Canada woos Italy’s crestfallen supporters after World Cup heartbreak

Canada Soccer cheekily courted Italy’s crestfallen supporters on Saturday, urging them to swap ​their Azzurri blue strips for maple ‌leaf red after the four-time champions suffered another World Cup failure.

“Dear Italian soccer fans, don’t wait ​four more years. Swap your jersey for ​Canada,” the sports governing body posted ⁠on X on Friday, directing fans to ​gather outside Cafe Diplomatico, a popular restaurant in ​Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood.

The light-hearted appeal followed Italy’s third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup ​after a playoff defeat by Bosnia ​on Tuesday, a setback that led to the resignations ‌of ⁠coach Gennaro Gattuso and federation president Gabriele Gravina.

Canada, who will co-host the World Cup alongside Mexico and the United States, seized the moment ​to call ​for fans ⁠to support their country instead.

Local media reported hundreds of supporters queued ​for the Italy-for-Canada jersey exchange, though ​the ⁠offer proved more symbolic than transactional. Canada Soccer handed out 2026 shirts and posters ⁠to ​fans — and did so without ​collecting a single Italian jersey in return.

-Reuters

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