Italy's Downfall: Cursed, Broken or Both?

WORDS BY ZAC ASSOUNI

Rewind 20 years go to 2006. Italy had just defeated France in the World Cup final and took home their fourth World Cup trophy. Now in 2026, that final in 2006 remains the last time the Italian National Team played at a World Cup outside of the group stage. Remarkable, ridiculous and downright unpredictable. For the third straight time Italy will not feature at the World Cup. How did this happen to one of footballs greatest nations and where do they go from here?

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Italians were drawn a favourable group consisting of Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand, Although, Italy looked slow and devoid of ideas as they were seeming trying to run it back with a squad that had aged as they shockingly finished bottom of that group.

In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, they were drawn against tougher opponents in England, Costa Rica and Uruguay which was a group filled with drama and shock. It was a good start for a rebuilding Italy side who beat England 2-1 although losses to Costa Rice and Uruguay meant another group stage exit for Italy alongside England who finished bottom of the group meaning shockingly, Costa Rica and Uruguay moved on even after the infamous Luis Suarez bite.

Now onto 2018 where Italy would astonishingly miss the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. It came after falling 1-0 to Sweden in the playoffs. Onto 2022 yet another shock as Italy would go down the playoff route again this time falling 1-0 to North Macedonia only a year after Italy won the European Championship against England at Wembley.

They say good things come in threes, but this is the complete opposite as Italy will now miss three straight World Cups after crashing out on penalties to a gallant Bosnia and Herzegovina lead by 40-year-old gunman Eden Dzeko meaning a whole generation of Italians have not seen their nation on the world’s stage.

Italian legend Roberto Baggio once proposed a seismic overhaul of the Italian Football Federation’s ways and to invest in the future of Italian football which seems to be all but ignored and leaves Italy in a position no one ever thought they would be in.

It’s a true disaster, but the issues are quite clear with Italy’s refusal to modernise their footballing landscape. Most teams in the Serie A don’t even own their own stadiums meaning a lack of financial income to spend on youth development with many clubs opting for older established foreign talent to fill the ‘now’.

For Italy to rise again there has to be uncomfortable conversations and more importantly uncomfortable actions taken.