Italian football has hit a historic low point this season. Across Europe, no Italian club progressed beyond the quarter‑final stage, and only Atalanta managed to reach the Champions League round of 16. Yet the domestic league’s struggles pale in comparison with the national team’s recent disaster. For the first time since 2006, Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, missing out on a third consecutive tournament.
The nation, which has lifted the trophy four times, found this failure almost unimaginable. The previous two qualification misses were softened by the euphoria of the Euro 2020 triumph at Wembley, a victory that at least offered a glimmer of hope.
This latest omission, 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 legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as head of delegation. "It’s a painful subject for me," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. "Missing three World Cups in a row is harsh, and Italy simply doesn’t deserve this." In a dramatic turn, the Azzurri have turned back the clock.
Roberto Mancini, the manager who guided Italy to Euro 2020 glory, has been reinstated as head coach. "We have to work. The only way forward is hard work," Donnarumma added.
"With a new coach and Mancini back at the helm, our goal is to rebuild and bring Italy back to the place it belongs. We feel the weight of history – Italy should always be among the elite. It’s our duty to restore that status." Indeed, Italy’s pedigree belongs at the top of the table, but the team has been far from that level for years.
The recent World Cup debacle is merely the latest episode in a long decline that began after the 2006 triumph. Twenty years later, that penalty‑shootout victory over France remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout round.
Since then, the Azzurri have recorded only a single World Cup win – a 2‑1 triumph over England in Brazil 2014. The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy reach the final, was a brief resurgence, but the nation has struggled to recapture that form. Multiple factors explain the downturn.
First, Italy has been unable to produce the world‑class talent that defined the 2006 side – players such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero. By 2012, that golden generation was still represented by veterans like Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Since the retirements of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, the pipeline of elite Italian players has thinned dramatically. Data from the CIES Football Observatory highlights the problem: between 2020 and 2025 Italy exported only 413 players abroad, ranking 24th globally and trailing nations such as the United States, Japan and Russia.
All four of Europe’s other major leagues produced over 1,000 exports in the same period, indicating that Italian talent – whether youthful or experienced – is less coveted by the continent’s top clubs. The scarcity of high‑quality homegrown players is evident in the national squad as well. From June 2025 to February 2026, only one capped player under the age of 24 – Inter’s promising forward Pio Esposito – featured for Italy, whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window. Moreover, in 2025 Italy allocated a mere 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 UAE Pro League.
Serie A’s own quality has suffered. While clubs splurged on veteran stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy, there was a noticeable lack of creative vision from the managerial bench. Coaches like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among the big clubs with little tactical innovation. Even this summer’s moves – Sarri to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus – illustrate a domestic coaching carousel lacking fresh ideas.
Occasionally, external influences spark breakthroughs. Cesc Fàbregas’s appointment at Como led to a surprise Champions League qualification, while Ruben Amorim’s stint at AC Milan produced eye‑catching football for the Rossoneri. These examples show how new tactical concepts can revitalize Italian football.
There are encouraging signs that a generational shift may be underway. Mancini’s first squad selection featured several promising newcomers: a 34‑player roster with nine uncapped athletes and eleven players under 23. Among them are Borussia Dortmund’s 18‑year‑old striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor (soon to join Chelsea), and Brentford’s Michael Kayode – all part of a budding "young revolution." Inter’s forward Pio Esposito, who already boasts five goals in nine caps, joins the mix alongside FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who has netted 20 times in 36 games in Germany’s second tier, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, a key contributor this season. These players represent a new wave of Italian talent.
"There will be established players, we’re getting older but still young, and there will also be very young players joining the team," Donnarumma explained. "It will be a blend, and we must help these youngsters integrate. They have great potential and can give us a huge boost.
They’re talented, they need minutes, and I’m confident Italy will return to where it belongs." Italy now faces a daunting Nations League Group A alongside Belgium, Turkey and France. The competition will be fierce, but a nation that has lingered in obscurity for too long needs just one spark to reignite its fortunes.
For a deeper analysis of Italy’s challenges and a preview of Mancini’s second tenure, tune in to The World Football Show this Thursday at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports News.