With just over two months until the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, the global football landscape is almost fully painted. This historic 48-team tournament is down to its final two vacancies, which will be filled tonight as DR Congo faces Jamaica and Iraq takes on Bolivia.
As of now, 46 nations are confirmed after a dramatic final week of UEFA qualifiers. Sweden punched their ticket with a heart-stopping late goal, while Turkey secured their first World Cup appearance since 2002 (landing in the same group as the USA). Czechia outlasted Denmark in a tense penalty shootout, but the biggest shock came from Bosnia, who eliminated Italy on penalties.
For the “Azzurri,” the nightmare continues. Italy has now failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups. Before 2018, the four-time champions had only missed the tournament twice in their entire history (1930 and 1958). Now, a generation of Italian fans will have to wait until at least 2030 to see their colors on the world stage, a stunning decline for a nation with the second-most titles in history.
A Generation of Absence: From Brazil 2014 to the 2026 Expansion
Brazil 2014 was the last time the world saw Italy in a World Cup jersey, and even then, it wasn’t exactly a glorious run. Just like their 2010 campaign, where they failed to win a single game, the 2014 squad crashed out in the group stage. Their last actual victory in a World Cup match came against England in the 2014 opener.
Ironically, Italy’s only moment of joy in the last decade was beating England again to win Euro 2021, yet they remain the ultimate constant of World Cup “no-shows.”
Since that 2014 exit, the sport and the world have moved on at a breakneck pace. While Italy has remained stuck in a cycle of qualification heartbreak, the rest of the world has undergone a total transformation. To understand how long this drought has truly lasted, you have to look at what the world looked like the last time an Italian player touched a World Cup pitch.
A Look Back: How Much Has the World Really Changed Since Italy’s Last World Cup Match?
To give you an idea of the “time capsule” Italy has been living in, here is a snapshot of the world in 2014:
- Germany was on top of the world: Die Mannschaft won the 2014 World Cup, tying Italy with four titles each, both sitting just one behind Brazil’s five.
- The CR7 Peak: Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2014 Ballon d’Or, the third of his career, after a historic Champions League run with Real Madrid.
- A Super Bowl Blowout: In February 2014, the Seattle Seahawks “Legion of Boom” defense dismantled the Denver Broncos 43-8 in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever played.
- The Spurs Dynasty: The San Antonio Spurs captured the 2014 NBA Finals with a 4-1 revenge win over the Miami Heat. A young Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP.
- The Obama Era: Barack Obama was serving his second term as the 44th President of the United States.
- The iPhone 6 Revolution: Apple had just launched the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, introducing the first “large” screens and the debut of Apple Pay.
- The Soundtrack of 2014: According to the Billboard charts, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was the most played song on the planet.
- Hollywood Gold: 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen, took home the Oscar for Best Picture.
- The Ice Bucket Challenge: Your social media feed was likely covered in videos of people dumping freezing water on their heads to raise money for ALS, the definitive viral trend of the year.
The fact that the world has gone from the iPhone 6 to the brink of a 48-team World Cup in North America without a single Italian appearance is statistically mind-boggling. As the rest of the world prepares for the Azteca, Italy is once again left wondering when the “Happy” times will return.
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