There was a question about why Italy did not make it to the World Cup 2026, and who to blame.

Italy missed out also in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.

They were in the same group as Norway for the World Cup 2026 qualification. First Norway won 3-0 against Italy on home ground Ullevål Stadium Oslo June 6, 2025. Then Norway defeated Italy 4-1 on their "home ground" San Siro Milan Italy 4-1 on Nov 16, 2025. Italy got another chance, but they lost out vs Bosnia, with 4-1 in the shoot-out, after a 1-1 draw during regular playing time.

After the 4-1 defeat at San Siro, the largest newspaper in Norway - Aftenposten, published a detailed and very good explanation of the problem with Team Italy:

Derfor tapte Italia ("That's why Italy lost") (Aftenposten Nov 18, 2025)

By Italian speaker Pellegrino Riccardi

The article is behind a pay wall, but parts of it looks like this through google translate:

The San Siro stadium will soon be demolished and rebuilt. Perhaps this is exactly what the Italian Football Federation needs.

Norway's 4-1 victory over Italy at the San Siro surprised many. But for those of us who know Italian football, the result did not come as a shock. It is a symptom of deep, structural problems that have developed over time – and that cannot be solved by changing coaches or benching individual players.

Although the realization is a small band-aid on a big wound for us Italians, it must be put into perspective. Norway did not beat the "great Azzurri" of previous eras, but a team that represents a system that has gradually weakened itself.

.....

Children are being left out

Firstly, access to children's and youth football has changed. Italian grassroots football is increasingly based on parental payments. Many clubs require significant co-payments, and several professional circles believe that this creates a social barrier that means that children from ordinary or less resourceful homes are being left out. Italy is thus losing much of the recruitment breadth that was previously one of the country's greatest strengths.

In addition, little is invested in sports compared to other countries. Italy spends around 4.7 billion euros on sports in total. France invests close to 40 billion. Norway – with a population that is one tenth of Italy's – is around 4.1 billion euros. This means that Norway spends almost ten times more per capita than Italy. When some countries treat sports as a social investment and others as an expense, the differences become visible over time.

.....

Management and culture

Another problem is that young players are given little playing time at the top level. The U21 national team often does well, but the players then disappear into loan spells and bench life in lower divisions. When they first get their chance with the national team, they are often in their mid-20s without continuous development. The contrast with Spain is clear: Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Gavi have been given responsibility and trust before they turned 20.

.....

etc...

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-16 15:09 by bv.

Quote
Taylor1
Off topic a bit, but what is the feeling in Italy about the national team’s terrible failure to make the World Cup tournament again this year.Do they blame the players, the management , the Italian soccer leagues?

I think they don't think about it - it's history now. Calcio is almost a religion there and their own league football, kind of, always comes first.

There are some countries where football is almost sacred. I'm thinking about Italy, England, Spain and of course Brazil and Argentina. Maybe one or two countries more.

Quote
MadMax
I almost exclusively only bet on draws, that's where the big money is.

Doing the same here. Along with the 50% profit boost from an online betting site, it's almost a no-lose situation. So many draws so far I'm up substantially.

I’m rooting for USA to win since I am an American.But if they don’t win the Cup, I am rooting for Norway.Like to see a team from Europe that is a big underdog

One thing I noted is that players can shoot with speed and precision now from way out of the penalty box. The footballs are so much better. Trionda, the match ball from Adidas is made from only four panels with micro patterns in the surface texture to ensure flight stability and swerve. Sometimes you see defenders backing into the penalty area - which is not a wise things when you can shoot with high precison meters out from the penalty area. Just an observation!

It could have been worst, but at last France make it vs Senegal.
First half was boring, and our team was kind of nervous, Senegal failed to score at the very end of the half.On the second half, it started better for us, even if I thought there was Penalty.
Also M'Bappe become tonight our best french scorer of all time with 58 goals and beat the very old record hold by Just Fontaine (13 goals in one World Cup only) he's now at 14 at the same level that Gerd Müller in three World Cup.
Good start



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-17 02:08 by Honestman.

And Messi takes the record...Amazing.

Did not see Argentina, but if they are anything like 2022 they will be very annoying and very hard to beat.

France second half was really good. They have the best team for sure, they could make 5 teams which would be a WC contender.

Not sure what happend with Spain but a bad start doesn't mean that much. Looking forward to England - Croatia.

Me being far from a football fan, but sit up until 4 in the morning and witnessed Messi scored a hat trick at the age of 8 days shy of 39. Marvelous.

Maybe he will be running on the pitch at 83

Maybe the MSL isn't the graveyard it once was
...

Quote
RisingStone
Me being far from a football fan, but sit up until 4 in the morning and witnessed Messi scored a hat trick at the age of 8 days shy of 39. Marvelous.

Maybe he will be running on the pitch at 83

Well, alongside Ronaldo and Luka Modric (both aged 40), this is Messi's swansong. It really is the end of an era.

