Italian football has hit a historic low this season, with clubs struggling on the continental stage and the national team facing an unprecedented crisis. No Italian side advanced beyond the quarter-finals in European competition, and Atalanta was the sole Serie A representative to reach the Champions League round of 16. Yet the club failures pale in comparison to the national team's collapse.
For the first time since 2018, Italy missed out on a World Cup, failing to qualify for a third consecutive tournament—a shocking outcome for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The previous two missed qualifications were softened by the euphoria of winning Euro 2020 on home soil, a triumph that temporarily restored faith. This latest setback, however, proved to be the final straw.
The 48‑team World Cup did not feature Italy, prompting a cascade of resignations: head coach Gennaro Gattuso stepped down, Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina quit, and legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as team delegate. "It's a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy simply does not deserve this," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. In response, the Azzurri have turned to a familiar face: Roberto Mancini, the architect of the 2020 Euro victory, has been re‑appointed as head coach. "We have to work.
The only way forward is hard work," Donnarumma added. "With a new coach and the return of Mr.
Mancini, our goal is to rebuild and bring Italy back to its rightful place. I know it's tough 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 has taught us that we should always be among the elite, and we intend to honor that legacy." Italy certainly belongs at the top of the football table, but the reality is that the team has been far from that level for several years.
The recent World Cup debacle is just the latest episode in a long‑term decline that began after the 2006 triumph. Two decades after the dramatic penalty shoot‑out win over France, Italy has not reached a World Cup knockout stage. In fact, the Azzurri have won only one World Cup match since 2006—a 2‑1 victory over England in Brazil 2014. The 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy finish as runners‑up, remains a bright spot, but the nation has struggled to replicate that success.
Multiple factors explain the downturn. First, Italy has failed to produce the world‑class talent that defined the 2006 side, which featured icons such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero.
By 2012, that generation was still present through 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, placing the country 24th globally—behind the United States, Japan and Russia. The other four nations in Europe’s "big five" leagues each saw over 1,000 exports in the same period.
Italian players, regardless of age, are simply less sought after by Europe’s top clubs. The scarcity of high‑quality home‑grown talent is reflected in the national team’s age profile.
From June 2025 to February 2026, only one capped player—Inter’s teenage forward Pio Esposito—was under 24, whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window. Moreover, in 2025 Italy allocated a mere 1.9 percent of Serie A 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. Serie A itself suffered from a lack of youthful dynamism. The league’s marquee signings were aging stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy, rather than emerging prospects.
Coaching turnover added to the stagnation, with high‑profile managers like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri rotating among the big clubs without introducing fresh tactical ideas. Even this summer saw Sarri move to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus, a reshuffling that offered little innovation. In contrast, clubs that embraced new philosophies have begun to flourish.
Cesc Fàbregas’ appointment at Como sparked a remarkable transformation, culminating in a Champions League berth earlier this year. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s influence at AC Milan has produced an attractive, attacking style that has revitalised the Rossoneri. These examples suggest that breaking the entrenched cycle can yield tangible success. There are encouraging signs that Italy’s fortunes may be shifting.
Mancini’s initial squad featured a surprising number of young faces: nine uncapped players and eleven under‑23s were named in a 34‑man roster. Among them are 18‑year‑old Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor—soon to join Chelsea—and Brentford’s Michael Kayode, all part of what the media has dubbed a "young revolution." Inter’s promising forward Pio Esposito, who has already scored five goals in nine appearances for the national side, joins Inácio in the new wave. FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, a prolific scorer with 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia are also in the mix. This infusion of youthful talent signals a potential generational shift.
"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 daunting Nations League group, sharing Group A with Belgium, Turkey and France—three of Europe’s strongest sides. Yet a nation that has lingered in obscurity for too long only needs a spark to reignite its competitive fire. For a deeper look at Italy’s challenges and a preview of Mancini’s second tenure, tune in to The World Football Show this Thursday on Sky Sports News at 2 p.m.
The program will dissect the Azzurri’s recent struggles, analyse the emerging talent pool, and explore whether Roberto Mancini can finally steer Italy back to the summit of world football.