D-day for Italy, which wants to put an end to the trauma

Italy or Denmark are offered a last chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup in America this summer during the Europe zone play-offs starting this Thursday where 16 nations are competing for the four remaining places promised to the Old Continent.

If the Nazionale, unable to qualify via the qualifiers, no longer has the right to make mistakes, other nations, such as Albania or Kosovo, can take advantage of these play-offs to participate in the World Cup for the first time in their history.

The teams were divided into four “paths” from four countries, with two semi-finals per path, and the winners of each final punching their ticket to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Italy, traumatized by not having participated in the two previous World Cups, nevertheless starts as favorite in path A. It receives Northern Ireland on Thursday, and could, if successful, play its qualification next Tuesday in Bosnia or Wales.

“It is without a doubt the most important match of my career,” Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso told the press on Wednesday. “But I’m ready… I don’t think about what could go wrong, I want to stay positive, think big, and tomorrow we will give our best.”

When he wore the jersey of AC Milan and the Nazionale, the abrasive Gattuso was not a player to fear many people or much. Having become a coach, the 2006 world champion has calmed down (a little) and seems more peaceful. Since he took charge of Italy last June, replacing Luciano Spalletti, he has tried to instill in his team an explosive (and surprising given his past) cocktail of serenity and rage to win.

“A whole nation is waiting for us, but we have to be calm, have the right mentality and show our country and this jersey all the love we have for them,” he explained to Vivo Azzurro TV, the television channel of the Italian Federation.

The Gattuso method seems to be working: since his appointment, which had given rise to many reservations due to his repeated failures at club level, the Nazionale has played six matches and won five of them.

“Our obsession must be to play this World Cup, to return to where we have been for many years, often as the main player,” Gattuso recalled.

Despite its record (four world titles in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006), two continental coronations (1968, 2021) and a status as an undisputed member of the elite, Italy, now 13th in the world, has fallen into line.

Since her planetary crowning achievement in 2006 in Berlin, she has won only one World Cup match, against England 2-1, in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which she left after only three matches.

The first teams to enter the competition, Turkey and Romania face each other on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Istanbul, in the den of the Besiktas club.

Since their bronze medal in 2002, the Turks have not participated in the World Cup, an anomaly for this talented selection, led by attacking midfielders Arda Güler and Hakan Calhanoglu.

The Turks or the Romanians will face on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.) the winner of the duel between Slovakia and Kosovo, the lowest ranked nation (79th in FIFA) in these European play-offs.

The Danes, 21st in the Fifa rankings and who finished behind Scotland during the qualifying phase, will have to be wary of North Macedonia in the semi-final of path D. The Macedonians had defeated Italy at this stage of the competition in 2022, and hope to do it again on Thursday (8:45 p.m.).

The winner of this match will face either the Czech Republic or the Republic of Ireland, who hope to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

The Irish qualified for these play-offs at the last minute thanks to an emotional goal from striker Troy Parrott in the 90+6th minute of the last qualifying match in Hungary last November.

Path B seems to be the most open, with nations ranked between 30th and 63rd place in the Fifa rankings.

Ukraine will host Sweden in Valencia (Spain), in what looks like the toughest match of these semi-finals.

The partners of PSG defender Illya Zabarnyi have never reached the World Cup, passing through the play-offs in six attempts and will try to ward off fate against Graham Potter’s men.

The English coach was appointed head of the Swedish selection last October with the clearly stated objective of reaching the 2026 World Cup.

In the other half of path B, Poland, led by its star Robert Lewandowski (88 goals in 163 caps), who hopes to participate in one last international tournament with his country, will have to get rid of Albania.