Italian football has hit a historic low point this year, with clubs and the national team both struggling to make an impact on the international stage. In European competition, no Serie A side advanced beyond the quarter‑finals, and Atalanta was the lone Italian representative to reach the Champions League round of 16. Yet the domestic disappointment pales in comparison with the national team's woes.
For the first time in modern history Italy failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups, a shocking outcome for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The first two failures were partially softened by the euphoric Euro 2020 victory at Wembley, which gave fans a brief resurgence of hope.
The third miss, however, was a decisive blow. The expanded 48‑team World Cup did not feature Italy, prompting a cascade of resignations: head coach Gennaro Gattuso stepped down, Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina left his post, and legendary 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 certainly deserves better," captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports.
In response to the crisis, the federation turned back to Roberto Mancini, the manager who guided Italy to Euro 2020 glory, hoping his experience can spark a revival. "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 its rightful place. I know it’s not easy for the fans, but for us the desire to play in a World Cup is immense. We will give everything to restore Italy to where it belongs.
History teaches us that Italy should always be among the elite, and we must live up to that legacy." Indeed, Italy belongs at the top of the football table, but the reality has been far from that ideal for several years. The current World Cup disaster is merely the latest chapter in a long‑term decline that began after the 2006 triumph. Two decades have passed since the penalty‑shootout victory over France, which remains Italy's last appearance in a World Cup knockout round. Since then, the Azzurri have managed just a single World Cup win—a 2‑1 victory over England in Brazil 2014.
The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy reach the final, was a bright spot, yet the team has never fully recaptured that form. Multiple factors explain the downturn. First, the pipeline of world‑class talent has dried up.
The 2006 squad featured icons such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero. By 2012, the same generation persisted through veterans like Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. However, the recent retirements of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci have left a void that the younger generation has struggled to fill. Data from the CIES Football Observatory highlights the problem: between 2020 and 2025 Italy produced only 413 football exports, ranking 24th globally—behind the United States, Japan and Russia.
By contrast, the other four nations in Europe’s "big five" leagues each exported well over 1,000 players in the same period. Italian players, whether seasoned or emerging, are simply less attractive to the continent’s elite clubs.
The scarcity of home‑grown talent is evident in the national team roster as well. From June 2025 to February 2026, just one capped player under the age of 24—Inter’s forward Pio Esposito—featured for Italy, whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window.
Moreover, Serie A allocated only 1.9 percent of total playing minutes to players under 21 in 2025, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues, surpassed only by the United Arab Emirates Pro League. This talent deficit also weakened Serie A’s overall quality.
While high‑profile veterans such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy were signed, the league suffered from a lack of creative vision and tactical innovation. Managers like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have been shuffled among the top clubs without delivering fresh ideas. Even Sarri’s move to Atalanta and Allegri’s appointment at Juventus this summer illustrate a reluctance to break the status‑quo. Occasionally, outside influences have sparked change.
Cesc Fàbregas’s tenure at Como led the modest club to a Champions League spot earlier this year, demonstrating how fresh tactical concepts can revitalize Italian football. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s brief spell at AC Milan produced eye‑catching performances that reminded fans of the possibilities when new philosophies are embraced.
There are, however, encouraging signs that a generational shift may be underway. Mancini’s first squad selection after his return featured several promising newcomers.
The 34‑player roster included nine uncapped players and eleven athletes under 23, indicating a deliberate push toward youth. Among them are 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 burgeoning "young revolution." Inter’s forward Pio Esposito, who has already netted five goals in nine appearances, joins the mix alongside FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who boasts 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, a key figure in Portugal.
These players represent a new wave of Italian talent that could restore the nation’s competitive edge. "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. "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 challenging Nations League group, sharing Group A with Belgium, Turkey and France—three formidable opponents that will test any revival plan. Yet a nation that has lingered in the shadows for too long may only need a single spark to reignite its fortunes. Fans can follow the latest analysis of Italy’s predicament and a preview of Mancini’s second spell on "The World Football Show" this Thursday at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports News, where experts will dissect the Azzurri’s path forward and assess whether the new generation can finally bring Italy back to its historic pedestal.