Italy Is Missing the 2026 World Cup Again, and Soccer Fans Are Fully Spiraling
Italy’s World Cup heartbreak did not happen overnight. The trouble started with a rough loss to Norway.
Published June 9 2026, 10:37 a.m. ET
Italy is not in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and soccer fans are still trying to process the reason why. The Azzurri are one of the most famous national teams in the sport, but they will miss the World Cup for the third straight time.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11 and runs through July 19. Canada, Mexico and the United States are hosting the tournament together, making this the first men’s World Cup hosted by three countries. The tournament is also bigger than ever, with 48 teams and 104 matches. It feels like athletes from every corner of the world will be there — except Italy.
Why is Italy not going to the World Cup?
Italy is not going to the World Cup because it failed to qualify. According to ESPN, the team finished second in UEFA qualifying Group I behind Norway, which earned the automatic spot. Italy then had to go through the European playoffs, where things fell apart again. Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the playoff semifinal, so for a minute, it looked like the Azzurri might finally pull it together. Then they faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoff final on March 31.
Italy started strong when Moise Kean scored in the 15th minute. But Alessandro Bastoni received a red card before halftime, and Italy had to play the rest of the match with 10 men. Bosnia and Herzegovina kept pushing, and Haris Tabakovic scored the equalizer in the 79th minute. The match finished 1-1, then Bosnia won the penalty shootout 4-1. That loss knocked Italy out of the 2026 World Cup.
However, Italy’s qualifying run was rough from the start. The team started its season with a 3-0 loss to Norway in June 2025, per ESPN. That defeat put Italy behind immediately and cost Luciano Spalletti his job. Luciano coached one more match, a 2-0 win over Moldova, but even that win did not feel convincing. He later admitted things did not go the way he wanted.
"I'm disappointed with the result," Luciano said, per SuperSport. "I don't give back to those who come after me a great national team because we didn't play a great match tonight either. I was given the opportunity to work, I tried, I made mistakes and I even tried some experiments.”
Who was leading Italy’s group?
After Luciano’s firing, Gennaro Gattuso then took over. The team beat Estonia, Israel and Moldova, and Italy even won six of its final seven group matches before facing Norway again, according to ESPN. However, Norway had already built a huge advantage, especially on goal difference. Gennaro knew the situation looked ugly. Before the final group match against Norway, Italy needed a massive 9-0 win to qualify directly. He criticized the setup and suggested officials change the rules.
"If we look at South America, where six out of 10 teams go directly to the World Cup and the seventh heads into a play-off with a team from Oceania, that does give you regrets and a certain sadness,” Gennaro said, per BBC. “That is the disappointment. The system needs to change in Europe."