Sports
Italy have themselves to blame for third straight World Cup miss
I’d say, “This isn’t funny anymore,” but I cracked that one last time. And I used the one about “letting somebody else have a chance to win a World Cup, since we have four of them at home — as many as England, Spain and France combined — and we don’t want to be greedy,” back in 2018.
So where do you turn to now that Italy have failed to qualify for three straight World Cups, something no other World Cup winning nation has ever done? Especially at a time when the World Cup field was increased by 50%, from 32 to 48 teams?
I’m not sure, but I am sure about what you don’t need after Tuesday’s defeat on penalties against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
– Meet World Cup’s debutants: Curacao, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan
– O’Hanlon: Ranking the 2026 World Cup field
– Karlsen: One tactical note to know about all 48 World Cup teams
You don’t need massive think pieces about the decline of Italian football and calls for root-and-branch reviews. No, it’s not because Serie A today isn’t as good as it was in the 1990s that Italy failed to qualify. Serie A was no better — it was arguably worse — when Italy reached the final of the Euros in 2012 and 2021, winning the latter.
You don’t need Gennaro Gattuso, the Italy coach (for the time being, anyway) talking up his team’s heart and effort and how they didn’t deserve to go out. Nobody can fault their heart and effort, but guess what? Bosnia showed just as much, if not more. And they were coming off 120 minutes plus penalties against Wales away from home, with a 40-year-old up front. (You want to talk “heart” and “effort” today? Look up Edin Dzeko.)
Or Gattuso lamenting their missed chances and episodes. Sure, if Moise Kean buries his counterattack in the second half, or Fede Dimarco finishes with his weaker foot, or Francesco Pio Esposito’s header sneaks past Nikola Vasilj, Italy qualify. Maybe they qualify if Tarik Muharemovic gets a yellow card instead of a red. And — cruel irony! — if Gianluigi Donnarumma hadn’t gotten to Dzeko’s finish, parrying it into the path of Haris Tabakovic for his goal, Italy would have advanced because the ball came off Dzeko’s elbow. But so what? Donnarumma had to make 10 saves, several of them world-class. Bosnia took 30 shots and missed a bunch of opportunities too.
The fact is, it’s not that deep. Italy may not be stacked with talent like France or Spain or England, but they had more than enough quality to qualify. They’re 13th in the FIFA rankings, for goodness’ sake. Nor is this an aging team (one starter, Matteo Politano, is over the age of 30) or a disinterested one (effort and application were not the issue).
The reality is that they made life mighty difficult for themselves at the start of the qualifying campaign, losing early on to Norway (thanks in part to some wretched decisions) which meant that, realistically, avoiding the playoffs was never really in their hands after that. Once you go into the one-and-done format, stuff can happen and moments attain outsized importance.
Alessandro Bastoni may be one of the best central defenders around, but his boneheaded red card after 41 minutes is a big reason Italy will be watching on TV this summer. At 11 vs. 11, you would have liked their chances not because they were playing well — to that point, the Azzurri had managed just two shots on goal for an xG of 0.15 — but because, with Italy 1-0 up at the time, there was a clear pathway.
Keep the ball, make Bosnia and Herzegovina chase you, tire them out, make your experience count. That’s what Gattuso does moderately well: simple game plans, playing the percentages and lots of fire, brimstone and arm-waving on the sidelines.
A man down, however, it all went out the window. Italy went into deep prevent mode and invited the Bosnian pressure. And for the players and the tens of millions of Azzurri fans, the game turned into an 80-minute nightmare directed by Esmir Bajraktarevic and Kerim Alajbegovic. It was a simple plan from a simple coach in Gattuso who — beyond sideline cheerleading — offered very little value during his time in charge.
Which, lest we forget, wasn’t long at all: Gattuso had no more than 15 sessions with his players in his 10 months at the helm. Though to be fair, you can’t help but wonder if more time might have given him more opportunities to screw things up. There’s no denying it: Gattuso didn’t help himself.
