Italy – Belgium: Godts-cha! (0-2) 

As Mika Godts broke through on his inauguration to the Belgian national team, Roberto Mancini cut a lonely figure as Italy looks a long way from breaking out of their troubles.  

Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. 

Humiliation in Bosnia saw an inquest like no other. 

Gattuso axed, Pep discussed, Maldini the technical director for eighteen days and resigned when the establishment rejected Pirlo, based on his global ambassador role for a Russian betting platform. New FIGC president, Giovanni Malago, brought back Roberto Mancini, winner of the EUROs in 2021 and set the record of thirty-seven unbeaten games (until Spain achieved this at the World Cup), work that has been erased as Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive time. They may have missed the tournament, but Italy made sure their summer was far from quiet, one in which it is unclear whether it has pulled them in the right direction. 

Belgium travelled to America with low expectations and left with a very respectable defeat to Spain in the quarterfinals, scoring the only goal that the champions conceded. They also left with one of the lasting memories of the competition: Trump burning through any good vibes the United States had built before being battered by the Belgians with a 4-1 scoreline . . .