Four-time World Cup winners Italy have been forced into the dreaded play-offs for the third consecutive tournament after a 4-1 defeat by Norway confirmed they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Having failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 finals via play-offs, the nation faces another tense knockout route to the expanded 48-team tournament in North America.
Italian football journalist James Horncastle called the crisis the continuation of an “apocalypse” that began with the 2017 failure.
New manager Gennaro Gattuso (appointed in June) has led the team to five wins in five matches, scoring 18 goals, but analysts warn the aggressive, goal-hungry side lacks tactical “balance.”
Gattuso has deflected attention by strongly criticising FIFA’s qualification process, arguing the system in Europe is overly difficult compared to other confederations.
The Azzurri must now win two single-leg play-off matches in March to avoid what would be a historic and humiliating third successive absence from the World Cup.
