Italy soccer icon Giorgio Chiellini is desperate to see his home nation make its way back to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, so much so that he’s imploring some Americans to root for the Azzuri.
Ahead of Italy’s World Cup playoffs match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chiellini sent a message to the FOX Soccer crew.
“Ciao Rob, ciao Stu, ciao Alexi. Please cheer for Italy tonight. I need to come to the U.S. this summer and watch the World Cup. Ciao amici,” Chiellini said.
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Italy faced the possibility of missing the World Cup for the third straight tournament entering Tuesday’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. A loss would mean that the four-time World Cup championship nation wouldn’t be able to play in the 2026 tournament, needing a victory in order to advance.
The Azzuri were able to get out to a 1-0 lead in Tuesday’s match at halftime. However, defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off in the 41st minute as he received a red card for a hard slide tackle on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Amar Memic.
If Italy is able to hang on and win with 10 men, it’ll play in Group B in the 2026 World Cup. It’ll join Canada, which is one of the host nations, along with Qatar and Switzerland in the group.
As for Chiellini, he helped Italy win its last World Cup in 2006. That also marks the last time that Italy has advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup, getting knocked out in group play in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
