World Cup 2023 Preview: Italy Watches from the Dugout

At 20:00 tonight, the lights of the Estadio Azteca will flicker back into World Cup mythology. Mexico–South Africa opens a tournament that is bigger, longer and more crowded than anything the game has seen before. Forty‑eight national teams, three opening ceremonies, one final set for 19 July. A maxi American World Cup that has the whole planet in attendance.

Almost.

Italy, once a habitual protagonist, will not be there on the pitch. Its tricolore instead will wave from the technical areas: Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Cannavaro and Vincenzo Montella, three Italian coaches carrying a country’s footballing pride into someone else’s anthem.

Messi’s Argentina, Still the Team to Beat

The story begins where the last one ended: Lionel Messi with the trophy in his hands. Argentina arrive as reigning champions, and inside that dressing room there is no hint of nostalgia, only conviction.

“My Argentina remains the strongest,” says Alexis Mac Allister. The Liverpool midfielder, now a pillar of the Selección, lays out the logic with the same calm he shows in midfield: they know the path, they know the pressure, and they still have Messi – “the greatest of all time”.

He did not mark Qatar 2022 with ink. No World Cup tattoo then. This time, he smiles, in a month he might get two. Confidence, not arrogance. Mac Allister even sketches out his final four: Argentina, France, Spain and Portugal in the semi‑finals. A heavyweight bracket worthy of this oversized edition.

Messi, for his part, has already warned the world: it will be tough to beat this Argentina. The spine remains intact, the belief even more so.

Spain Embrace the Favourites’ Tag

Not everyone shies away from pressure. Rodri, the metronome of Spain and Manchester City, looks at this swollen World Cup and sees opportunity.

“The level has been raised, my Spain side are favourites,” he declares. No disguises, no modesty. For once, the algorithm agrees: the data points to La Roja as the most likely winners ahead of France and Argentina.

Spain arrive with a new wave and a new star: Lamine Yamal, the prodigy who has turned adolescence into a mere detail. Around him, a squad that blends technical precision with tournament know‑how. If the numbers are right, this is their time to step back onto the summit they once owned.

France, Stars Everywhere and a Question Mark

France travel with a different kind of burden. Talent, in almost absurd quantities. Kylian Mbappé at the head of an attack to be feared, a constellation of options in every line. On paper, they intimidate. On the pitch, they can overwhelm.

Yet one doubt lingers: can there be too many stars? Too many egos, too many demands for the ball, too many stories to reconcile in a single month? The squad list dazzles, but tournaments punish imbalance. France know both sides of that coin better than most.

Still, when Mbappé starts to run and those blue shirts swarm, every defence in the world feels suddenly very small.

Mexico–South Africa and the Azteca’s Echo

All of that, though, is still theory. Tonight brings reality. Mexico–South Africa at the legendary Azteca is the first true image of this World Cup.

The stadium carries ghosts and glory: Pelé, Maradona, impossible comebacks and heartbreaking collapses. Now it stages the first of three opening ceremonies and the first ball of a competition that stretches across a continent and over a month.

For Mexico, it is a chance to ignite a home‑style atmosphere on familiar ground. For South Africa, a stage to announce themselves again to the global audience. For everyone else, it is the moment the countdown ends and the marathon begins.

Italy’s World Cup, from the Bench

Back home, the Azzurri jersey stays folded. Yet Italy will still leave fingerprints on this tournament.

Carlo Ancelotti, the most decorated club coach of his generation, brings his authority and calm to the international arena. Fabio Cannavaro, a World Cup‑winning captain, exports his defensive gospel. Vincenzo Montella, the more adventurous tactician, offers a different shade of Italian school. Three coaches, three stories, one shared responsibility: to remind the world that Italian football still matters, even when its anthem is silent.

Market Moves in the Shadows of the World Cup

While the planet turns towards the Azteca, club football refuses to sleep.

In Turin, Juventus edge closer to a significant move in goal. Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez has accepted a three‑year deal on reduced terms, trimming around €4.2 million per season from his previous demands. There is an agreement with the Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper; now the work shifts to the clubs. Villa ask for €15 million, while Cristiano Giuntoli’s line is closer to €5 million. The negotiation has only just begun.

Besiktas have stepped forward for Michele Di Gregorio, a move that could reshape the domino of goalkeepers. Torino, meanwhile, are homing in on a new No.1: coach Paolo Vanoli has the backing of Ignazio Abate for Wladimiro Falcone, with Lorenzo Montipò kept as an alternative option. Talks with Lecce will start once the Salentini appoint a new sporting director, with Ugresic among the candidates.

Inter move decisively too. After closing for defender Solet, they now have an agreement with Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, giving Simone Inzaghi two new pieces for a squad already built to dominate domestically. Bastoni’s agent cools any exit rumours: “Ale is happy at Inter.” The message is clear.

Elsewhere, River Plate have seen a €9 million offer for Simeone rejected, a reminder that even South America’s giants must fight for every deal.

Sorloth, Ruggeri, Thuram and Lucumí: The Italian Chessboard

Atalanta work on a classic Bergamo double move. The club are close to Sorloth, a physical forward who fits their direct, aggressive style, while Nico is set to unlock the deal. Ruggeri has admirers at Atlético Madrid, a sign of how far the full‑back has come under Gian Piero Gasperini.

In the Premier League, Marcus Thuram is attracting interest and money, a scenario that could generate fresh funds for Kolo. Italian directors are watching that situation closely. Contacts have also been made for Lucumí, another defender on the notebooks of Serie A clubs.

Cagliari, fighting to stay competitive, have put forward a proposal for Gaetano, looking to add creativity and goals from midfield.

Modric Between Milan and Madrid

One of the great artists of his era stands at a crossroads. Luka Modric has an offer from Real Madrid to move upstairs into a director’s role. The club want to keep his brain, even if his legs begin to fade.

He is not ready to sign anything yet. Modric wants to speak first with the new coach, Oliver Glasner, to understand his place in the sporting project. Milan watch with interest, sensing that his story on the pitch may not be finished. Not in his mind, at least.

A World Watching, a Month to Rewrite History

So the stage is set. Messi, Mbappé, Yamal and Rodri carry the spotlight. Algorithms back Spain. Tradition points to Argentina and France. Portugal lurk with their own ambitions. Italy, absent but not invisible, sends its generals to the touchline and its players to the market.

Tonight, Mexico and South Africa kick the ball for the first time at the Azteca. Forty‑eight teams chase one trophy. In a month’s time, who will be left standing – and who will be scrambling to redraw their future?