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Italy set new unbeaten world record

By Rafael Trujillo

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 06: Players and technical squad of Italy celebrate after defeating Spain within the penatly kicks in the EURO 2020 semi-final football match at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom on July 06, 2021. (Photo by Ali Balikci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 06: Players and technical squad of Italy celebrate after defeating Spain within the penatly kicks in the EURO 2020 semi-final football match at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom on July 06, 2021. (Photo by Ali Balikci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 11: Leonardo Bonucci of Italy celebrates with The Henri Delaunay Trophy following his team’s victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Thirty-six has become Italy’s new magic number as this past Sunday, the Azzurri broke the world record  for unbeaten matches, surpassing Brazil and Spain’s joint record of 35 matches. The record came after a goalless draw against Switzerland in a 2022 World Cup qualifier match.

This past Thursday, Roberto Mancini’s team tied the record after a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria. Now, the Nazionale will face Lithuania on Sep. 9 as they seek to extend their dominance further.

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It’s quite amazing to see how far this team has come after their dreadful semester between Nov. 13, 2017  to May 14, 2018 were they faced one, if not their most disappointing setbacks in team history.

Italy surpassed both Spain and Brazil to set a new world record

Let’s remember Italy were dealt a massive blow when they were knocked out of a playoff for the World Cup in Russia by Sweden. This result meant the four-time world champions (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) missed the biggest football tournament for the first time since 1958.

Mancini took over a few months after Gian Piero Ventura’s departure. The coach came with vast managing experience after coaching seven teams before joining the Nazionale. Also, he didn’t have big shoes to fill as Ventura only had a 56.25% win rate during his tenure as head coach.

The Azzurri have had  a terrific run under Mancini with a record of 29 wins and seven draws, with 88 goals scored and just 12 conceded. They even won the Euro 2020 by defeating England in the final after a penalty shootout.

Italy’s last defeat came on Sep. 10, 2018, in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League against Portugal. That was one of only two defeats this team has faced since Mancini’s arrival — the other a friendly against France.

This is not the only time Italy has gone through a similar streak. From 1935 to 1939, the Azzurri went on an unbeaten run of 30 matches under then coach Vittorio Pozzo. During that period, they won their second World Cup title (1938) and won an Olympic gold medal in 1936.

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It has to be noted along with Italy, Algeria are the other national team side on an unbeaten run. The reigning African Cup of Nations champions are currently on a 29-match unbeaten streak so lets just keep an eye on them as well.

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