Former Juventus midfielder Sunday Oliseh has strongly criticised Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the situation as a “total disaster” for one of football’s most historic nations.
Italy’s hopes of reaching the global tournament were dashed following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina national team in their European play-off, extending their absence from the World Cup to a third consecutive edition.
Reacting to the development on Wednesday via X, the former Super Eagles coach expressed deep concern over the state of Italian football, noting a visible decline in quality and confidence within the squad.
“Watching this World Cup play-off final for Italy is a nightmare,” Oliseh wrote.
“It is genuinely heartbreaking to see what happens to a great football nation when they miss back-to-back World Cups.
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Seeing them eliminated by Bosnia and missing out for a third straight time is more than just a bad game; it is a total disaster for the soul of Italian football.”
Oliseh further criticised the team’s performance, suggesting the players appeared devoid of belief and technical sharpness expected at the highest level.
“The team looks broken. The players have no confidence, they look like they’ve forgotten how to play at the top level, and the talent just isn’t there anymore,” he added.
Italy, four-time world champions, last lifted the trophy at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where they defeated France national team in the final.
Since then, however, the Azzurri have struggled to maintain their dominance on the global stage, with their recent qualification failures raising fresh concerns about the future of the national team.