Remember 2018? Italy didn't qualify for the first time in 60 years. That was the soccer equivalent of your favorite coffee shop suddenly closing—you didn’t realize how much you needed it until it was gone. Then 2026 happened, and it was like that same coffee shop reopened, but they only served decaf. Painful.
We watched from our couches, muttering into our bowls of spaghetti, “We beat Belgium in the Euro 2026 final. How does this even happen?” It was the kind of existential crisis that makes you question everything, including your loyalty to a team that, let’s be honest, plays defense like your grandpa drives—slow, steady, and paranoid.
The Night It All Clicked
This time, the qualification campaign felt different. It wasn’t a masterpiece of art; it was more like assembling IKEA furniture—frustrating at times, but you eventually get the damn shelf to stand up straight. The coach, Luciano Spalletti, looked like a guy who’d just finished a 10-hour shift at a trattoria and was too tired to panic. And that calmness spread to the players.
I was watching the decisive match at a friend’s house. His mom, Nonna Rosa, kept bringing out plates of biscotti every time something exciting happened. By the end, we had enough cookies to feed a small army, and Italy had delivered. When the final whistle blew, we did that awkward Italian hug where you pat each other’s backs way too hard and pretend you’re not crying.
Italy advance in Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualification after victory
