After 2018 and 2022, Italy can miss a third World Cup in a row! The Nazional inherited a difficult group in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Europe zone. To be more precise, the Italians find themselves in the pool of the flamboyant Norway of Erling Haaland and just started with a resounding defeat in Oslo (3-0), on June 6, on goals by Alexander Sorloth and the Manchester City cyborg.
Gianluigi Donnarumma and his teammates resumed three days later by dominating Moldova (2-0, goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambaso), but they are only 3rd in their group with three points, behind a 12-point Norway in four matches and Israel, which has 6 points in three games. The Italians will resume in September against Estonia (in Bergamo on the 5th) and precisely Israel (in Debrecen, in Hungary, 8). Imperative victories.
The projections of the X account Football Rankings Give the winning Norway of this group and Italy only a barragist. The first 12 will be qualified directly, while the 12 seconds will compete in European dams, in March 2026, in the company of four teams determined by the League of Nations 2024-2025. Four Final Four will be formed and the best four nations in the FIFA ranking will be head of the draw and will receive in the semi-finals (the place of the final will be known during the draw).
Italy seeded in the event of dams
According to statistical calculations of Football meets dataItaly would find itself in hat 1 with Ukraine, Turkey and Sweden. These four countries will thus challenge Romania, Northern Macedonia, Northern Ireland or Moldova, the four drafted for the moment of the LDN. If the Azzurri do not fall into a half of dams as in 2022 against the Macedonians, they could thus face, in the final, Serbia, the country of Wales, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czechia or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not easy at all.
In the event of qualification via these European dams, Italy would be likely to fall into a group of death at the World Cup 26 organized in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The draw for the 12 groups of the North American World Cup will, in fact, in December 2025 and the four winners of the European dams as well as the two winners of the Intercontinental dam (which will all be known in March) will be virtually placed in hat 4 of the draw.
The projections of European dams hats:
Hats 1: Italy, Ukraine, Türkiye, Sweden
Hat 2: Serbia, Wales, Greece, Poland
Hat 3: Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hat 4: Romania, Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Moldova
