Poletti earned 6 caps for the Italy national football team between 1965 and 1970, making his debut on 16 June 1965 against Sweden. Poletti also made 6 appearances for the Italian B -side, and was a member of the Italian team that won the gold medal at the 1963 Mediterranean Games in Naples. He also notably played for Italy in the 1970 FIFA World Cup Semi-final victory against West Germany, known as "the Match of the Century", coming on for the injured Roberto Rosato in extra-time; despite their performance, he and the Italian goalkeeper Albertosi are often held responsible for Gerd Müller's goal, due to a defensive misunderstanding between the two players. Italy went on to reach the final of the tournament, only to be defeated 4–1 by Brazil.