Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive men’s World Cup has been met with resignation rather than shock, as the nation’s footballing decline continues. After losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, Italian newspapers led with the headline “Tutti A Casa” – Everybody Go Home – a simpler, sadder reaction than the “Apocalypse” and “Into Hell” of previous failures.
The Azzurri have not reached the World Cup knockout stage since 2006, when they won the tournament. They failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022, and their early exits in 2010 and 2014 were early warnings. A 2011 proposal by Roberto Baggio to overhaul youth development, including standardised coaching and a scouting database, was never implemented. Baggio resigned in 2013, saying the project had been “literally dead” for a year.
Italy’s senior team decline mirrors that of Serie A clubs in Europe, partly due to outdated stadiums and lower commercial revenues. Only Atalanta reached the Champions League last 16 this season, losing 10-2 to Bayern Munich. However, Inter Milan reached the final in two of the past three years, and Italy’s under-19 and under-17 teams won European titles in 2023 and 2024.
For Scotland, Italy’s struggles put their own World Cup absence into perspective. Scotland have not qualified since 1998, but Italy’s fall from champions to perennial absentees shows that even footballing giants can face prolonged droughts.
