Infantino jokes about Italy national team missing 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup, a historic and unprecedented tournament on North American soil, is in full swing. As the world watches the intense matches across the ocean with great excitement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has drawn attention with an unexpected and humorous statement. The FIFA president, in an exclusive interview with the famous CazéTV channel, made a sarcastic remark about the latest major failure of the four-time world champions, the Italy national team, missing out on this year's tournament.

It must be said, however bitter, that the current 2026 World Cup is a continuation of the most ominous tradition for the 'Squadra Azzurra'. After missing the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar, the Italians are absent from the most prestigious football forum for the third consecutive time.

“Maybe if there were 64 teams, Italy would qualify...”

During the interview, the FIFA chief first touched upon internal discussions regarding expanding the number of tournament participants, then turned the conversation to Italy:

“We have already explored the possibility of organizing the World Cup final stage with 64 teams in the near future. This initiative could serve to further expand the geographical reach of world football. This issue has been on the agenda at FIFA Council meetings, but our current agreement is to enjoy this first historic tournament with 48 teams.

But let's be honest: perhaps if the number of World Cup participants reaches 64, then the Italy national team might find the strength to pass the qualifying hurdles... If that's not enough, maybe we should try increasing the number to 208 (the number of almost all FIFA member countries). Then we would finally know if they could qualify or not,” Infantino joked.

The first large-scale World Cup in history

There is a great truth behind Gianni Infantino's jokes. This year's World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is the first in football history to feature 48 teams. Even though the number of slots for the European continent has been significantly increased, Italian football stars failed to take advantage of this favorable opportunity and were forced to stay home.

Expert commentary: According to football analysts, Infantino's sharp joke highlights the systemic crisis in Italian football. It is truly regrettable that a country that has won the world title four times has been away from World Cups and their top atmosphere for 12 years.

Against the backdrop of these jokes, which hit Italian fans a bit hard, the 2026 World Cup continues to capture the hearts of millions with new teams and unexpected sensations.

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