Would Italy escape the curse? After its non-participation in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively in Russia and Qatar, the Nazionale did not manage to qualify directly for the World Cup 26 organized in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Gennaro Gattuso is not wrong, the Azzurri were unlucky to fall into a group where Erling Haaland’s Norway had a series of resounding victories, including two against Italy (3-0 and 1-3).
The transalpine selection will therefore compete in the European play-offs in March 2026. Twelve teams will meet to compete in four Final Fours for as many tickets to North America (three months later). The Italian team is one of the top seeds with Denmark, Turkey and Ukraine, three teams that it will not be able to face. That’s already it.
In the semi-finals, and at home, the Italians will face one of the four drafted via the last season of the League of Nations, namely Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland. Draw Thursday from 1 p.m. Gianluigi Donnarumma and their teammates therefore have a one in two chance of finding one of the executioners of the last two eliminations for the World Cup.
Italy
In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Italy, which had the “bad luck” to fall into Spain’s group, drew Sweden in the round-trip play-offs. After a 1-0 defeat in Stockholm, Gianluigi Buffon’s team was unable to score at San Siro (0-0), with Ciro Immobile, Manolo Gabbiadini or Stephan El Shaarawy up front. A terrible disillusionment.
The snub was even more incredible during the 2022 World Cup play-offs, this time contested in the form of the Final Four. The Italians had been drawn into the table in Portugal but were eliminated in the semi-finals by the Macedonians, in Palermo, with a goal scored in the 92nd minute! The 2021 European champions led by Marco Verratti were beaten to the wire by Switzerland in their qualifying group due to a final draw (0-0) in Belfast against the Northern Irish…
Hat 1: Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine
Hat 2: Poland, Wales, Czechia, Slovakia
Hat 3: Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo
Hat 4: Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland
