Twitter explodes after Italy fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup

Nobody saw this coming, not even Sweden. Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after they were held to a 0-0 draw by the Scandinavia side at the San Siro on Monday night. Sweden led 1-0 from the first leg and that was the final aggregate scoreline as Janne Andersson's side qualified for the quadrennial event in Russia.

Giampiero Ventura had no answer for the Swedish defence and made some questionable substitutions as the visitors held on despite immense pressure from the Italian side. But in the end, it is the Azzurri who are to blame and will be watching the World Cup from the comfort of their homes.

"The blame is shared equally between everyone. There can't be scapegoats. We win together, lose together." - Gianluigi Buffon

Here's how Twitter reacted to the shock upset.

Italy have almost always qualified for the World Cup. This is the first time in six decades that they haven't.

1958 - This is the first time Italy fail to reach the World Cup since 1958. Fall.

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 13, 2017

Italy have only ever failed to qualify for one World Cup before ... in 1958 ... in Sweden.

— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) November 13, 2017

How often do previous champions miss out on a World Cup spot? It's not the first time.

The last time Italy missed a World Cup (Jan. 1958), Brazil had yet to win one. 1958 was the only previous time Italy was eliminated in World Cup qualifying.

— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) November 13, 2017

?Brazil ??????Germany ?????Italy ?????Argentina ???Uruguay ???England ??France ??Spain ?

— David Wall (@1DavidWall) November 13, 2017

Last time Italy didn't qualify for a World Cup, 6 of the 29 (20.6%) countries that are already qualified for this one didn't even exist. Amazing.

— Tiago Estêvão (@TiagoEstv) November 13, 2017

Italy join a list of top teams who have failed to qualify for the 2018 edition.

This is surreal. The 2018 #WorldCup will be without:- Italy- Netherlands- Chile- Wales- USA

— Rohith Nair (@RohithNair) November 13, 2017

Italy, Holland, Chile, USA would be a great group at Russia 2018. Or a mini-tournament maybe in Qatar next summer...

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) November 13, 2017

No Italy. No Chile. No Netherlands. No USA. Maybe it’s time to consider a 48 team World Cup....oh wait a minute.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 13, 2017

But credit where it's due to Sweden too who were resolute in their defending tonight.

Enough said elsewhere about Italian failure. Terrific team effort from Sweden. Had to ride their luck at times, but defended so well

— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) November 13, 2017

Sweden were pot 3, pulled France (and beat them) from pot 2, knocked out Netherlands from pot 1 and then downed Italy, who were seeded. That’s some achievement ??

— Omar Chaudhuri (@OmarChaudhuri) November 13, 2017

Has Zlatan un-retired from international football yet?

— JD (@JamieDalton82) November 13, 2017

But Ventura received a lot of stick for his tactics and substitutions. His strategy to not play Lorenzo Insigne backfired spectacularly.

No Insigne, Jorginho only played in the last game , bizarre tactics, no cohesion, no shape, no game plan......and Ventura was allowed to continue right until the end, when it mattered most. Disgraceful.

— Juvefc.com (@juvefcdotcom) November 13, 2017

No team in history of football deserves to miss World Cup like current @ItalianNT. You put a donkey in charge and all you will get is a giant heap of dung.

— Somnath Sengupta (@baggiholic) November 13, 2017

Ventura put his own personal bias towards Insigne ahead of the success of a nation. Everything about this qualifying process for Italy was underwhelming. Are we really surprised?

— Matteo Bonetti (@TheCalcioGuy) November 13, 2017

If Italy doesn't score in the next ten minutes, Ventura is going to need a police escort out of the country...#ITASWE pic.twitter.com/jX58sGJNKF

— Unusual Efforts (@UnusualEfforts) November 13, 2017

Anyone who’s seen much of Italy in qualification won’t be slightly surprised by this. Have witnessed *this* performance 5 times this season

— Jim Proudfoot (@JimProudfoot) November 13, 2017

Cannavaro in 2010: "Our mechanisms must change. Several things need to change. Otherwise we will not win the World Cup again for 25 years."

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) November 13, 2017

And tears were shed for Gianluigi Buffon - who will never put on an Azzurri shirt for an official game ever again.

? | #Buffon: "I'm not sorry for myself but all of Italian football. We failed at something which also means something on a social level. There's regret at finishing like that, not because time passes." #ItalySweden ????

— Italy (@azzurri) November 13, 2017

You don't need to know Italian to understand exactly what Buffon was going through after the game.

Buffon: "Lo siento".Las lágrimas de un mito.#DestinoRusia pic.twitter.com/zLDaPUhfbS

— Casa del Fútbol M+ (@casadelfutbol) November 13, 2017

Gigi Buffon: Applauded the Swedish anthem while others jeered. Faced the cameras in tears when Ventura ran. A true captain. A true legend. #Italy #Azzurri #ITASWE #ItalySweden pic.twitter.com/Lf6lqRDddj

— footballitalia (@footballitalia) November 13, 2017

Saddest thing is this was probably the last time we'll see Buffon in an Italian jersey. A legend fades away in the darkest of nights #ITASWE pic.twitter.com/lbesYGZRdw

— Vishnu Prasad (@visheprasad) November 13, 2017

You don't deserve him Italy. You do not deserve him. We are so sorry @gianluigibuffon. Not fair at all pic.twitter.com/JsxaywtvXA

— ItalianFootballTV (@IFTVofficial) November 13, 2017

Gianluigi Buffon: “This was my last game for Italy. I'm sorry. We are sorry” pic.twitter.com/qyKiECIGmd

— Zlatan Facts (@ZIatanFacts) November 13, 2017

End of an era. ? ?? pic.twitter.com/QPji5VzXQT

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) November 13, 2017

Buffon to @SkySport: “I am sorry for Italian kids who dream of the National team. But I think also Chiellini, Barzagli and De Rossi will leave the National team. And they deserve the best: thank you, guys. By your Gigi”. ???

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 13, 2017

Buffon choking up again. Says he doesn’t want to cry in front of the kids watching at home on TV who dream of playing for Italy. Apologises. Hero

— James Horncastle (@JamesHorncastle) November 13, 2017

Goodbye to an ??@azzurri legend ?Forever a #WorldCup winner, @gianluigibuffon ?? pic.twitter.com/2W2dYu24BV

— #WCQ (@FIFAWorldCup) November 13, 2017

Of course, it didn't stop trolls from having some fun at their expense...

Thank god, Suárez now can't bite Chiellini at the World Cup...

— Warriors of Uruguay (@UruguayanHeroes) November 13, 2017

Gareth Bale, Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Veratti, Arjen Robben and Alexis Sánchez will all be missing from the World Cup in Russia.Pontus Jansson can always just send them a postcard. ? pic.twitter.com/dLpT5P8UDq

— bet365 (@bet365) November 13, 2017

Donnarumma when Italy doesn't make the World Cup, but he takes Buffon's place now pic.twitter.com/7u9bJRR4nW

— #MaskedBonucci (@WhatGattusoMad) November 13, 2017

Zlatan watching Sweden qualify for the World Cup like... pic.twitter.com/RdJCKsUY6s

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 13, 2017

Petition to get this man out of international retirement for the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/sCk497CQ61

— Coral (@Coral) November 13, 2017