In a nation thriving across various sports, Italy's football team faces a daunting task to break a prolonged curse and return to the World Cup in 2026.
From a record-breaking show at the Winter Olympics to historic wins in cricket, Formula One, and rugby, Italy has flourished in recent months, expanding its sporting footprint.
However, in the 'beautiful game' that once defined Italy, the story has been starkly different.
From their 2006 World Cup triumph to their last appearance in 2014, Italy has experienced a decline, with an entire generation growing up without seeing the Azzurri at a World Cup.
With qualification for the 2026 World Cup on the line, Italy must first overcome Northern Ireland in a playoff and then beat either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina to avoid becoming the first former champions to miss three consecutive World Cups.
Former Italy forward Alessandro Del Piero has attributed the team's struggles to low investment, ageing infrastructure, and limited commercial growth in Serie A, which has lost ground to the Premier League and Spanish clubs.
Italy's path to the playoffs has been marked by twists, including the dismissal of Luciano Spalletti and the appointment of Gennaro Gattuso, who has urged his players to remain composed and focus on the task at hand.
With a 75% win rate in the qualifiers, Italy boasts a stronger team than in previous failed campaigns, but history looms large, and the team must navigate the weight of past failures to achieve redemption.
