Mario Balotelli’s decisive goal against England on June 14, 2014, holds a peculiar and somewhat somber distinction: it remains the most recent goal scored by the Italian national team, the Azzurri, at a FIFA World Cup. Following Italy’s latest and significant setback – their third consecutive failure to qualify for the global tournament after a play-off final loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night – the former Inter Milan striker expressed unwavering national pride, stating: “Proud to be Italian, always and no matter what.”
The Azzurri’s struggle to reach the World Cup finals has become a recurring and painful narrative. Their last appearance in the competition dates back to 2014, where they exited during the group stage. In that tournament, Italy found themselves in a challenging group alongside England, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. They kicked off their campaign positively with a 2-1 victory over England, thanks to goals from Claudio Marchisio and Balotelli. However, subsequent 1-0 defeats to both Costa Rica and Uruguay sealed their early elimination, while the latter two nations advanced to the Round of 16.
The enduring significance of Balotelli’s winning strike against England in 2014 is underscored by the fact that no Italian player has found the back of the net at a World Cup since that moment. The 35-year-old forward, currently plying his trade for UAE club Al-Ittifaq, conveyed his feelings on Instagram following Italy’s recent qualification disappointment. He accompanied his message, “Proud to be Italian, always and no matter what,” with two images from his appearances at the 2014 World Cup, reaffirming his deep connection to his homeland.
Balotelli Reacts to Italy’s World Cup Qualification Heartbreak
