again and was involved in both goals as Italy came from behind to defeat Norway 2–1 in Rome, and top their group. On 23 May 2016, Giovinco, along with fellow MLS compatriot Pirlo, was left off of Conte's 30-player shortlist for Italy's Euro 2016 squad. Regarding their omission, Conte commented in a press conference, "When you make a certain choice and go to play in certain leagues, you do so taking it into account that they could pay the consequences from a footballing viewpoint". In response to his omission, Giovinco stated, "I was upset. I need to keep improving so I can find my place back on the national team; I've said before, the league is continuing to grow and it's a beautiful league." Under Conte's successor, Gian Piero Ventura, Giovinco was once again omitted from Italy's team, both for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and for friendlies, in spite of his club form for Toronto FC in the MLS; when asked about the omissions of Giovinco and Domenico Criscito from his squad, Ventura commented: "Giovinco is a different story. I have done everything to help him but the reality is that he plays in a league [the MLS] that doesn't count for much, and the number of goals he scores is less important because with the quality he has got, he is bound to make a difference in that league. The problem is that if you play in that type of league, and you get used to playing in that type of league, it becomes a problem of mentality. Criscito, on the other hand, is a great player, I've seen him grow. The problem is that he has to fight to rediscover his spark and he needs that because he is just a little behind. The problem with Giovinco is the same. How long would it take to get him to show that spark?" Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, with Giovinco's agent claiming that the team should have selected him. 2018–19 Nations League On 5 October 2018, Giovinco was called up, for the first time in three years, by new manager Roberto Mancini for a friendly match on 10 October against Ukraine and a UEFA Nations League match against Poland on 14 October, however, he was an unused substitute for both matches. Style of play Giovinco is a small,