The World Cup knockout stages are firmly underway in what is the biggest edition in the tournament’s history, having been expanded to 48 teams. However, there has been a rather large elephant in rooms across Canada, Mexico and the United States… the absence of Italy.
In March, the four-time winners failed to qualify for a third-straight World Cup – a travesty which is alarmingly becoming the norm for a country with such a rich footballing pedigree.
This summer marks 20 years since Italy were last triumphant – prevailing 5-3 on penalties against France, following a 1-1 draw after extra-time.
Andrea Pirlo started that showpiece in Berlin, playing the full duration of the final and scoring the opening penalty in a man-of-the-match display. If anyone is well-equipped to speak about the Azzurri’s woes, it’s the 116-capped former international.
‘Sadly, it’s a really hard time for the Italian national team. We’ve missed the World Cup three times in a row now. It’s quite a disaster,’ he told Daily Mail Sport in an exclusive interview.
‘It’s not easy for us but it’s what we deserve as it’s what we’ve become to be. So, I think we have to prepare for the future, prepare to qualify for the Euros [Euro 2028] and then hopefully into the next World Cup.’
Andrea Pirlo has labelled Italy’s failure to qualify for a third-straight World Cup as a ‘disaster’
Italy lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March to miss out on Canada, Mexico and the USA
Twenty years ago, Pirlo put in a man-of-the-match performance as Italy won the World Cup
When qualifying for World Cups was the norm for Italy, they were always among the perennial favourites. So, who does Pirlo believe to be the frontrunners for this tournament?
‘I think France, Spain, and Portugal are the main favourites. Then there could be some surprises, but I think France has the most possibilities. But football is a strange game, so you never know.’
Indeed, there have already been some surprises with South Korea and Uruguay failing to get out of the group stages, Germany and – to a lesser extent – the Netherlands being knocked out of the last 32 on penalties as well as Brazil losing in the last 16 to Norway. Portugal failing to win their group is another, meaning they are on a collision course with Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 on Monday night (8pm BST). That match-up could see two players who Pirlo sees as modern-day versions of himself go head-to-head.
‘I like Vitinha [Portugal] and Pedri [Spain] – they are technical players that try to make their team play a good game,’ he praises. ‘[Netherlands’ Frenkie] De Jong is another too.’
Of his three World Cup tournament favourites, only France’s squad contains players who have won football’s ultimate prize – albeit it must be noted many of Spain’s stars do have international success too after winning Euro 2024, while Portugal are reigning UEFA Nations League champions.
Didier Deschamps’ France side won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and lost a breathtaking final to Argentina four years later. Of his Les Bleus 26-man party for this summer, captain Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez and N’Golo Kante provide continuity from their triumph in 2018 – with Mbappe and Dembele first-choices in Deschamps’ current starting XI.
At the last World Cup in Qatar, England were thwarted by France in the quarter-finals and if they are to go all the way this time, Pirlo has laid out the blueprint to emerging victorious.
‘There are a lot of components. You, of course, need good players who are healthy physically and also mentally,’ he says reflecting on what made Italy world champions 20 years ago.
‘You also need a bit of luck because you may get easier matches during the World Cup. And of course, you need a really good group cohesion because you have to be together for at least a month and you need to have a good group that can play together to win. It’s not easy but it helps to increase your chances.’
Pirlo has France as the World Cup favourites, with Spain and Portugal among his picks too
If England are to end 60 years of hurt, Pirlo has given a blueprint based on his 2006 memories
The World Cup has been an opportunity for Manchester United fans to watch their new signing Ederson for the first time since his £39million transfer from Atalanta – although he only made two brief substitute appearances for Brazil after being called up as a late injury replacement.
Ederson, who has signed a four-year contract, is an unknown quantity to many in England but Pirlo believes the 26-year-old midfielder will prove a hit at Old Trafford.
‘I think he is a player good for the Premier League, he is dynamic runner and intense. I think he is a player that can adapt really well there.’
While the Red Devils continue to overhaul their midfield this summer, which has become trickier due to Manuel Ugarte’s World Cup injury, the team to beat next season will be champions Arsenal.
The Gunners ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title in May and could have finished the season on a higher note if it wasn’t for their Champions League final loss on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.
And reflecting upon Arsenal’s season, Pirlo was effusive in his praise for the north London outfit and believes they could go on to dominate English football – with William Saliba and Gabriel the bedrock of that.
‘I think they really deserved it [the Premier League title],’ he said. ‘They played a pretty-dominant game all season, but they were playing at a high level even in previous seasons too. With the Champions League, they just needed time to get to the final [having lost in the semi-final stages in 2024-25]. They deserved to get to the final and I think they have the level to win it in future.
‘They have a lot of good players. [Bukayo] Saka is one of them, [Martin] Odegaard is another and Rice is also a really important player. However, the centre backs [Saliba and Gabriel] are the ones playing football at a world level and they make a difference.’
The Italian believes Brazil midfielder Ederson will prove a hit at Manchester United
Pirlo the player is now Pirlo the manager with the 47-year-old speaking to Daily Mail Sport on Zoom from Dubai, where he is the manager of Dubai United.
In sync with his playing career, his first season at the helm of the Middle Eastern club ended in success as they won promotion back up to the UAE’s Pro League [the country’s top-flight] – something he was ‘really happy about’.
While he is focused on his current situation, one of his former playing clubs AC Milan have been busy already this summer sacking Massimiliano Allegri – who Pirlo played under at both Milan and Juventus – for failing to qualify for the Champions League next season and replacing him with former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim.
‘I think AC Milan has other objectives now,’ the Italian replied when posed to him if he would ever like to take charge of the Italian giants one day. ‘They need to really start afresh because they cannot be not playing the Champions League. They need to really think about how to renew the squad and start a new cycle, start afresh.’
While he remains tight-lipped about that prospect, Pirlo is open about an objective of one day becoming a Premier League manager – revealing he has had offers from English clubs in the past.
‘It’s everyone’s dream to coach in the Premier League,’ he coolly says. ‘I have received opportunities to coach in the Premier League in the past but I decided otherwise. But of course, I think everyone wants and dreams about playing or coaching in the Premier League because it’s one of the best championships in the world.’
The 47-year-old Dubai United boss has aspirations of managing in the Premier League in future
As we come back full circle to where the interview started, questions about Pirlo’s Italy 2006 experiences are asked; such as who was the better player: Alessandro Del Piero or Francesco Totti?
‘They are two really good players, one more in attack, another more in midfield, but they could play really well together. So, I don’t want to choose!’ he laughs. ‘There is no one or other. I choose both. They’re both really good.’
A diplomatic answer indeed. OK, so what about his all-time World Cup XI then?
‘It’s really hard to find 11 players, because there has been a lot of greats in the last few years. It is really difficult to choose only an XI, but I’m sure that I’m one of those in that XI,’ he says with a wry smile befitting of his cool persona.
A midfield maestro who put in a winning man-of-the-match performance at a World Cup final, who could argue with that!?
Will Italy be at the 2030 World Cup? Now that’s a debate for another day.
