Fulvio Collovati, a revered figure in Italian football history, has stated that the prospect of the Azzurri being reinstated into the 2026 World Cup as a replacement for Iran would be a “humiliating” development.
Despite Italy’s consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup, recent speculation suggests a possibility of their participation in the 2026 tournament. These reports gained traction following statements made by Paolo Zampolli.
Collovati shared his perspective with Scommesse.io, emphasizing that such considerations were being pushed more on a political than a sporting level. He firmly believes that the team’s place in the tournament should be earned on the field.
“From a sporting standpoint, it would be humiliating,” Collovati asserted. “In sports, the decisive factors are the performance on the pitch and the final score. There are no shortcuts to achieving success. Italy’s inability to qualify for the last three World Cups is not a mere accident; it indicates deeper problems. While missing out once or even twice can happen, the third consecutive failure signifies serious underlying issues. Even before these three missed qualifications, we had been eliminated in the group stage twice in a row. This crisis has persisted for two decades, dating back to 2006. Before we even consider being invited to the World Cup, we must prioritize implementing reforms.”
The 1982 World Cup winner continued, “We can replace all the individuals involved, but without fundamental reforms, nothing will truly change. We need to focus on developing our youth system, investing in young talent, and ensuring that clubs are obligated to include them in their senior squads and provide them with actual playing time in Serie A. Otherwise, we will remain stagnant.”