Italian football has hit a rock bottom this season. Across Europe, no Serie A club progressed beyond the quarter‑final stage, and Atalanta was the sole Italian side to make it into the Champions League round of 16.
Yet the domestic league’s struggles pale 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 qualification failures were softened by the euphoria of the Euro 2020 victory at Wembley, which offered a brief glimmer of hope. The third miss, however, proved to be the final straw. The 48‑team World Cup did not feature Italy, prompting the resignation of head coach Gennaro Gattuso, the stepping down of Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina, and the departure of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from his role as team delegate.
"It’s a painful subject for me," Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports. "Missing three World Cups in a row is hard to swallow, and Italy certainly doesn’t deserve it." In a surprising turn, the Azzurri have turned back the clock.
Roberto Mancini, the architect of the 2020 Euro triumph, has been reinstated as head coach. "We have to work. The only way forward is work," Donnarumma added. "With a new coach and Mancini back at the helm, our aim is to rebuild and bring Italy back to the place it belongs." He continued, "I know it’s not easy for the fans, but especially for us players, because we understand how much it means to compete in a World Cup.
We’ll give everything to restore Italy’s rightful position. History teaches us that Italy should always be present at the biggest stages, and we must honor that legacy." There is no doubt that Italy belongs among football’s elite, but the team has been far from that level for several years. The recent World Cup debacle is just the latest chapter in a long decline that began after the 2006 triumph. Two decades later, the penalty‑shootout victory over France remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout round, and the Azzurri have recorded only one World Cup win since – a 2‑1 success against England in Brazil 2014.
While the 2012 European Championship run, which saw Italy reach the final, offered a brief resurgence, the nation has struggled to recapture that form. Multiple factors explain the downturn. First, Italy has failed to produce the world‑class talent that once defined its squads. The 2006 World Cup side featured icons such as Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero.
By 2012, that generation persisted 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 shows that between 2020 and 2025 Italy exported just 413 players abroad, placing the country 24th worldwide – behind nations such as the United States, Japan and Russia. By contrast, the other four major European leagues each produced over a thousand exports in the same period. Italian talent, whether youthful or seasoned, is simply less coveted by Europe’s top clubs. The scarcity of high‑quality home‑grown players is evident in the national team roster.
From June 2025 to February 2026, only 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, 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, exceeded only by the UAE Pro League. Serie A’s own decline contributed to the problem.
While clubs made headline‑grabbing signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy, the league suffered from a lack of creative tactical innovation. Managers like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri rotated among the top clubs with little variation in style.
Even this summer saw Sarri move to Atalanta and Allegri take charge at Juventus, underscoring the stagnation. Occasionally, fresh ideas break through.
Cesc Fàbregas’s appointment at Como sparked a remarkable turnaround that culminated in Champions League qualification, demonstrating how external tactical concepts can revitalize Italian football. Similarly, Ruben Amorim’s brief spell at AC Milan produced eye‑catching performances, hinting at the potential of innovative leadership.
There are signs that change may be on the horizon. Mancini’s first squad selection featured several promising newcomers. Out of a 34‑player roster, nine were uncapped and eleven were under 23. Among them were 18‑year‑old Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor (soon bound for Chelsea), and Brentford’s forward Michael Kayode – a cohort that could be described as a "young revolution." In addition to Inácio and the highly‑rated Inter forward Pio Esposito – who has already netted five goals in nine appearances – the list includes FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, who boasts 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, both of whom have impressed at club level.
"We’ll have some established players, some older ones, and a wave of very young talent joining the team," Donnarumma explained. "It will be a blend, and we must help these youngsters integrate smoothly. They have the ability to contribute greatly, and I’m confident Italy will return to its rightful place." Italy now faces a daunting Nations League group featuring Belgium, Turkey and France – a test that will reveal whether the new generation can compete at the highest level. After years of obscurity, the Azzurri need just one spark to reignite their fortunes.
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 at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports News.