2026 World Cup: Italy’s Absence Weighs Heavily, and the U.S. Adds Fuel to the Fire

Italy’s disappointment over its third consecutive failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup is no longer just a national sentiment but a case study even across the Atlantic. In fact, the Wall Street Journal, a U.S. daily, has chronicled a lackluster summer for Italy’s national soccer team, dedicating an in-depth article to Italians’ disaffection with the World Cup and highlighting how the national team’s absence has profoundly affected the country’s atmosphere during the tournament.

Rome, as reported in the WSJ, is the most obvious symbol of this detachment. In the midst of the knockout stage, many foreign tourists are unable to find a place to watch their national team, as many bars and restaurants in the capital have chosen not to broadcast the matches. This decision stands in stark contrast to what happens during the rest of the year, when Serie A, the Champions League, and even the Premier League fill screens and venues.

The Wall Street Journal’s correspondents in Italy confirm that in the few places that do turn on their TVs to show World Cup matches, the audience consists almost exclusively of foreign visitors. Italians, on the other hand, seem to have turned their backs on the tournament: an emotional absence that the newspaper links directly to the team’s failure to qualify following the playoff defeat against Bosnia, describing this summer as “the worst ever” for Italian fans, caught between the scorching heat and yet another soccer disappointment.

As the country waits to cheer on Italy again in a major international tournament, it, too, is experiencing a summer of detachment and bitterness, and a clear message is coming from the United States: the absence of the Azzurri is not just a sporting fact, but a cultural phenomenon that can be seen, felt, and talked about even from afar.