Italy national team coach Gennaro Gattuso has jokingly vowed to “flee the country” and live far away if his side fail to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time. Despite a 3-0 victory over Israel, Italy may still have to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup through the play-offs, as they currently sit second in their qualifying group.

• Italy bound for play-offs after win over Israel

  Gattuso’s Italy cruised to a 3-0 win over Israel, with Mateo Retegui netting a brace and Gianluca Mancini adding another. The victory extended Gattuso’s perfect start as Italy’s national team coach, making it four wins from four games. However, the result still wasn’t enough to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, as Italy remain second in the group behind Norway. A 3-0 defeat to Norway in June, coupled with Italy’s inferior goal difference, means the Scandinavians are on course to qualify directly, while the Azzurri will likely have to battle it out in the knockout play-offs to book their place at the World Cup.

  Gattuso says he’ll leave Italy if they fail to qualify

  Gattuso humorously remarked that if Italy fail to qualify for the World Cup, he would flee the country, saying: “I’ll take credit if I manage to achieve my goal [qualify for the World Cup], otherwise I’ll go and live far away from Italy. I’m already a bit far away, I’ll go even further.”

  Gattuso also hinted that changes could be on the horizon but praised his players for their commitment and work ethic in training. He further emphasised that effort will always be valued, saying: “Let’s see, I’ll definitely change a few things to see what level we’re at. Because everyone trains incredibly well, so I want to give some space to those who aren’t playing as well. There’ll be a lot of movement, and the same principle always applies: the doors to the national team are always open to those who do well.”

  Italy’s poor record at World Cups post 2006 win

  The four-time World Cup winners have struggled for consistency since their triumph in 2006. After being knocked out in the group stages in both the 2010 and 2014 editions, Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, crashing out in the play-off stage. A similar fate followed in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where the Azzurri were once again eliminated in the play-offs, this time by North Macedonia.

  Goal