Italy are one of the most successful teams in the history of the World Cup. When Fabio Grosso swept home from the penalty spot to defeat France in Berlin back in 2006, he brought the famous gold trophy back to Rome for the fourth time. That triumph made the Italians the second-most successful team in history, solely behind five-time record champions Brazil. Since then, however, Italy has known nothing but pain on the global stage.
Italy’s 12-Year Drought
Italians thought that things couldn’t get any worse back in 2014 when they were dumped out in the group stages in Brazil after slumping to defeats to both Costa Rica and Uruguay. Little did they know that 12 years on, they would still be waiting to venture back onto the storied World Cup stage.
With 2026 just around the corner, the Azzurri still haven’t confirmed their spot in North America. A miserable qualifying campaign in which they were beaten home and away by Erling Haaland’s rampant Norway consigned them to the playoffs for the third straight qualifying cycle. But even so, online betting sites are still offering odds on Italy winning the World Cup this summer, despite them still having to run the playoff gauntlet.
The latest Lucky Rebel World Cup odds currently position the Azzurri as a 33/1 fringe contender, well behind outright favourites Spain (9/2). Those odds will surely shorten once their spot in North America is officially confirmed. However, if recent playoff campaigns are anything to go by, qualification is certainly far from guaranteed.
Sweden End Italian Hopes
Heading into qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Italy had qualified for each of the last 14 tournaments, a run that stretched all the way back to 1958. However, after being drawn alongside Spain in qualifying, their road to Russia was always going to be tumultuous. A draw at home to La Roja, as well as a 3-0 defeat in Real Madrid’s iconic Bernabeu, consigned the Azzurri to the runners-up spot in Group G and a spot in the playoffs opposite Sweden.
Despite having to play through the lottery that is the playoffs, surely Gian Piero Ventura’s men would have enough about them to punch their tickets to the World Cup, wouldn’t they? Even a 1-0 defeat in Stockholm courtesy of Jakob Johansson’s second-half winner would be overturned in the San Siro, wouldn’t it? Well, not quite.
With the Azzurri needing a goal to level the tie on aggregate, manager Ventura named a surprisingly defensive-looking squad for the return fixture against the Swedes. Lorenzo Insigne, Stephane El Shaarawy, and Andrea Belotti all sat on the bench as the hosts struggled to find a way through their resolute visitors. At one point in the second half, experienced defensive midfielder Daniele De Rossi refused to be subbed on as he attempted to convince his boss that the attacking talents of Insigne were required, rather than his midfield steel.
Ventura eventually heeded the calls, but by the time his attacking players entered the fray, it was too late. Italy were unable to find the breakthrough and were duly dumped out, with the iconic publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport calling the defeat “the apocalypse.” The result ensured that legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon would never again feature at the World Cup, and plenty more have missed out since.
North Macedonia’s Palermo Stunner
Following that defeat, Ventura was axed as boss with former Manchester City and Inter Milan man Roberto Mancini taking over. And the new man at the helm immediately hit the ground running, shockingly winning UEFA Euro 2020 as outsiders by beating England on penalties at Wembley in the final. That victory brought the feel-good factor back to Rome, and when the qualifying draw for the 2022 World Cup was made, expectations were high.
Switzerland were considered Italy’s biggest threat, but even so, the Azzurri were still huge favourites to secure a World Cup return. As we were about to find out, though, those scars from 2018 ran deep.
All was going according to plan as Mancini’s men began the campaign with three straight wins, but disaster lay in wait. A 1-1 draw at home to lowly Bulgaria, followed up by a 0-0 stalemate away at Switzerland, handed the Nati the advantage.
The Swiss would drop points when they drew with Northern Ireland, and a 1-1 draw for the Azzurri in Switzerland set up a final-day decider. All Italy needed to do was win in Belfast, and their spot at the World Cup was secured. Instead, they drew 0-0, and a 4-0 Switzerland victory at home to Bulgaria ensured that it was they who headed to Qatar.
That meant Italy had to run the playoff gauntlet once again, with a semifinal against North Macedonia in Palermo surely a foregone conclusion, before setting up a crunch final against Portugal in Lisbon. Unfortunately for Mancini’s men, things wouldn’t go according to plan.
Much like against the Swedes four years prior, the Azzurri couldn’t find a way past their underdog opponents in Sicily, and the longer they went without breaking the deadlock, the more likely the threat of a stunning upset became. In the 92nd minute, that upset duly became a reality when Aleksandr Trajkovski rifled home from the edge of the area.
Italy were beaten and out of the World Cup reckoning once again. Four years on, and their drought has extended into a 12th year. Will it come to an end in 2026? We’re about to find out.