Italian football has hit a historic low point this season. Across Europe, no Italian club advanced beyond the quarter‑final stage, and only Atalanta managed to break into the Champions League round of 16. Yet the domestic league’s struggles pale in comparison with the national team’s recent woes.
For the first time since the early 1990s, Italy failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups – an unimaginable scenario for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The first two missed qualifications were softened by the euphoric Euro 2020 victory at Wembley, which gave fans a brief surge of optimism.
The third failure, however, proved to be the final straw. 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 quit, and legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as team delegation chief. "It’s a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is unacceptable, and Italy certainly doesn’t deserve this," captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. In response, the Azzurri have turned to a familiar face from their recent past.
Roberto Mancini, the tactician who guided Italy to Euro 2020 glory, has been reinstated as head coach. "We have to work. The only way forward is to work," Donnarumma added.
"With a new coach and the return of Mancini, our aim is to rebuild and bring Italy back to the level it rightfully belongs to. We understand how much the fans and the nation crave a place at the World Cup, and we’ll give everything to restore that status. History has taught us that Italy should always be among the elite, and we intend to make that a reality again." The sentiment is clear: Italy belongs at the top of international football, but it has been far from that summit for years. The recent World Cup debacle is merely the latest chapter in a long‑running decline that began after the 2006 triumph.
Two decades have passed since that dramatic penalty‑shootout win over France, and it remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout match. Since then, the Azzurri have recorded only one World Cup victory – a 2‑1 win against England in Brazil 2014.
A brief resurgence came with the 2012 European Championship run, where Italy reached the final, but the momentum was short‑lived. Several factors explain the erosion of Italy’s footballing prowess. The golden generation of 2006 featured icons such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero.
By 2012, the remnants of that cohort – Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo – still carried the team, but the retirement of stalwarts like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci has left a talent vacuum. Data from the CIES Football Observatory underscores the problem.
Between 2020 and 2025, Italy exported only 413 players abroad, ranking 24th worldwide and trailing nations like the United States, Japan and Russia. By contrast, the other four major European leagues each produced over 1,000 exported players in the same period. Italian talent, whether seasoned or emerging, is simply less coveted by the continent’s elite clubs. The scarcity of young, high‑quality players is evident in the national squad.
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. Moreover, in 2025 Italy allocated a mere 1.9 % of Serie A minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues, exceeded only by the UAE Pro League. Serie A’s own struggles mirror the national team’s decline.
While big‑name veterans such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy were signed, the league lacked fresh creative impulses. Coaching turnover added to the stagnation: Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri rotated among the top clubs with little variation in philosophy.
Even this summer saw Sarri move to Atalanta and Allegri to Juventus, reinforcing the pattern of domestic recycling. Occasional breakthroughs hint at a possible shift. Cesc Fàbregas’s work at Como, which propelled the modest side to Champions League qualification, demonstrates how external tactical ideas can rejuvenate Italian football.
Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s stint at AC Milan produced exciting, attacking football that broke the monotony. Mancini’s first squad selection offers further optimism.
The 34‑man roster featured nine uncapped players and eleven under‑23 talents, signalling a genuine youth infusion. Among them are Dortmund’s 18‑year‑old striker Samuele Inacio, 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 has already netted five goals in nine appearances, joins the mix, as does FC Nürnberg’s prolific striker Ali Zoma (20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second tier) and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia. "There will be established players, we’re getting older but still young, and we’ll also have very young players joining the team," Donnarumma explained.
"It will be a blend, and we must help these youngsters integrate. They have talent and can contribute greatly.
I’m confident Italy will return to its rightful place." The upcoming Nations League campaign will test this new blend. Italy finds itself in a demanding Group A alongside Belgium, Turkey and France – a formidable trio that will demand both experience and fresh vigor. For a nation that has lingered in obscurity for too long, a single spark could reignite the flame.
Fans can follow deeper analysis of Italy’s challenges and Mancini’s second tenure on "The World Football Show" this Thursday at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports News, where experts will dissect the Azzurri’s path back to prominence.