When you have better players than the opposition, the best strategy generally is to make that talent count, taking the game to them. And as we saw, Gattuso didn’t do that, possibly because he was spooked by the early lead they were gifted by the hosts, possibly because he was paralyzed by fear after the red card.
Are there structural problems that inhibit the growth of Italian football? Sure. You could cite too much emphasis on results and tactical nous over development and technical ability at the youth level. You could point to the fact that Serie A clubs are more reluctant to trust homegrown players than those in other leagues, creating a “blockage in the pipeline” to first-team football, or the fact that clubs do little or nothing to help the national side (witness Gattuso’s inability to organize even a two-day training camp).
But they’re not the reason Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup. Bad decisions and bad performances in qualifying left them with margins that were far slimmer than they should have been. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s heart, grit and enthusiasm (and some missed penalties) did the rest.
Not that it lessens the hurt, in any way, shape or form, of course. When you’ve won four World Cups, believe me, it hurts even more.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing always delivers. The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest motorsports event in the world, the racing is incredible and the winner’s life is forever altered.
Each Memorial Day weekend, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the legendary Indy 500, which has more than a century’s worth of champions. From Ray Harroun in 1911 to today’s speed demons, these drivers forever etch their names into history at the Brickyard.
Here’s a list of all those who have earned a spot on the celebrated Borg-Warner Trophy by winning the Indy 500.
Indy 500 Winners
Josef Newgarden after winning the 2024 Indianapolis 500. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDYCAR Sanction (2008-Present)
- 2026: Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank w/ Curb Agajanian)
- 2025: Alex Palou (Ganassi)
- 2024: Josef Newgarden (Penske)
- 2023: Josef Newgarden (Penske)
- 2022: Marcus Ericsson (Ganassi)
- 2021: Hélio Castroneves (Meyer Shank)
- 2020: Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman)
- 2019: Simon Pagenaud (Penske)
- 2018: Will Power (Penske)
- 2017: Takuma Sato (Andretti)
- 2016: Alexander Rossi (Andretti-Herta)
- 2015: Juan Pablo Montoya (Penske)
- 2014: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti)
- 2013: Tony Kanaan (KV Racing Technology)
- 2012: Dario Franchitti (Ganassi)
- 2011: Dan Wheldon (Bryan Herta)
- 2010: Dario Franchitti (Ganassi)
- 2009: Hélio Castroneves (Penske)
- 2008: Scott Dixon (Ganassi)
Dual Sanctioning (1996-2007)
Indy Racing League
- 2007: Dario Franchitti (Andretti-Green)
- 2006: Sam Hornish Jr. (Penske)
- 2005: Dan Whelson (Andretti-Green)
- 2004: Buddy Rice (Rahal Letterman)
- 2003: Gil de Ferran (Penske)
- 2002: Hélio Castroneves (Penske)
- 2001: Hélio Castroneves (Penske)
- 2000: Juan Montoya (Chip Ganassi)
- 1999: Kenny Brack (A.J. Foyt)
