“I’m saddened by it.” Argentina boss reacts to Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup

Italy lost in the final stage of qualification for the 2026 World Cup and will not take part in the tournament, prompting a reaction from another national team coach — Lionel Scaloni.

Details: The Argentina head coach admitted he feels sorry and is saddened that Italy will not be heading to the World Cup.

Quote: "What happened to Italy saddens me. I have Italian roots, and beyond having played there, it’s a brotherly country for Argentina, and they care deeply about us. Argentinians don’t like seeing them miss out on the World Cup," Scaloni said.

Italy will miss the World Cup for the third consecutive time, having also failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions, and now the 2026 tournament as well.

Reminder: Our team has prepared a list of European national teams that have qualified for the World Cup.