T20 World Cup 2026: Football giant Italy begins maiden campaign against Scotland

Football powerhouse Italy will get a chance to make a mark in cricket’s biggest stage when it faces Scotland in a historic ICC T20 World Cup debut game in Kolkata on Monday.

Winner of four FIFA World Cups, the Azzurri will now give way to Gli Azzurri, who find themselves scripting an unlikely cricketing chapter after making the expanded 20-team tournament through the European regional qualifiers last July.

Italy and the Channel Islanders, Jersey, which upset Scotland, finished on five points, but the Italians sealed the second place, behind the Dutchmen, on a superior net run rate to book its maiden appearance at the global showpiece.

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For a country with its cricket history dating back to 1793, when English naval hero Horatio Nelson reportedly “organised the first-ever recorded game in Naples”, the qualification marks a curious return to forgotten roots.

The sport’s legacy still survives in the football heartland as Genoa, Italy’s oldest football club, founded in 1893, is still called Genoa Cricket and Football Club, while AC Milan began life as Milan Football & Cricket Club.

More than a century later, Italy may not have a single turf wicket, but the game is sustained by around 4,000 registered men’s players and nearly 80 clubs in a two-tier league system, with a national side built largely around players of Italian heritage or first and second-generation immigrants.

Captain Wayne Madsen is South African-born and qualifies through his Italian grandmother, as he’s set for his debut in a cricket World Cup two decades after representing his native country in the hockey edition.

Bowler Crishan Kalugamage moved to Italy from Sri Lanka at 15, while wicketkeeper Marcus Campopiano was born in England to an Italian father.

The 15-man squad includes two sets of Australian brothers with Italian family connections—Harry and Ben Manenti, and Anthony and Justin Mosca—while former South Africa all-rounder JJ Smuts adds experience.

Former Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien is part of the coaching staff.

Back home, awareness of the achievement remains limited.

“I’m sure no more than 10 per cent in the country knows that Italy is making its debut in the T20 World Cup,” someone from the team said.

Madsen, however, feels the momentum is slowly building.

“I know there have been some articles in local papers, so the message is starting to get out that we’re here at the World Cup and it’s going to be our first, and it’s obviously going to be a big moment for cricket in Italy and for growing the game.

“But I think as the World Cup starts and once the games start on television, that is only going to grow further and further. So yeah, we’re expecting more momentum in that regard once the tournament is underway properly for us.”

Unlike its rival, which made a dramatic late entry into the tournament after Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Italy arrives with preparation and planning behind it.

There is also a broader sporting rivalry at play. Only on Saturday night, Italy edged Scotland 18-15 in the Six Nations rugby in Rome.

“We saw the rugby team get one over Scotland yesterday in the Six Nations, so hopefully we can emulate that tomorrow when we start against Scotland,” said the Italian skipper.

On current form, Italy will, however, not be a pushover.

It has won its last three matches—two warm-up fixtures against Canada and the UAE before beating Ireland in its build-up series, a result that marked Italy’s first-ever victory over an ICC Full Member.

Italy had also stunned Scotland by 12 runs in the European qualifier, a win that proved decisive in sealing qualification for the World Cup.

Scotland remains wary of the threat.

“Yeah, obviously, I think that was a disappointing defeat. Like I said, we did have a bit of a hiccup during that tournament. But we’re looking to just work on ourselves and what we can do better,” said pacer Safyaan Sharif.

Having made a late entry into the tournament, Scotland showed flashes of promise but its batting faltered in a 35-run defeat in its opening match at this venue on Saturday.

“Look, one team is going to lose anyway. Unfortunately, it was us. But the way we showed our character today, when it was the first half and the second half, I think, it’s just exciting things to come yet,” he added.

Published on Feb 08, 2026