Italian football has hit a historic low point this season. Across Europe, no Serie A side progressed beyond the quarter‑final stage of any competition, and the only club to reach the Champions League round of 16 was Atalanta. Yet the domestic league’s struggles pale in comparison to the national team’s recent woes. For the first time since 2018, Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, missing out on a third consecutive tournament.
This is a shocking outcome for a nation that has lifted the trophy on four occasions. The previous two qualification failures were softened by the euphoria of the Euro 2020 triumph in London, which gave fans a brief reprieve and a sense of hope. The latest disappointment, 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, the Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina quit, and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as head of delegation. "It’s a very personal and painful issue for me, because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy simply doesn’t deserve that," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports.
"We have to get back to work. The only way forward is hard work.
With the return of Roberto Mancini, our objective is to rebuild and bring Italy back to its rightful place." Mancini, the architect of the 2020 Euro victory, has been reinstated as head coach. Donnarumma echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the weight of history: "Our fans expect us to be at the World Cup. We feel a huge responsibility because history tells us Italy should always be there.
We must restore the Azzurri to where they belong." The reality is that Italy has been drifting far from the elite level for several years. The 2006 World Cup win, sealed by a dramatic penalty shoot‑out against France, remains the last time Italy advanced past the knockout stage in a World Cup. Since then, the Azzurri have recorded only a single victory in the tournament—a 2‑1 win over England in Brazil 2014. The 2012 European Championship run, which culminated in a final appearance, was a bright spot, but the subsequent decade has seen a steady decline.
Multiple factors explain the downturn. The golden generation of the mid‑2000s, featuring Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero, has long retired.
By 2012, the remaining pillars were Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Since the departures of stalwarts such as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Italy has struggled to produce a comparable cohort of talent. Data from the CIES Football Observatory highlights the scarcity of Italian exports. Between 2020 and 2025, only 413 Italian players moved abroad, placing Italy 24th globally—behind nations like the United States, Japan and Russia.
In contrast, each of the other four major European leagues exported over 1,000 players in the same period. This lack of demand reflects a broader perception that Italian players, whether emerging or experienced, are less attractive to the continent's top clubs. The talent gap is evident in the national squad as well. From June 2025 to February 2026, just 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.
High‑profile signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy arrived as marquee names, but the league lacked fresh creative ideas from its managers. Coaches like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among the big clubs without delivering a new tactical vision. This summer, Sarri moved to Atalanta and Allegri took over Juventus, underscoring the stagnation. Occasionally, external influences have sparked change.
Cesc Fàbregas’ appointment at Como led the modest side to a Champions League berth, demonstrating how fresh perspectives can break the cycle. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s brief spell at AC Milan produced an exciting brand of football that reminded fans of what Italian clubs can achieve when innovative ideas are embraced.
There are, however, encouraging signs that a new era may be emerging. Mancini’s first squad selection featured a blend of experience and youth: a 34‑player roster with nine uncapped players and eleven under‑23s.
Among the newcomers are 18‑year‑old Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor—soon bound for Chelsea—and Brentford’s Michael Kayode, all part of what the media calls a "young revolution." The list also includes Inter’s rising forward Pio Esposito, who has already netted five goals in nine appearances for the Azzurri, FC Nürnberg’s prolific Ali Zoma (20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division), and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, who has been a key creative force this season. These players represent a fresh wave of Italian talent that could help rejuvenate the national side. "We’ll have a mixture of established veterans and very young players," Donnarumma explained.
"We need to integrate the youngsters properly; they have the talent and can contribute significantly. I’m confident Italy will return to its rightful place." Italy now faces a challenging Nations League group alongside Belgium, Turkey and France in Group A. While the competition will be fierce, a nation that has lingered in the shadows for too long needs just one spark to reignite its fortunes.
Fans can follow the ongoing analysis of Italy’s situation and a preview of Mancini’s second tenure on "The World Football Show" this Thursday at 2 pm on Sky Sports News, where experts will dissect the Azzurri’s path forward and assess whether the new generation can finally restore Italy to the summit of world football.