Four-time World Cup champions Italy are at risk of missing the tournament for the third consecutive time. After failing to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, a 4-1 defeat to Norway on Sunday ended their hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, leaving them six points behind the group leaders.
Now finishing second in their group, Italy must navigate the play-offs, a stage that has recently brought heartbreak. They lost 1-0 on aggregate to Sweden in 2017 and suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history against North Macedonia in 2021.
Italian football journalist James Horncastle commented:
“Even with an expanded World Cup, for Italy to miss out again… It was called apocalyptic the first time they missed out in 2017. I don’t know what stage of the apocalypse we are in now.”
Gattuso’s Side Scoring Plenty but Needs Balance
Italy, European champions in 2021, have struggled since their 2014 World Cup campaign. Their qualifying began disastrously with a 3-0 defeat to Norway, during which Erling Haaland scored one of his 14 goals in the campaign. Following the loss, manager Luciano Spalletti resigned but remained in charge for Italy’s subsequent 2-0 win over Moldova.
Gennaro Gattuso, who helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup, was brought in to stabilize the team. Despite his credentials, many critics questioned the appointment, given his recent short stints at clubs like Hajduk Split, Valencia, and Marseille.
Journalist Mina Rzouki noted:
“When I heard Gattuso was in line it just seemed to demonstrate the giant collapse of Italy… There was just a fall, but the one thing you could rely on was that Italy created great coaches. Yet none succeeded recently.”
Under Gattuso, Italy have scored 18 goals in five matches, including a 5-0 victory over Estonia and a thrilling 5-4 win against Israel. While the team shows attacking flair, defensive balance remains a concern. Rzouki added:
“You can see they are hungry for goals at all times, but the team has no balance… They are reckless and look tactically naive at times. Maybe they will be a bit like Barcelona when they outscore opponents, but without the beauty.”
Italy now faces a crucial play-off path, needing to win two single-leg matches to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Despite their attacking improvements, much remains to be done if they are to return to the global stage.
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