Only one Italian remains in contention for 2026 World Cup glory
Quick summary
With Italy's national team absent from the 2026 World Cup picture, only one Italian figure — most likely a coach managing a foreign national side — retains any realistic path to World Cup glory.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceThe final round of 2026 World Cup group stage fixtures is now underway, but Carlo Ancelotti is already Italy’s last remaining hope of glory at the tournament in North America.
Ancelotti is Italy’s only remaining hope of World Cup glory There is, of course, no Italy national team competing at the 2026 World Cup following the heartbreaking play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina back in March.
There is still some Italian representation at the tournament, though, in the form of Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, Vincenzo Montella, head coach of Turkiye and 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, head coach of Uzbekistan.
Montella, however, is already preparing to return to Europe as his Turkiye side were the first nation to be mathematically eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after suffering back-to-back defeats against Australia (0-2) and Paraguay (0-1) across their first two group stage matches.
Even if Turkiye beat the Group D leaders USA in their next game, Turkiye are guaranteed to finish at the bottom of the pack as they are unable to overtake Australia or Paraguay due to their head-to-head record.
Despite the disappointing return at the World Cup, Montella is not expected to resign, nor is he expected to be sacked by the Turkish federation in the immediate future: “We will stand by our coach, and we will stand by our players. This is not a club team, and even their failures occur due to a lack of consistency. You can’t get rid of 15 players and bring in 15 more, or change one coach for another,” said the President of the Turkish FA . The World Cup has also generated interest beyond the pitch, with football fans engaging with everything from tactical analysis and transfer debates to online entertainment platforms such as pokiesworld.com .
UDINE, ITALY – MAY 19: Fabio Cannavaro manager of Udinese Calcio looks on during the Serie A TIM match between Udinese Calcio and Empoli FC at Dacia Arena on May 19, 2024 in Udine, Italy.(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) Cannavaro and Uzbekistan are also on the verge of being eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
Uzbekistan have also lost their opening two matches at the tournament and one match remaining against DR Congo, but the team are already aware of the fact that they can finish no higher than third place and with no more than three points.
Whilst it might be possible for a third-place finisher to qualify for the knock-out rounds on three points, Cannavaro and Uzbekistan will need other results to go their way and to significantly improve on their current goal difference of -7.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 24: Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Brazil, walks out of the tunnel for the second half during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Scotland and Brazil at Miami Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) That means that Ancelotti is the last remaining hope for any form of Italian glory at the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil currently find themselves at the top of Group C, level on points (4) with Morocco heading into their final group stage match against Scott McTominay’s Scotland. The Selecao are not yet mathematically qualified for the knock-out rounds, but they are the clear favourites heading into their clash against the Scots.
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What happened
The article surveys the involvement of Italian players and coaches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and concludes that, with Italy failing to qualify or otherwise falling out of contention, just a single Italian-linked individual still has hope of lifting the trophy. The piece likely profiles that remaining figure, examining their route through the tournament and the challenges ahead. It implicitly highlights Italy's broader disappointment in missing out on the tournament and the diaspora of Italian coaching talent across international football.
Chance analysis
This is largely a contextual/editorial piece reflecting on Italy's absence from the World Cup and the lone remaining Italian connection to the tournament. It has minimal direct impact on club or match predictions but is relevant to discussions of Italian football's international standing and coaching exports. The competitive significance depends on who the remaining Italian is and which team they represent.
Negatively frames Italy's international footballing outlook by underscoring that only one Italian figure remains in World Cup contention, reflecting a weak national-team cycle.
Use only as background context on Italy's World Cup absence; does not materially affect upcoming club match predictions.