Four Stars, Two Missed World Cups, and a Country That Refuses to Be Forgotten
Italy: 4 World Cup titles, but also the only champion to miss the last two tournaments entirely.
Published: June 6, 2026
# Four Stars, Two Missed World Cups, and a Country That Refuses to Be Forgotten
Italy have won the World Cup four times. Only Brazil (5) has more. Germany also has four. But Italy missed the last two World Cups entirely. 2018: didn't qualify. 2022: didn't qualify.
1934. Hosts. Mussolini's shadow. 1938. First repeat champion. Then war. Twelve years without a World Cup. 1982. Paolo Rossi — just back from a two-year ban — hat-trick vs Brazil. Third star. 2006. Calciopoli scandal. Zidane's headbutt. Fourth star. Then: 2010 group exit. 2014 group exit. 2018 fail. 2022 fail. 2026: back.
Four stars on the shirt. Two missed tournaments in the soul. Italy doesn't play World Cups to win. Italy plays World Cups to remind you they exist.