- 1998: Eddie Cheever Jr. (Cheever)
- 1997: Arie Luyendyk (Treadway)
- 1996: Buddy Lazier (Hemelgarn)
CART Sanction (1979-1995)
- 1995: Jacques Villeneuve (Green)
- 1994: Al Unser Jr. (Penske)
- 1993: Emerson Fittipaldi (Penske)
- 1992: Al Unser Jr. (Galles-Kraco)
- 1991: Rick Mears (Penske)
- 1990: Arie Luyendyk (Doug Shierson)
- 1989: Emerson Fittipaldi (Patrick)
- 1988: Rick Mears (Penske)
- 1987: Al Unser (Penske)
- 1986: Bobby Rahal (Trusports)
- 1985: Danny Sullivan (Penske)
- 1984: Rick Mears (Penske)
- 1983: Tom Sneva (Bignotti-Cotter)
- 1982: Gordon Johncock (STP Patrick)
- 1981: Bobby Unser (Penske)
- 1980: Johnny Rutherford (Chaparral)
- 1979: Rick Mears (Penske)
CART = Championship Auto Racing Teams
USAC Sanction (1956-1978)
- 1978: Al Unser (Chaparral)
- 1977: A.J. Foyt (A.J. Foyt)
- 1976: Johnny Rutherford (Bruce McLaren)
- 1975: Bobby Unser (All American Racer)
- 1974: Johnny Rutherford (Bruce McLaren)
- 1973: Gordon Johncock (Patrick)
- 1972: Mark Donohue (Roger Penske)
- 1971: Al Unser (Vel’s Parnelli Jones)
- 1970: Al Unser (Vel’s Parnelli Jones)
- 1969: Mario Andretti (STP Corp)
- 1968: Bobby Unser (Leader Cards)
- 1967: A.J. Foyt (Ansted-Thompson)
- 1966: Graham Hill (Mecom)
- 1965: Jim Clark (Lotus)
- 1964: A.J. Foyt (Ansted-Thompson)
- 1963: Parnelli Jones (JC Agajanian)
- 1962: Rodger Ward (Leader Cards)
- 1961: A.J. Foyt (Bignotti-Bowes)
- 1960: Jim Rathmann (En-Paul)
- 1959: Rodger Ward (Leader Cards)
- 1958: Jimmy Bryan (George Salih)
- 1957: Sam Hanks (George Salih)
- 1956: Pat Flaherty (John Zink)
USAC = United States Auto Club
AAA Sanction (1909-1955)
- 1955: Bob Sweikert (John Zink)
- 1954: Bill Vukovich (Howard B Keck)
- 1953: Bill Vukovich (Howard B Keck)
- 1952: Troy Ruttman (JC Agajanian)
- 1951: Lee Wallard (Murreil Belanger)
- 1950: Johnnie Parsons (Kurtis Kraft)
- 1949: Bill Holland (Lou Moore)
- 1948: Mauri Rose (Lou Moore)
- 1947: Mauri Rose (Lou Moore)
- 1946: George Robson (Thorne)
- 1945: N/A*
- 1944: N/A*
- 1943: N/A*
- 1942: N/A*
- 1941: F Davis – M Rose (Lou Moore)
- 1940: Wilbur Shaw (Boyle)
- 1939: Wilbur Shaw (Boyle)
- 1938: Floyd Roberts (Lou Moore)
- 1937: Wilbur Shaw (Wilbur Shaw)
- 1936: Louis Meyer (Louis Meyer)
- 1935: Kelly Petillo (Kelly Petillo)
- 1934: Bill Cummings (HC Henning)
- 1933: Louis Meyer (Louis Meyer)
- 1932: Fred Frame (Harry Hartz)
- 1931: Louis Schneider (BL Schneider)
- 1930: Billy Arnold (Harry Hartz)
- 1929: Ray Keech (MA Yagle)
- 1928: Louis Meyer (Alden Sampson II)
- 1927: George Souders (William S White)
- 1926: Frank Lockhart (Peter Kreis)
- 1925: Peter De Paolo (Duesenberg)
- 1924: L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer (Duesenberg)
- 1923: Tommy Milton (HCS Motors)
- 1922: Jimmy Murphy (Jimmy Murphy)
- 1921: Tommy Milton (Louis Chevrolet)
- 1920: Gaston Chevrolet (William Small)
- 1919: Howdy Wilcox (IMS Corp)
- 1918: N/A*
- 1917: N/A*
- 1916: Dario Resta (Peugeot)
- 1915: Ralph DePalma (EC Patterson)
- 1914: Rene Thomas (Louis Delage)
- 1913: Jules Goux (Peugeot)
- 1912: Joe Dawson (National Motors)
- 1911: Ray Harroun (Nordyke & Mermon)
*Racing paused due to WWI
**Racing paused due to WWII
AAA = American Automobile Association
Who Has Won The Most Indy 500s?
