The 48‑team 2026 World Cup will not feature Italy, marking the third straight tournament the four‑time champions have missed and prompting an unprecedented leadership exodus within the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
Within days of the qualification disappointment, Gattuso tendered his resignation as head coach, while FIGC president Gravina and former goalkeeper Buffon – who had been serving as the team’s head of delegation – also announced they would leave their posts.
Team captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports that the three‑year World Cup absence “is tough, and Italy certainly doesn’t deserve that,” adding that the nation’s footballing history obliges them to return to the world stage.
The federation moved swiftly, appointing Roberto Mancini – the manager who guided Italy to Euro 2020 glory – as the new head coach. Donnarumma welcomed the change, saying, “The only way forward is to work. We have a great responsibility because history says Italy should always be there.”
Mancini’s first squad, announced in early September, features a blend of experience and youth: a 34‑player roster with nine uncapped players and 11 under‑23s, including 18‑year‑old Borussia Dortmund striker Samuele Inacio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor, Brentford forward Michael Kayode, Inter’s Pio Esposito, Nuremberg’s Ali Zoma and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia.
The selection reflects deeper structural concerns highlighted by the CIES Football Observatory, which reported that between 2020 and 2025 Italy produced only 413 football exports – 24th worldwide and far behind the other major European leagues, each exporting over 1,000 players.
Youth development has also lagged at the national level: from June 2025 to February 2026 only one capped player was under 24, and Serie A clubs allocated just 1.9 % of total minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues.
Italy now faces a challenging Nations League Group A alongside Belgium, Turkey and France. The revamped squad will be tested in those fixtures as the federation hopes the infusion of young talent can reverse a decade‑long decline that began after the 2006 World Cup triumph.
Analysts note that while senior coaches such as Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among Serie A clubs, fresh tactical ideas – exemplified by Cesc Fàbregas at Como and Ruben Amorim at AC Milan – could inspire a new direction for the Azzurri under Mancini’s stewardship.