Italian football has hit a historic low point this season. Across Europe, no club from Italy advanced beyond the quarter‑finals, and the only Serie A side to make the Champions League round of 16 was Atalanta. Yet the domestic disappointment pales in comparison with the national team’s woes.
For the first time since the early 1990s, Italy failed to secure a place at the World Cup, missing out on a third consecutive tournament. This is a shocking outcome for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The previous two qualification failures were softened by the euphoria of the Euro 2020 victory at Wembley, which gave fans a glimmer of hope.
The latest miss, however, was the final straw. The 48‑team World Cup did not feature Italy, prompting a cascade of resignations: head coach Gennaro Gattuso stepped down, Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina quit, and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as head of delegation.
"It’s a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy simply doesn’t deserve this," captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. In response, the Azzurri have turned to a familiar face: Roberto Mancini, the architect of the Euro 2020 triumph, has been reinstated as head coach. "We have to work. The only way forward is to work," Donnarumma added.
"With a new coach and Mancini back at the helm, our goal is to rebuild and bring Italy back to where it belongs. I know it’s hard for the fans, but for us the chance to play in a World Cup means everything.
We carry a huge responsibility because history tells us Italy should always be present at the biggest stages. We must restore that legacy." Indeed, Italy’s place among football’s elite is unquestioned, but the team has been far from that level for several years. The latest World Cup failure is just the latest chapter in a long decline that began after the 2006 triumph.
Two decades later, the dramatic penalty‑shootout win over France remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout round. Since then, the Azzurri have recorded only a single World Cup victory – a 2‑1 win over England in Brazil 2014.
The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy reach the final, was a brief resurgence, but the nation has not replicated that success since. Multiple factors explain the downturn. First, Italy no longer produces the world‑class talent that once defined its squads. The 2006 champions featured legends such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero.
By 2012, that generation lingered through the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Yet after the retirements of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, a talent vacuum emerged. Data from the CIES Football Observatory shows that between 2020 and 2025 Italy exported only 413 players abroad, placing the country 24th globally – behind the United States, Japan and Russia.
All four of Europe’s other “big‑five” leagues produced over a thousand exports in the same period, indicating that Italian players, whether young or seasoned, are less coveted by Europe’s top clubs. The scarcity of emerging talent is also evident in the national team. From June 2025 to February 2026, just one capped player was under 24 – Inter’s promising forward Pio Esposito – whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window.
Moreover, in 2025 Italy allocated only 1.9 % of Serie A playing minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top‑50 leagues, surpassed only by the United Arab Emirates Pro League. This dearth of youth has ripple effects on Serie A’s quality. While clubs have signed high‑profile veterans such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy, there has been a noticeable lack of creative innovation from managers. Figures like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among the top Italian clubs with little tactical variation.
Even this summer saw Sarri move to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus, reinforcing the status‑quo. Occasionally, fresh ideas break through. Cesc Fàbregas’s appointment at Como sparked a remarkable turnaround that culminated in a Champions League berth, demonstrating how external concepts can revitalize Italian football. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s stint at AC Milan produced eye‑catching performances, hinting at the potential of novel approaches.
There are encouraging signs that a new era may be on the horizon. Mancini’s first squad selection featured several promising newcomers.
Out of a 34‑player roster, nine had never been capped before, and eleven were under 23. Among them are 18‑year‑old Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inácio, Chelsea‑bound defender Honest Ahanor (currently at Crystal Palace), and Brentford’s Michael Kayode – all part of a budding "young revolution." In addition to Inácio and the highly‑rated Inter forward Pio Esposito, who has netted five goals in nine appearances, there is FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who boasts 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, who has been a key figure this season. These players represent a fresh wave of Italian talent eager to prove themselves on the international stage. "There will certainly be some established players.
We’re getting older, but we’re still young, and there will also be some very young players joining the team," Donnarumma explained. "So it will be a mixture, and we need to help these young players integrate well. They can give us a great deal of help. They’re certainly talented players who need to play and gain experience, but I’m sure Italy will return to where it belongs." Italy now faces a daunting Nations League Group A, alongside Belgium, Turkey and France – a test that will reveal whether the new blend of experience and youth can compete at the highest level.
After years of stagnation, the Azzurri need a single spark to reignite their fortunes. For a deeper look at Italy’s current predicament and a preview of Roberto Mancini’s second tenure, tune in to The World Football Show this Thursday at 2 p.m.
on Sky Sports News.