Former Italy international Mario Balotelli has pleaded with head coach Genaro Gattuso to hand him a call up ahead of the final 2026 World Cup playoff.
The four-time FIFA World Cup holders missed out on automatic qualification for the global showpiece after falling short to Norway, who eventually secured a spot for the tournament for the first time 28 years.
Italy will now participate in a playoff tournament scheduled for March 2026 to determine their fate for the biggest soccer mundial, to be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.
As the European giants gears up for the playoff, the former Manchester City and Liverpool star has called on Gattuso to hand him one last chance in the national team despite being unattached, stressing he can steer the national team to secure qualification.
“Give me one last chance... I can save Italy and get them qualified!" the former AC Milan star stated.
Despite his Ghanaian roots, the 35-year-old attacker, who is currently unattached opted to represent Italy at the international level. Balotelli, who made his debut in 2010, racked up 14 goals in 36 appearances for the Italian national team.
The attacker was instrumental when Italy reached the final of the 2012 European championship, where the Azurri fell short to Spain in the final.
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