Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that it was too painful for him to watch World Cup matches after Italy failed to qualify for the competition this summer, despite having some of the best players in Europe in their squad.The Arsenal defender is a key figure for Italy and remains one of their most important players, but he missed some matches during the qualifying campaign because of injury. Italy ultimately failed to secure their place at the tournament after Norway topped their group and Bosnia defeated them in the playoff.Calafiori reflects on Italy’s disappointmentThe failure to qualify represents another difficult moment for a nation that won the competition in 2006 and possesses one of the strongest leagues in world football. Calafiori admitted that the disappointment was significant as Italy once again missed the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage.Several of his Arsenal teammates featured in the tournament, and he would have wanted to support them from home. However, the pain of Italy’s absence was so strong that he struggled to watch the matches whenever possible.Italy continue to feel qualification painItaly have now missed out on qualification for the last three World Cups, creating further frustration among supporters and players. Calafiori understands the importance of returning the national team to major tournaments and expressed how difficult it was to see the competition continue without them.Speaking via Hayters, he said: “I haven’t watched a lot.“I said from the beginning because obviously I have so much pain in my tummy not to qualify. It hurt how big it was.“Even if you don’t want to watch the World Cup, it’s that big that everywhere you go you still see it on TV, every match.”Calafiori’s comments highlight the emotional impact of Italy’s continued absence from the World Cup. The defender will now focus on helping both Arsenal and the national team move forward, with Italy aiming to return to the competition in the future and avoid another disappointment._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsArsenal star could not watch World Cup because of pain7 August 2026, 23:00Arsenal is one of the clubs watching Shakhtar Donetsk striker 7 August 2026, 22:00“It was very close” Jeremy Monga breaks silence on nearly joining Arsenal7 August 2026, 20:45The post Arsenal star could not watch World Cup because of pain appeared first on Just Arsenal News.