Four racers share the record for the most Indy 500 victories with four. Below is a list of drivers with two or more wins:
- Hélio Castroneves (4)
- A.J. Foyt (4)
- Rick Mears (4)
- Al Unser (4)
- Dario Franchitti (3)
- Louis Meyer (3)
- Wilbur Shaw (3)
- Mauri Rose (3)
- Johnny Rutherford (3)
- Bobby Unser (3)
- Emerson Fittipaldi (2)
- Gordon Johncock (2)
- Arie Luyendyk (2)
- Tommy Milton (2)
- Juan Pablo Montoya (2)
- Josef Newgarden (2)
- Takuma Sato (2)
- Bill Vukovich (2)
- Rodger Ward (2)
- Dan Wheldon (2)
- Al Unser Jr. (2)
How To Watch The 2026 Indy 500
The 2026 Indy 500 will air on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET with the pre-race show set to begin at 10 a.m. ET on FOX. You can stream the race and coverage surrounding it on FOX One.
- Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026
- Time: 12:45 p.m. ET
- TV channel: FOX
- Streaming: FOX One, FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com
- Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN
Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been subjected to a barrage of online abuse after the Australian cricketer was embroiled in a spat with India great Virat Kohli during an IPL match.
The players clashed during the T20 match between Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.
Heated words were exchanged between the two before Kohli was dismissed for 15 and his team slumped to a 55-run defeat.
As the two sets of players lined up for the post-game handshakes, Kohli ignored Head’s outstretched arm but shook hands with the other players.
The Instagram accounts for Head and Jessica have since been flooded with abusive comments, apparently from fans of the former India captain.
Jessica told The Advertiser newspaper that her friends and family had also received hateful private messages.
“I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine but they are attacking my friends and family,” she said Monday, according to the reports.
“Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.
“Hopefully this encourages more kindness, and support for one another.”
She also said it felt like “a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup”, referring to the 2023 50-over tournament when Australia beat hosts India in the final in Ahmedabad.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
IndyCar rookie Caio Collet was involved in a terrifying crash toward the end of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon with Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward fighting for first place.
Collet got loose in Turn 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and overcorrected just enough to send his vehicle into the wall. His right rear caught fire as he skidded down the track and onto the grass.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Caio Collet drives a Combitrans AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet through turn three during practice on Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 22, 2026. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Emergency personnel came over to put the fire out and help Collet out of his car.
He was able to walk away from the scary wreck, but track officials called for a red flag. The red flag stopped the race and gave drivers a breather for what would be a total shootout for the final few laps.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Caio Collet leads the field during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 24, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
Collet will fall down the leaderboard as he didn’t finish the race.
The A.J. Foyt Racing driver was making his first appearance in the Indy 500. He graduated into the NTT IndyCar Series after finishing second in the Indy NXT Series last year. He won three races on the Indy NXT Series in 2025.
The Brazilian came into the race in 21st place in the IndyCar standings with 70 points through six starts. He has yet to finish in the top 10 in his first season.
David Maluka talks with Caio Collet before practice for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 18, 2026. (Michael Conroy/AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The 2026 Indy 500 already featured more than 50 lead changes and was one of the more competitive events in recent memory.
Felix Rosenqvist won the race on the final lap.
Financial conditions, oil prices concerns for India: RBI Bulletin
US govt formally implements extension of AGOA till 2026 end
Stock market today: Which are top gainers and losers on NSE & BSE on May 25? Check list
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhere Pete Davidson, Elsie Hewitt stand after breakup: Details revealed
-
Tech1 week agoWhy Is Your Grill So Dumb? The Best Grills Set Temp Like an Oven
-
Tech1 week agoThis Solar-Powered Smart Sprinkler Keeps My Lawn Watered Without Any Power Cables
-
Fashion7 days agoTurkiye’s current account deficit expected to widen in 2026: Minister
-
Fashion5 days agoUS cotton planting advances to 41%, concerns persist in Texas
-
Fashion4 days agoICE cotton sees mixed trend as rain forecasts weaken sentiment
-
Fashion1 week agoIndia’s Pearl Global’s FY26 revenue crosses $521 mn milestone
-
Tech1 week agoA Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy