Who is to blame for Italy's World Cup disaster?

Who is to blame for Italy's World Cup disaster?

Delve into the drama surrounding Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Who is being held responsible for the Zenica shootout shockwave?

Chapter 1

The shockwave of the Zenica shootout

Chapter 2

The money and the law

Chapter 3

Rebuilding the pitch

Chapter 4

A nation watches from the sidelines

Ch 1 · The shockwave of the Zenica shootout
L
lucca

lucca The new president takes the wheel

Jul 9

L
lucca

lucca Zenica Penalty Shootout

The Azzurri are out, for the third time it's true, Zenica's shootout, left them feeling blue.

Jul 1

L
lucca

lucca A generation without a World Cup

Jul 1

L
lucca
A generation without a World Cup

lucca An entire generation of Italian children is growing up having never seen their national team play in a World Cup.

Jul 1

L
lucca
Fun Fact

World Cup absence: Italy is the first former champion in history to miss three consecutive World Cups, failing to qualify in 2018, 2022, and 2026.

Jul 1

L
lucca
The great resignation at the top

lucca The devastating defeat triggered immediate resignations from Italy's highest-ranking football officials and coaching staff.

Jul 1

L
lucca
Glossary
shootout (noun)
A tie-breaking procedure in sports where players take turns taking shots at the goal. On March 31, 2026, Italy lost a penalty shootout to Bosnia in Zenica, missing the World Cup.

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Which country defeated Italy on penalties on March 31, 2026, to eliminate them from the 2026 World Cup?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Gossip

Who is to blame for Italy's historic World Cup qualification disaster?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Azzurri's Summer Off
BETA

lucca Decode Italy's new plans to discover how the country is growing beyond football.

Jul 1

L
lucca

lucca The night the music stopped in Zenica

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Who was the head coach of the Italian national team when they were eliminated in March 2026?

Jul 1

L
lucca

lucca The great resignation at the top

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Which striker led Norway to top Italy's qualification group, forcing Italy into the playoffs?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Who resigned as the President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on April 2, 2026?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

How many World Cup titles has Italy won in its football history?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Which Italian legend resigned from his role as general manager of the national team alongside Gattuso in April 2026?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

Who was elected as the new FIGC President on June 22, 2026, to lead the federation's rebuild?

Jul 1

L
lucca
Quiz

In which year did Italy last play a FIFA World Cup match prior to their 2026 qualification failure?

Jul 1