Italians Outraged by FIFA President's Comment Regarding Their National Football Team's Absence at the World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's comment on Brazilian channel CazéTV, where he ironically remarked on the Italian national team missing its third consecutive World Cup, caused dissatisfaction among Italians.

Gianni Infantino at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: AP Photo / Andre Penner
Responding to a question about Italy failing to qualify for the global forum again, Gianni Infantino joked that the team could have made it to the tournament if the number of participants were first increased to 64, and possibly even to 128 teams. These words were negatively received in Italy and considered inappropriate.
The Italian Football Federation and Minister of Sport Andrea Abodi expressed their dissatisfaction. According to them, such statements do not correspond to the seriousness of the situation and can trivialize the problems of the national team. The Minister also announced his intention to personally contact the head of FIFA to discuss the incident.
The situation around Italian football remains complex: the team has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row. This time, the team lost its chances to go to the World Cup after being defeated in playoff matches by Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though the number of participating teams is a record 48 this time, instead of the previous 32.
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