This is a record of Italy's results at the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.[1]
Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of the World Cup, having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), just one fewer than Brazil. The team was present in 18 out of the 21 tournaments, reaching six finals, a third place and a fourth place.
After a difficult route to the final, defeating hosts France in the quarter-finals and Brazil in the semis, Italy was the first team to win the World Cup title on foreign ground. Also, it was the first of only two times in World Cup history that a team successfully defended their title.
In 1970, the Brazilian team featured superstars like Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto and were considered favourites for the title. Particularly in the second half, the Italians were outclassed by the Brazilians passing play.
Italy played three draws in the first group stage in a worrisome start to the tournament, proceeding ahead of Cameroon only on number of goals scored. However, the Italians continued to defeat Brazil, Argentina and a strong Polish side over the course of the tournament and faced West Germany in the final in Madrid.
Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty in the goalless first half, but the dominant Italian side eventually built up a 3–0 lead and won by 3–1 in the end, securing their third World Cup trophy.
The 1994 final was the first ever to be decided on penalties after goalless 120 minutes. Italian captain Franco Baresi missed the very first penalty, and Roberto Baggio the decisive last one.
Italy became the first team to lose two World Cup finals against the same opponent.
Italian defender Marco Materazzi was involved in all three outstanding moments of the first 120 minutes: He conceded the penalty that was converted by Zinedine Zidane early in the game, equalised with a powerful header soon after, and provoked Zidane in a manner that lead to the French captain being sent off. He also scored in the penalty-shootout that was to follow.
It was only the second time a World Cup final was decided on penalties, again involving Italy after the 1994 final lost to Brazil.
Paolo Maldini is the player with the third-most matches at FIFA World Cups, trailing only behind the Germans Lothar Matthäus (25) and Miroslav Klose (24). This also makes him the player with the most World Cup matches who has never won the trophy.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is one of only three players who have been part of five FIFA World Cup squads.[3]
Three World Cup finals have been officiated by representatives of the Italian football federation, only English referees have had the honour more often (four times). The 1978 final between Argentina and the Netherlands has been led by Sergio Gonella, who had already officiated the European Championship final two years earlier. The other referees are Pierluigi Collina in 2002, and Nicola Rizzoli in 2014.
The Italian referee with the most World Cup matches, however, is Roberto Rosetti, who has been in charge of six matches total in 2006 and 2010.
1 Considered a successor team by FIFA, or have competed under another name(s). 2 Have been member of multiple confederations. 3 Team and national federation no longer exist.
1930
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1990
1994
2002
2010
2014
2018
2022
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Ecuador
Ghana
Haiti
Hungary
Israel
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
North Korea
Norway
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Republic of Ireland
Slovakia
Soviet Union
Ukraine
18'
