Erling Haaland made it 3-0. © ANSA / Cornelius Poppe

After the embarrassment: crisis mood among the Azzurri

Italy lost its first qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup in North America against Norway on Friday. A crisis is already looming.

June 07, 2025

From: do

Italy's national team is after the b lame 0-3 defeat against Norway before the next sporting catastrophe. Missing out on the third World Cup in a row is no longer a nightmare, but a realistic scenario. Coach Luciano Spalletti seemed perplexed, his team bereft of ideas – a toothless performance without passion, structure, or pace. According to the Journal of Sport The national coach has to answer to President Gabriele Gravina at a meeting on Wednesday – the position of both players is faltering considerably.

The criticism of Spalletti is certainly justified. The Scudetto with Napoli two years ago seems distant, his glory is fading. His tactical concepts aren't working for the national team. But the responsibility doesn't end with him: federation president Gabriele Gravina is also coming under increasing pressure. Italy's 2021 European Championship victory no longer conceals its structural weaknesses – the Azzurri are in danger of losing touch with the international elite for good.

Spalletti hangs his head. © APA/afp / ERIK FLAARIS JOHANSEN

The state of the youth team is particularly alarming. While Norway boasts technically strong talents like Antonio Nusa, Italy is barely producing creative individuals. The youth development program produces strong, but interchangeable players. Technique and enjoyment of the game seem to have become secondary. Character players like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, who literally tore Italy apart on Friday, are missing.

Playoffs as a lifeline

One thing is certain: things cannot continue like this. Without a radical change of course, a complete collapse threatens. After this false start, direct World Cup qualification is hardly realistic. Norway leads Group I with three wins and a confident streak. The Azzurri will likely have to get used to the idea of ​​the playoffs early on – a nerve-wracking detour in which the twelve group runners-up will battle with the four best non-qualified teams from the Nations League for the final four World Cup spots.