Gattuso Blames New World Cup Qualification System for Italy's Struggles

Italy national team coach Gennaro Gattuso has criticized the new World Cup qualification system, identifying it as the primary reason behind the difficult situation Italy faces in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Speaking at a press conference, Gattuso questioned the current format despite Italy's strong performance. "Six victories? You should ask those who set the groups and the rules! In 1990 and 1994, the best second-placed team qualified directly. Today, everything has changed," he stated.

The Italian coach acknowledged the team's challenges, adding, "This is not a debate, but we are facing real difficulties, and we are aware of that."

Gattuso further explained that the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has directly impacted the continental allocation of slots, consequently making the qualification path more arduous for European teams. He highlighted, "Africa has moved to 9 direct slots (with the possibility of a tenth slot via the play-offs)."

Through his remarks, Gattuso aimed to clarify that Italy's current predicament is not a result of poor performance, especially given their record of six victories in seven matches. Instead, he attributed it to new qualification criteria that no longer reward second-placed teams as they did in previous tournaments.