📂 Categoría: Football,Uncategorized,World Cup | 📅 Fecha: 1777037497
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Four-time champions Italy will be absent from the World Cup yet again this summer, marking their third consecutive failure to qualify.
The unthinkable has become the new normal for the Azzurri after they crashed out of the qualification playoffs following a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March.
This elimination marks the third World Cup that Italy will not attend – following 2018, 2022, and 2026 – making them the first former world champion to suffer such a painful streak.
This is not just a result bad luck, it is a consequence of deep-rooted structural, financial and developmental issues that have plagued Italian football for years.
The qualification path
Italy’s route to the international tournament began in Group I alongside Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova.
The former champions finished second in the group with 18 points, trailing behind Erling Haaland’s team, which forced them into qualification play-offs.
Italy reached the playoff final after beating Northern Ireland 2-0, thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
They then faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final and went ahead after another strike from Kean.
However, the game changed when Alessandro Bastoni was dramatically sent off just before halftime, forcing his side to play with ten men for more than half the match.
Eventually, they conceded an equaliser in the 79th minute to Bosnia’s Haris Tabakovic.
The match remained deadlocked throughout extra time, leading to a penalty shootout that Italy lost 4-1, with misses from Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante.
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali was the only Italian player to score from the spot.
Group stage World Cup qualifiers
June 2025: Norway 3-0 Italy
June 2025: Italy 2-0 Moldova
September 2025: Italy 5-0 Estonia
September 2025: Israel 4-5 Italy
October 2025: Estonia 1-3 Italy
October 2025: Italy 3-0 Israel
November 2025: Moldova 0-2 Italy
November 2025 Italy 1-4 Norway
Why does this keep happening?
It will now be 16 years since the four-time winners faced a knockout match in the World Cup, despite their success at Euro 2020.
Additionally, former manager Gennaro Gattuso mutually terminated his contract after their failure to qualify.
The repetitive failures suggest the issue goes beyond a specific result or coach, with reports pointing towards systemic problems within Serie A.
Italian clubs are increasingly relying on international players rather than investing in the development of young domestic talent.
Also, very few clubs own their stadiums, with that restricting commercial revenue which in turn stifles funding for young development.
With international football now being dominated by high-intensity, high-pressing gameplay, critics have argued the nation has been slow to adapt.
This decline is reflected in the demise of Serie A clubs in Europe – the last team to win in the Champions League being 16 years ago with Inter Milan in 2010 – with all four clubs Italian representatives eliminated before the quarter-finals this season.
What’s next?
With a generation of young Italian football fans left without World Cup memories, the football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, has resigned.
There were recent rumours suggesting Italy could replace Iran at the tournament with the ongoing conflict between the middle east and America.
However, the Italian sports minister was quick to shut rumours down, stating: “A second chance for Italy at the World Cup? That’s not appropriate, you have to qualify on the pitch.”
Iran’s embassy in Rome also commented on the proposed plans saying: “Football belongs to the people, not to politicians.”
The Azzurri will not play competitive games until the next European qualifiers, where 54 eligible teams will compete for only 24 spots.
Four-time champions Italy will be absent from the World Cup yet again this summer, marking their third consecutive failure to qualify.
The unthinkable has become the new normal for the Azzurri after they crashed out of the qualification playoffs following a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March.
This elimination marks the third World Cup that Italy will not attend – following 2018, 2022, and 2026 – making them the first former world champion to suffer such a painful streak.
This is not just a result bad luck, it is a consequence of deep-rooted structural, financial and developmental issues that have plagued Italian football for years.
The qualification path
Italy’s route to the international tournament began in Group I alongside Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova.
The former champions finished second in the group with 18 points, trailing behind Erling Haaland’s team, which forced them into qualification play-offs.
Italy reached the playoff final after beating Northern Ireland 2-0, thanks to goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
They then faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final and went ahead after another strike from Kean.
However, the game changed when Alessandro Bastoni was dramatically sent off just before halftime, forcing his side to play with ten men for more than half the match.
Eventually, they conceded an equaliser in the 79th minute to Bosnia’s Haris Tabakovic.
The match remained deadlocked throughout extra time, leading to a penalty shootout that Italy lost 4-1, with misses from Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante.
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali was the only Italian player to score from the spot.
Group stage World Cup qualifiers
June 2025: Norway 3-0 Italy
June 2025: Italy 2-0 Moldova
September 2025: Italy 5-0 Estonia
September 2025: Israel 4-5 Italy
October 2025: Estonia 1-3 Italy
October 2025: Italy 3-0 Israel
November 2025: Moldova 0-2 Italy
November 2025 Italy 1-4 Norway
Why does this keep happening?
It will now be 16 years since the four-time winners faced a knockout match in the World Cup, despite their success at Euro 2020.
Additionally, former manager Gennaro Gattuso mutually terminated his contract after their failure to qualify.
The repetitive failures suggest the issue goes beyond a specific result or coach, with reports pointing towards systemic problems within Serie A.
Italian clubs are increasingly relying on international players rather than investing in the development of young domestic talent.
Also, very few clubs own their stadiums, with that restricting commercial revenue which in turn stifles funding for young development.
With international football now being dominated by high-intensity, high-pressing gameplay, critics have argued the nation has been slow to adapt.
This decline is reflected in the demise of Serie A clubs in Europe – the last team to win in the Champions League being 16 years ago with Inter Milan in 2010 – with all four clubs Italian representatives eliminated before the quarter-finals this season.
What’s next?
With a generation of young Italian football fans left without World Cup memories, the football federation president, Gabriele Gravina, has resigned.
There were recent rumours suggesting Italy could replace Iran at the tournament with the ongoing conflict between the middle east and America.
However, the Italian sports minister was quick to shut rumours down, stating: “A second chance for Italy at the World Cup? That’s not appropriate, you have to qualify on the pitch.”
Iran’s embassy in Rome also commented on the proposed plans saying: “Football belongs to the people, not to politicians.”
The Azzurri will not play competitive games until the next European qualifiers, where 54 eligible teams will compete for only 24 spots.
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- Este artículo cubre aspectos importantes sobre Football,Uncategorized,World Cup
- Información verificada y traducida de fuente confiable
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Amy Hamerslagh |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-04-24 13:22:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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