Italy won’t even be playing in the Under-20 World Cup

As if the senior team’s third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup weren’t enough, Wales has also received some bitter news regarding its Under-20 national team, which will not participate in the 2027 World Cup scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The Italian youth team had participated in the four previous editions, finishing third in 2017, fourth in 2019, and reaching the final in 2023, when it was defeated 1-0 by Uruguay, coming within a hair’s breadth of the world title.

Their failure to qualify was confirmed by their loss to Denmark in the fifth-place playoff at the Under-19 European Championship: at Bangor’s City Stadium, the team coached by Alberto Bollini lost 5-4 on penalty kicks to Denmark after a 0-0 draw following 120 minutes of play. Misses by Andrea Natali and Destiny Elimoghale proved decisive: the Danes will therefore advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.

The European Under-19 Championship seemed to have gotten off to a good start, with the Azzurrini defeating Serbia 2-0, thanks to a penalty kick by Mattia Liberali and a goal by Jamal Iddrissou. In their second match, however, they drew a lackluster 0-0 against Croatia, followed by a narrow 1-0 loss to Ukraine.

With the teams tied on points, head-to-head record, and goal difference against the Croatians, the total number of goals scored proved decisive—two for Italy versus four for the red-and-white-checkered team. Italy, finishing third, was thus forced to play a playoff against Denmark, while Ukraine, Croatia, Spain, and Germany (the top two teams from the other group) qualified directly for next year’s U-20 World Cup.