An Italian international in the early 1990s, Tassotti only came into the national side under Sacchi, when he was already in his 30s, helping Italy to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Tassotti would go on to represent his nation at the final tournament, winning a runners-up medal, although he was banned for the latter half of the tournament. Prior to his Italy senior career, he had previously also represented Italy at under-21 level, and participated at the 1988 Olympics with the under-23 team, finishing in fourth place.