Quote
Big Al

Quote
MadMax

Quote
NashvilleBlues
Just watched the end of the Egypt vs Belgium match. Admittedly, I’m not a soccer fan, although I’m a huge sports fan, so I don’t know anything about the game. But, what the hell is up with any sporting event ending in a tie? Don’t know about you all, but it is a turnoff for me. Give me a winner and a loser. As a casual basketball player, I honestly think I’d be happier losing a game than tying one. Give me resolution!

Football (soccer) is the only sport in the world which one could compare to war. In war you sometimes get a stalemate and arguably there are no winners in war. Draws are underestimated.

As an Arsenal fan one of my absolute favourite games ever played was man united vs Arsenal in 2003, 0-0 in Manchester. No goals but the game was absolutely magical. Football is so much more than just about goals or beautiful attacking football. I think the game mentioned is on youtube, check it out. Lots of ACTION.
Additionaly, I almost exclusively only bet on draws, that's where the big money is.

As a Man Utd fan during my childhood and teenage years, one of my most memorable moments was during the 1998-99 season F.A. Cup tie against Arsenal, when Berkamp missed a penalty, only for Giggs to then take on the entire Gunners defence, before blasting the ball past a hapless David Seaman

Hehe yeah Al, I remember Keane got sent off and you still managed to beat us to go on to win the treble. That season I attended my first game at Highbury, happy days and PROPER football....

Messi hat trick. Brilliant. Mbappe two goals. Magic. Haaland two goals. Power and speed! Finally the stars start to shine!

Bjornulf

Players complain about the grass, I don’t even know if it is grass or what the players field is made of. Metlife in NJ and Foxboro MA were both said to be stiff dry and rock hard, the ball did not move like it use to do. That may explain some of the surprise results we have seen.

Good thing is they invented the water break, normally a disadvantage for top ranked teams, but the 22 min water break gave the coaches a 3 min break to reorganize their teams, while the tv stations were making money through advertising.

Bjornulf

The pitch is so perfect it actually looks artificial. But maybe the quality isn't? TV companies send all sorts of experts. I haven't hears anything from them. But maybe I missed it? You can't watch all the games..

Quote
bv
Players complain about the grass, I don’t even know if it is grass or what the players field is made of. Metlife in NJ and Foxboro MA were both said to be stiff dry and rock hard, the ball did not move like it use to do. That may explain some of the surprise results we have seen.

Good thing is they invented the water break, normally a disadvantage for top ranked teams, but the 22 min water break gave the coaches a 3 min break to reorganize their teams, while the tv stations were making money through advertising.

I'm not so sure. Apparently, the U.S.A. requested this during the 1994 World Cup, only for FIFA to reject the idea. The concept isn't getting much support, here, in England, and I suspect this is all about the advertising $$. Sigh, it's the inevitable Americanisation of our glorious game. This isn't baseball, or American football; it's two half's of forty-five minutes, with a fifteen-minute break in between, plus some 'injury' and 'stoppage time'

The flopping! Much like when I watch the NBA, the flopping is a turnoff. Obviously the players embellish because the referees will reward them for it from time to time. I just wish they punished the players who over embellish. These guys are tough, but it really makes them look super weak to be putting on acting clinics like that. Congo just scored a nice header before the half to tie Portugal, 1-1!

----



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-17 23:16 by TheflyingDutchman.

Quote
Big Al

Quote
bv
Players complain about the grass, I don’t even know if it is grass or what the players field is made of. Metlife in NJ and Foxboro MA were both said to be stiff dry and rock hard, the ball did not move like it use to do. That may explain some of the surprise results we have seen.

Good thing is they invented the water break, normally a disadvantage for top ranked teams, but the 22 min water break gave the coaches a 3 min break to reorganize their teams, while the tv stations were making money through advertising.

I'm not so sure. Apparently, the U.S.A. requested this during the 1994 World Cup, only for FIFA to reject the idea. The concept isn't getting much support, here, in England, and I suspect this is all about the advertising $$. Sigh, it's the inevitable Americanisation of our glorious game. This isn't baseball, or American football; it's two half's of forty-five minutes, with a fifteen-minute break in between, plus some 'injury' and 'stoppage time'

Considering the heat it's not a bad idea with these breaks. And advertising helps the finances. I'm not conservative for the sake of being conservative. Who says what Englishmen came up with in the 19th century should be engraved in stone forever?

Quote
Stoneage

Quote
Big Al

Quote
bv
Players complain about the grass, I don’t even know if it is grass or what the players field is made of. Metlife in NJ and Foxboro MA were both said to be stiff dry and rock hard, the ball did not move like it use to do. That may explain some of the surprise results we have seen.

Good thing is they invented the water break, normally a disadvantage for top ranked teams, but the 22 min water break gave the coaches a 3 min break to reorganize their teams, while the tv stations were making money through advertising.

