“Italians bitter over absence in the 2026 World Cup and coaches fail in their debut.”

The nightmare of the World Cup continues to haunt Italian fans, who once again watch the planet’s biggest national team competition from afar, while witnessing former icons and coaches of their football fail in the early challenges. As if the absence of Italy from the final stage of the 2026 World Cup – the third consecutive time – was not enough, Carlo Ancelotti and Vincenzo Montella, two ambassadors of transalpine football, have also had a poor start to their campaigns as coaches of other nations.

Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, missing out on a competition where it should have been placed in Group B, alongside Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, and Qatar. All of these countries have already played their opening matches, with draws recorded in both the Canada-Bosnia and Qatar-Switzerland games. Meanwhile, the Italians find themselves once again removed from the main stage, immersed in a growing frustration that refuses to dissipate since their last appearance in 2014.

THE 2026 WORLD CUP LIVES ON WITH LEGO

The impact of this absence is profound, not only for the federation and national pride but also for European football, which is deprived of a historic powerhouse. For fans, the feeling of emptiness is even more poignant when they realize that figures like Ancelotti and Montella, now in charge of other national teams, also stumbled in their respective debut matches. Carlo Ancelotti, at the helm of Brazil, could only manage a 1-1 draw against Morocco, in a match where, according to the coach himself, “the players were too anxious” – an assessment made during the post-match press conference, where he did not hide his disappointment. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Montella, the Turkey coach, was surprised by a 2-0 defeat to Australia, leaving the Turkish team in a delicate position right from the start.

Montella explained at the end of the match, visibly frustrated, that he is still “looking for the best eleven,” noting that “there are players who returned exhausted from their club seasons.” Zeki Celik and Hakan Çalhanoglu were starters, while Kenan Yildiz, a star of Juventus, only came on in the second half due to physical limitations after a long season. The Italian coach promised changes for the upcoming matches, emphasizing that “there is still time to change the course of events.”

The 2026 World Cup, taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has taken on an even more bitter taste for the Italian nation, which hoped to see its representatives shine even without the presence of the national team. The poor debut of Ancelotti with Brazil and Montella with Turkey raises doubts about both coaches’ ability to lead their teams far in this competition. Despite this, the new tournament format allows even third-placed teams from the groups to advance, so there is still room for recovery. Ancelotti and Montella know that they have no alternative but to win the upcoming matches, or risk further increasing the disappointment of Italian fans.

Adding to this scenario is the debut of a third Italian coach at the World Cup: Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Champion, is set to lead Uzbekistan in Group K, with the first challenge scheduled against Colombia on June 18. Expectations are high to see if Cannavaro can turn around the negative trend of Italian coaches in this initial phase.

With the reputation of Italian football taking another hit, it remains to be seen whether Ancelotti, Montella, and Cannavaro will be able to salvage some pride for their country, even if indirectly. The upcoming matches will be crucial, and if there is no turnaround in results, the aura of crisis surrounding Italian football could reach historic levels, intensifying the urgency for a structural revolution. For now, the only certainty is that the 2026 World Cup is proving to be a bitter disappointment for all those with hearts painted blue who expected, at the very least, to see their coaches succeed on the most high-profile stages of world football.

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