Italy has unfortunately carved out a new, unwanted chapter in its football history, failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the third consecutive time. Their last appearance in the global tournament dates back to 2014, leaving fans yearning for past glories. This article delves into the three Azzurri squads that, in a regrettable sequence, failed to secure a spot in the World Cup finals.
The latest setback saw Italy fall short in the World Cup play-off final, marking their third consecutive absence from the prestigious competition. This series of non-qualifications has become a recurring nightmare for the nation and its passionate supporters, who haven’t witnessed their beloved Nazionale compete in a World Cup since Brazil 2014. Even more starkly, the last knockout game Italy played in the tournament was in 2006, when they famously lifted the coveted trophy under the guidance of Marcello Lippi.
A Decade of Disappointment: Italy’s Recurring World Cup Absence
The first hint of this unprecedented decline came in 2017 when the team, then coached by Giampiero Ventura, was eliminated in a two-legged play-off by Sweden. At the time, the idea of Italy missing a World Cup seemed surreal and unimaginable. Yet, less than a decade later, it has tragically transformed into a distressing pattern.
Under Ventura, the qualification format for the 2018 World Cup involved a direct two-legged play-off against a single opponent. Italy suffered a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Sweden, a result that sent shockwaves through the footballing world.
Four years later, for the 2022 World Cup, the play-off structure was revised to include semi-finals and a final. Coached by Roberto Mancini, who had just led them to Euro 2020 glory, Italy surprisingly lost their semi-final match to North Macedonia. Had they advanced, they would have faced Portugal away in the final, a match that never materialized.
The most recent qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup saw Italy, under the management of Gennaro Gattuso, once again reach the play-off final. However, their hopes were dashed as they succumbed to a defeat on penalties against a team ranked 65th in FIFA’s global standings (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The Squads That Missed Out: Italy’s World Cup Non-Qualifiers
Here are the starting lineups for the Italian teams that, regrettably, missed out on the World Cup:
2018 World Cup Qualifiers (under Giampiero Ventura)
Starting XI: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Candreva (76′ Bernardeschi), Parolo, Jorginho, Florenzi, Darmian (64′ El Shaarawy); Immobile, Gabbiadini (64′ Belotti).
2022 World Cup Qualifiers (under Roberto Mancini)
Starting XI: Donnarumma; Florenzi, Mancini (89′ Chiellini), Bastoni, Emerson; Barella (77′ Tonali), Jorginho, Verratti; Berardi (89′ Joao Pedro), Immobile (77′ Pellegrini), Insigne.
2026 World Cup Qualifiers (under Gennaro Gattuso)
Starting XI: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano (46′ Palestra), Barella (85′ Frattesi), Locatelli (71′ Cristante), Tonali, Dimarco (91′ Spinazzola); Kean (71′ Esposito), Retegui (44′ Gatti).