The Azzurri will be making their debut against hosts Canada on Friday 12 June in Toronto. Then to Los Angeles with Switzerland, finally to Seattle with Qatar
Strange but true: we don’t know if we will go to the World Cup, but we already know when we would play, against who and even in which city. The complicated calendar of the first World Cup with 48 teams actually offers some more certainty regarding the three groups involving the three hosts USA, Canada and Mexico. If Italy were to make it through the playoffs unscathed, they would play the event in Group B against Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.
blue calendar (hypothetical)
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The simplification is due to the fact that it is already known that Canada will play “at home”, i.e. in its own country, the three matches of the qualifying group (as well as the USA and Mexico) and therefore while waiting for the official announcement – tomorrow the ceremony will also be in Washington (and always at 6pm Italian time) – the hypothetical calendar for Italy is already made. Debut against Canada in Toronto on Friday 12 June. Thursday 18 June second match in Los Angeles against Switzerland (but the official announcement will arrive tomorrow, the opponents could be reversed), finally the third and final match of the qualifying group the Azzurri will play in Seattle on Wednesday 24 June against Qatar (waiting for official announcement), at the same time as Canada-Switzerland. The Azzurri would travel by plane, of course, but considerable distances: from Toronto to Los Angeles it’s about 4000 kilometers (and a three-hour time difference), from California to Seattle it’s another 1800 kilometres…
the matches
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Italy-Canada in Toronto on Friday 12 June;
Qatar-Switzerland in San Francisco on Saturday 13 June;
Italy-Switzerland (no official announcement) in Los Angeles on Thursday 18 June;
Canada-Qatar (no official announcement) in Vancouver on Thursday 18 June;
Italy-Qatar (no official announcement) in Seattle on Wednesday 24 June;
Canada-Switzerland (no official announcement) in Vancouver on Wednesday 24 June.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
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