New Delhi: Italy’s national football team finds itself in an unprecedented crisis as they are grappling with the possibility of missing out on a third consecutive World Cup. Their recent 3-0 defeat to Norway on Friday in the European qualifiers have left them reeling and the country’s supporters deeply concerned over the future of their beloved team.
For a nation that has won the World Cup four times, the idea of missing out on the tournament three times in a row is almost unthinkable. Yet that’s exactly the scenario Azzurri faces after Friday’s collapse in Oslo. First-half goals from Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa, and Erling Haaland exposed deep flaws in Luciano Spalletti’s side, leaving Italy in fourth place in Group I, without a single point to their name.
Defeat in Oslo. #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/Yg72rxBljr
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) June 6, 2025
While the Azzurri have played fewer matches than their group rivals due to their Nations League commitments, the result has put enormous pressure on the team to deliver in their remaining games. Norway, who top the group with nine points, looks like the team to beat while Italy’s hopes of a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup now hang by a thread.
The mood in Italy is grim, as reported by the leading sports daily, Gazzetta Dello Sport, calling the situation an “unprecedented crisis.” Their editorial painted a bleak picture- “Let’s prepare for yet another torture in the playoffs, assuming we even grab second place. The national team seen yesterday in Oslo was embarrassing. It is legitimate to doubt everything, to expect the worst of the worst. This is who we are, and we are poor, empty.”
Spalletti under fire
Itay’s coach, Luciano Spalletti, who took the role not long ago, now finds himself under intense scrutiny. After the game, he acknowledged the scale of the problem and told Sky Sport Italia, “There are always worries. After a performance like that, you have to ask yourself questions and realise there are problems. But you have to face them- there’s no other option.
Not just that, captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, who recently won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, looked heartbroken after the match. He admitted, “Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable.”
A nation on the brink
For Italy, the road to redemption won’t be easy. Another playoff heartbreak looms if they can’t climb the table and the scars of 2018 and 2022 are still fresh in the minds of fans. The next few matches will decide whether the Azzurri can rescue their World Cup dreams or if they will have to endure yet another painful chapter in their storied history.
Italy’s World Cup hopes in peril after a 3-0 loss to Norway. Azzurri face criticism and fear missing a third consecutive tournament. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
