2026 World Cup: Matteo Renzi Joins the Criticism of Italy

Matteo Renzi was in Bologna for “Repubblica delle idee,” an annual cultural event that brings together the newspaper’s leading columnists and guests from the worlds of culture, entertainment, and politics. Before taking the stage, the former prime minister was asked to comment on the Italian national soccer team.

“Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup because of incompetent players,” Matteo Renzi declared. “Who will I be rooting for? The referee. I have Saudi Arabia in my heart, but I’ve been a referee all my life; I can’t help but root for them.”

In recent days, it was Gianni Infantino who sparked the wrath of Azzurri fans with a decidedly ill-advised remark: “We discussed a World Cup with 64 teams, with even broader global participation. It was also discussed in the FIFA Council, but for now let’s enjoy this 48-team edition. Maybe with 64 teams, Italy will manage to qualify. Who knows, maybe we should go up to 208…”

Gaetano Amato, a member of parliament from the Five Star Movement, responded very harshly to the FIFA president: “Does Gianni Infantino like to make jokes about Italy not qualifying for the World Cup? He should remember that he is not speaking as a fan at a bar counter, but as FIFA president. A role he holds thanks in part to the support of the Italian federation and one that should demand balance, respect, and a sense of institutional duty.”

“We are the first to be ashamed of our national team’s decline and the disaster Italian soccer is in; we don’t need his cheap jokes to realize that. Mocking Italy is an exercise in rare pettiness, especially coming from someone who is supposed to represent the entire world of soccer,” Amato wrote on social media.