Italy has had a love-hate relationship with the World Cup. A third of all the times Italy has qualified, they were knocked out at the group stage. The Azzurri have also failed to progress past the first round on four different occasions (1934, 1950, 1962, and 1970). This year won’t be any different. Despite boasting some of Europe’s top players in their squad, Italy will once again struggle to make it past the group stage. This article takes you through a brief history of Italy and the World Cup, from their first appearance in 1934 to the present day.
1934 FIFA World Cup
The very first World Cup was hosted by Italy in 1934. It was the first time the Azzurri qualified for a World Cup, as well as the first time a European team hosted the tournament. The Italians were drawn against the host nation as well as France and Mexico. Italy opened their campaign with a 4-2 win over France thanks to a brace from legendary striker Luis Monti. The Italians then faced Mexico, which was decimated by a food-poisoning outbreak that affected several players during their journey to Italy. The Azzurri were held to a goalless draw. The Italians faced the host nation in the final group fixture, which ended in a goalless draw. Thanks to the better goal difference, Italy progressed to the quarter-finals where they faced the Netherlands.
1934 WORLD CUP FINAL: Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia (AET)
1978 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for their third World Cup in 1978. The Azzurri were drawn in Group 3, along with Argentina, Haiti and the Netherlands. Italy opened their campaign against Argentina in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. Against Haiti, Italy was held to a 0-0 draw. Against the Netherlands, the Azzurri took a 2-1 lead into halftime. The Dutch, however, came back to take a 2-2 draw. Italy finished second in their group and progressed to the Round of 16 where they faced Brazil. The Seleção took a 3-1 win over the Italians. The result was controversial, thanks to the infamous “Hand of God” incident.
ITALY 🇮🇹 World Cup 1978 Qualification All Matches Highlights | Road to Argentina
1982 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for their fourth World Cup in 1982. The Azzurri were drawn in Group 2, along with Argentina, East Germany and South Korea. Italy lost their first match to Argentina 1-0. The Italians bounced back and recorded a 2-0 win over East Germany. Italy then faced South Korea, who held the Azzurri to a 1-1 draw. Italy finished third in their group, thus knocking them out of the tournament.
1990 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for their fifth World Cup in 1990. The Azzurri were drawn in Group D, along with Argentina, Belgium and the Soviet Union. Italy lost their first match to the Soviet Union 1-0. The Italians bounced back with a 2-1 win over Belgium. Italy then faced Argentina in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. Italy finished second in their group, thus progressing to the Round of 16 where they faced the host nation, the USA. The Italians took a 2-0 win in what was a relatively easy match. The Azzurri then faced Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals in what ended in a 1-1 draw. The match went to extra time and Italy took the lead with a goal from Roberto Baggio. The Italians held on to the lead and took the win to advance to the Semi-Finals.
2002 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for their sixth World Cup in 2002. The Azzurri were drawn in Group G, along with Paraguay, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Ireland. Italy opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland thanks to a brace from Giuseppe Rossi. Italy then faced Paraguay in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. Against Bulgaria, the Azzurri took a 3-0 win behind a brace from Christian Vieri and an own goal. Italy finished first in their group, thus progressing to the Round of 16 where they faced Australia. Despite being the favorites, Italy was held to a 1-1 draw by the Socceroos. The Azzurri were then knocked out of the tournament as the result went to a penalty shootout.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for their seventh World Cup in 2006. The Azzurri were drawn in Group B, along with Paraguay, Ghana, and the Czech Republic. Italy opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic thanks to a goal from Francesco Totti. The Italians then faced Ghana in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Against Paraguay, Italy was held to a 0-0 draw. Italy finished second in their group to advance to the Round of 16, where they faced Australia. Italy came away with a 3-1 win thanks to a brace from Fabio Grosso and a goal from Totti. The Azzurri then faced the host nation in the quarter-finals in what ended in a 1-0 win for Germany.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Italy qualified for its eighth World Cup in 2018. The Azzurri were drawn in Group G, along with the two-time defending champions, the reigning Group D champion, the team that ranked 5th in the world, and the team that ranked 10th in the world. With a group like that, it’s pretty safe to say that this will be Italy’s worst-ever performance at the World Cup.
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