team. In August 1997 he was in Sicily as a participant to the 19th edition of the Universiade (an international multi-sport event for university athletes). The Italian football team was lead by Paolo Berrettini, the current manager of the Under19 Italian team.
Italy, represented mainly by players from Serie B and Serie C, was able to conquer the title defeating South Korea in front of the enthusiastic home crowd of 30.000 people at the “La Favorita” Stadium in Palermo.

Oddo’s relationship with Azzurri came to a halt for about five seasons, the time that Massimo needed to position himself as one of the best Italian right-backs.
The well-deserved call from national trainer Giovanni Trapattoni came on August 21st 2002, for the first qualifying game for Euro2004 against Slovenia. Massimo subbed in for Matteo Brighi at the beginning of the second half. Even though defeated 1-0 by Slovenia, Italy qualified for Euro2004.
Massimo was part of the team selected by “Trap”, and played his first match of the tournament against Bulgaria on June 22nd 2004. The tournament ended in a disappointment for the Italian team amid continuous controversies, dealing with the infamous Totti’s spit on Denmark’s Poulsen and later with the supposed agreement between Denmark and Sweden, as their tie 2-2 in the last match of the first round was enough to qualify them both sending Italy home.
The reconstruction of the senior team, looking forward to the 2006 Wolrd Cup, was put into the hands of Marcello Lippi.
Massimo had established himself as an important part of the team, and as such gave his contribution during the qualifying matches of the World-Champions-to-be.
In Germany, Massimo played only in the quarter final match against Ukraine, but his locker-room presence during the month-long tournament was priceless.
After the World Cup, under new trainer Roberto Donadoni, Oddo becomes the starting right-back. Unfortunately a disappointing 2007-2008 season capped by an injury at season’s end prevented him from being selected for the Euro2008 team.
During his career with the national team Massimo Oddo scored two goals, the first one on a penalty against Ukraine in the 2-0 victory at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, October 7th 2006; the second on November 21st 2007 in a 3-1 victory in a qualification game to Euro2008 against the Faroe Islands, with inadvertent complicity from defender Benjaminsen.

Overall Massimo Oddo was selected 55 times to the senior team (31 wins, 16 ties and 8 losses).
He has appeared in 34 matches scoring 2 goals.