World Cup 2026 still a bitter pill for Italy after opening rounds

Italy’s World Cup frustrations deepened after the opening rounds, with the Azzurri absent from the tournament and both Carlo Ancelotti and Vincenzo Montella failing to secure victories in their debut matches.

The 2026 World Cup was always going to be a bitter event for all Italian fans, given that La Nazionale failed to qualify for the competition, missing out on the most important football tournament for the third consecutive time.

The Azzurri were meant to be in Group B alongside Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland and Qatar, who have all played their opening matches, both ending in a 1-1 draw: Canada vs Bosnia and Qatar vs Switzerland.

The World Cup frustration for Italian fans has continued even without the Azzurri’s involvement.

Both Ancelotti and Montella, in fact, didn’t win their opening matches in the tournament.

Ancelotti’s Brazil picked up a 1-1 draw against Morocco, prompting the Italian tactician to say that his players looked too “anxious”, while Montella’s Turkey surprisingly suffered a 2-0 loss against Australia.

Zeki Celik and Hakan Calhanoglu started for Turkey, while Juventus star Kenan Yildiz was introduced from the bench in the second half as he’s still not fully fit after the end of the season with the Old Lady.

Ancelotti and Montella still have a chance to redeem themselves in the next two games, especially considering that even the eight best third-place teams qualify for the next round alongside the group winners and runners-up.

There’s a third Italian coach at the World Cup: 2006 Italy World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, who will lead Uzbekistan in Group K, making his debut against Colombia on Thursday, June 18.