I'm not so sure. Apparently, the U.S.A. requested this during the 1994 World Cup, only for FIFA to reject the idea. The concept isn't getting much support, here, in England, and I suspect this is all about the advertising $$. Sigh, it's the inevitable Americanisation of our glorious game. This isn't baseball, or American football; it's two half's of forty-five minutes, with a fifteen-minute break in between, plus some 'injury' and 'stoppage time'

Considering the heat it's not a bad idea with these breaks. And advertising helps the finances. I'm not conservative for the sake of being conservative. Who says what Englishmen came up with in the 19th century should be engraved in stone forever?

I completely agree with Big Al. Leave football as it is, why change something that the whole world has gotten used to and loved for a century? One of the reasons football is the world's biggest sport is precisely because it has remained more or less the excat same. The americanization of football is just annoying. This final will have a show at half time just like Super Bowl, as if you need additional entertainment at a world cup final. And the heat is just an excuse to show more commercials. The World Cup has been hosted in the heat before, twice in Mexico, twice in Brazil, twice in Italy + USA, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Qatar. To deal with climate and weather is part of the game. BTW: Why did they need hydration breaks during Haiti and Scotland when the game was played indoor with AC in Atlanta? The same with England - Croatia right now, it's played indoor in Dallas. No need for hydration breaks, just be honest and call it commercial breaks.

I’m not a big fan of commercialism either, but FIFA obviously agreed to have these extra breaks. Americanize soccer all you want, it’s still only the fifth most popular sport in the country. When I was a teenager in the 90s, I kept hearing how soccer was going to takeoff here in the United States. Never really has for some reason.

A terrific result for the Three Lions, last night! Now, that's the potentially troublesome game out the way; let's thrash the other two!

Fantastic game by England vs Croatia! Not an essy game but Kane and co did a brilliant and hard work!

And Messi? Amazing with another hat trick. Argentina with Messi seems very strong, and so many white snd light blue jerseys in the stadium. Gooooooooal!

Bjornulf

BV: your fans in Bergen caused earth tremors...

"On Wednesday night, the seismic station in Bergen recorded clear signals near the station from the World Cup match between Norway and Iraq. The largest fluctuations coincide with Erling Braut Haaland's goals, which triggered strong cheers among Norwegian supporters," NORSAR said in a statement.

The Norwegian parlament did their rowing stunt yesterday:




Norwegian Parliament Performs Viking Row Ahead of Football Action

Lead by the president of the parlament, they showed the world how the vikings crossed troubled seas and challenges ages ago.

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-20 11:51 by bv.

Many spectators forget what is the most important part of a football game - the last 15 minutes. That is when the cramps hit in, the weak players are exhausted, and you see the well trained players shine, and dominate the field.

Bjornulf

Quote
bv
The Norwegian parlament did their rowing stunt yesterday

That's hilarious. I saw one guy who didn't participate.

There is also a video of vikings rowing on an escalator:

video: [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-20 11:52 by bv.

Quote
bv
The Norwegian parlament did their rowing stunt yesterday:




Norwegian Parliament Performs Viking Row Ahead of Football Action

Lead by the president of the parlament, they showed the world how the vikings crossed troubled seas and challenges ages ago.

It's a marvel. Thanks BV for bringing such a fun. I also envy the cleverness of your institution, Noverwegian MPs. They keep a unanimous goal, humor and lifted-spirit, despite their difference. Well, it's the candid way I see it. I wish it were the same in my country.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-20 11:52 by bv.

Can anyone translate this?

Quote
TheflyingDutchman
Can anyone translate this?

The Norwegian Parlament President (Storting President) is second to the King in Norway only, as a leader of the Parlament. He is leading the Parlament, and using his club (made from a nut tree from George Washington's estate) to make sure the procedure is followed. He is saying: "As the collegues know, the word "Storting" (Parlament) is from Norse (old Norwegian "Viking" language) means "Big Thing". Then we, in the Parlament leadership, have been thinking that the Parlament, from the heart of the democracy, should send greetings to the Norwegian national football team, who is really delivering. There is no better way to do it than to row."

Rowing info:
Norway is full of fjords, smaller fjords (vik), and so on. Sea water and bays and larger fjords from south to north. Rowing the boat have been a way to survive, to find fish, to get to the church on the other side of the bay every Sunday, or for funerals, weddings, and so on. Also, rowing is seen as a way of motivating, doing something in a shared way - unity. The Viking ships, found and preserved in Norway, have space for 30-32 rowers. The rowers had to work together, to row at the same time, just like a football team, every player is important to the team, part of the game.

The Norwegian football fans have now moved from Boston to New York. Yesterday they sat down and did their row thing on Times Square. It looks beautiful (for Norway fans) to see the travelling fans doing something in common - unity.

Norway is a small country, with just 5 million people. Still, we defeated Italy twice during the qualification games, and we are still in the World Cup, first time in 28 years. For the top 10 or 20 teams the World Cup is not that surprising to be in the World Cup, but for Norway, many many follow our team now.

Norway fans doing their Viking rowing chant during the World Cup (Foxboro/Boston - Youtube)

Norwegian football fans rowing at Times Square NYC (VG.no)

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-20 12:36 by bv.