Italy football

The $23b reminder that will haunt Italy as football giant suffers WC 'apocalypse'

But at the end of the day, the world No. 6 still failed to overcome the world No. 67. The failure to not make the 2018 World Cup was a catastrophe. Reaction from the football world to the loss was one of utter shock. But once again, Italy ended the group stage with three wins from three games and were one of — wait for it — three teams to not lose or draw a game in the groups alongside Belgium and the Netherlands. It consigned a nation of football tragic to another month of misery as they prepare to watch the rest of their European rivals contend in the biggest footballing tournament. It was a victory that, as The Athletic’s James Horncastle wrote, Mancini “redeemed Italy for failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades” and helped the former Inter Milan boss write himself into Italian footballing history. World No. 1 Belgium was the only other side to emerge with a perfect record from the qualifiers, as Italy entered the tournament with plenty of momentum even with Euro 2020 being delayed by a year due to the pandemic. That nightmare turned reality when Italy failed to get past Sweden as the nation mourned a catastrophic failure in what would be the first time the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup since 1958 Granted, they were no spring chickens, but for three players — who were also members of the 2006 squad — to retire just like that was a saddening way to finish their Italy careers. They will not partake in the World Cup for the second consecutive iteration of the tournament. A 92nd-minute winner from North Macedonia’s Aleksandar Trajkovski broke Azzurri hearts and despite throwing the kitchen sink at the visitors in the dying minutes of the clash, it was to little avail. But now, Italy stare at the bleakest of prospects for a nation with the richest of rich footballing histories.

Italy players and their coach, Roberto Mancini, have spoken of their huge disappointment after losing a World Cup playoff to North Macedonia.

Both matches with the Swiss were drawn, with Jorginho failing to score a penalty in each match. In winning last summer’s Euros, beating England on penalties in the final at Wembley, Mancini had restored pride to Italian football after those years of failure on the international stage. As defending champions in 2010, Italy crashed out at the group stage, drawing with New Zealand and losing to Slovakia. Winning Euro 2020 last summer is now a bittersweet memory for the Italian national team after they failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup finals. The midfielder Marco Verratti said North Macedonia’s goal in added time was a “real nightmare”. “This group had a great chance at the World Cup,” he said. From September to today we have made mistakes and we have paid for them.”