Sofia Quijada
The four-time world champions are living the nightmare — again, and now definitively.
Italy entered this qualification campaign under Luciano Spalletti with genuine belief that the embarrassments of 2018 and 2022 were behind them — only to make history in the worst possible way. Italy are the first former world champions to miss out on three consecutive World Cups. The group stage did not go to plan, Norway exposed their limitations ruthlessly, and the play-offs only prolonged the agony before delivering a crushing final verdict.
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UEFA Group I: Where It Started to Collapse
Italy finished second in UEFA Group I with 18 points (6 wins, 2 losses), trailing a dominant Norway side that secured direct qualification with a perfect 24-point record.
The damage was done in the two decisive fixtures against Norway — matches that exposed tactical fragility and defensive vulnerability.
Norway 3–0 Italy (June 6, 2025 – Oslo)
Norway imposed themselves early. Alexander Sørloth opened the scoring in the 14th minute via a deflected strike. Antonio Nusa doubled the lead in the 34th minute with a brilliant solo run, while Erling Haaland made it 3–0 before halftime. Italy were second-best in every department.
Italy 1–4 Norway (November 16, 2025 – San Siro)
At home in Milan, Italy briefly gave cause for hope. Francesco Pio Esposito gave the Azzurri a 1–0 lead in the 11th minute. But Norway’s second-half surge was devastating — Nusa equalized, Haaland struck twice in quick succession (78′, 79′), and Jørgen Strand Larsen sealed a 4–1 humiliation in stoppage time. Two matches. Seven goals conceded. Zero points.
UEFA Play-Offs: So Close, So Cruel
Semi-final — March 26: Italy 2–0 Northern Ireland (Bergamo)
Italy advanced to the final with a win over Northern Ireland in Bergamo. It was not exactly a statement performance, but they got the job done and earned a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the deciding match.
Final — March 31: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–1 Italy (AET) — Bosnia win 4–1 on penalties (Zenica)
Four-time champions Italy missed out on a third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout in Zenica.
Moise Kean gave Italy the lead in the 15th minute with a fine first-time finish curled home from the edge of the box. But the Italians were reduced to ten men when Alessandro Bastoni was shown red for a professional foul, denying Bosnia a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Haris Tabakovic equalized for Bosnia in the 79th minute, and the match went to extra time before Bosnia sealed it 4–1 on penalties.
Esmir Bajraktarevic hit the winning spot kick, sending the Bosnian crowd in Zenica into delirium.
Why Did Italy Struggle?
Tactical Imbalance
Under Spalletti — and then Gennaro Gattuso, who took over for the play-off campaign — Italy struggled to generate creativity against elite opposition. Against Norway’s pace and direct transitions, the midfield lacked vertical penetration. Against Bosnia, the dismissal of Bastoni proved the fatal turning point.
Goalscoring Inefficiency
While capable of beating mid-tier opponents, Italy failed to convert key chances in the moments that mattered most. The absence of a consistent world-class striker in peak form has been a recurring issue since the post-2006 era.
Structural Weakness in Development
The deeper problem extends beyond any one campaign. Italian football’s youth system has struggled to modernize. Academies have often prioritized short-term results over technical development, and Serie A clubs increasingly rely on foreign imports rather than domestic talent. The result is a thinning pipeline of elite Italian players ready to perform on the international stage.
Financial and Institutional Challenges
Italian clubs carry significant financial debt, limiting investment in infrastructure and youth development. Aging, municipally-owned stadiums reduce commercial revenue compared to Premier League or Bundesliga counterparts. The FIGC has been widely criticized for slow structural reform, and this combination of economic strain, cultural conservatism, and tactical stagnation has contributed to what many are now calling Italy’s lost era — not just a lost generation.
What Comes Next
Italy’s last World Cup appearance was in 2014, and their last win in the tournament was in 2006 — when current manager Gennaro Gattuso was himself part of the national team squad. Three consecutive absences from football’s biggest stage now demands a root-and-branch reckoning at every level of Italian football. Without structural reform in youth development, tactical evolution, and federation governance, the question is no longer whether the Azzurri can qualify for the next World Cup — it’s whether they can rebuild an entire football culture before 2030.
The door, for now, is shut.