The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is moving urgently to implement structural reforms as Alessandro Del Piero, the 2006 World Cup winner, labeled the national team's third consecutive failure to reach a World Cup "almost a nightmare"—a sentiment now shared by the entire country as the 2026 tournament begins in North America without the Azzurri.
Why This Matters
• Historic low: Italy becomes the first four-time World Champion to miss three consecutive tournaments (2018, 2022, 2026).
• Economic damage: The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) faces an estimated €500 million to €1 billion in losses, including FIFA prize money, sponsor penalties, and tourism impacts.
• Youth crisis: Only 17% of minutes in Serie A go to Italian players under 23, compared to 34% in Spain's La Liga.
• Reform deadline: Federal elections scheduled for late June 2026 will determine whether proposed changes—including a reduction to 18 Serie A clubs—gain institutional backing.
The Bosnia Penalty Shootout That Broke Italy
The final blow came in March 2026, when Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated Italy 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the playoff final at Zenica. Gennaro Gattuso's squad had taken the lead through Moise Kean, but a 41st-minute red card for Alessandro Bastoni left the team down a man for most of the match. Haris Tabakovic equalized for Bosnia, and in the shootout, only Sandro Tonali converted for the Azzurri; Bryan Cristante hit the crossbar, and Esmir Bajraktarevic buried the decisive spot-kick.
That defeat followed a miserable qualifying campaign in which Italy finished second in Group I behind Norway, losing both head-to-head matches against the Scandinavians. The 2-0 semifinal playoff win over Northern Ireland had briefly rekindled hope, but the collapse against Bosnia confirmed what many analysts had predicted: the system underpinning Italian football was fundamentally broken.
What This Means for Italian Football
Speaking at the De Sanctis "Sport, Respect, and Legality" awards ceremony in Rome this week, Del Piero acknowledged the scale of the disaster but urged a collective response. "Obviously there is resignation and sadness. The third missed qualification has been almost a nightmare, but the sporting world has changed. Let's try to be proactive—it's clear that everyone must have an impact to improve our situation and qualify next time," he said.
Del Piero drew parallels to previous crises, noting that both his 2006 triumph and Roberto Mancini's Euro 2020 victory came during "dramatic moments" for Italian football. "As Italians, we recovered; we found that fire, and we hope we won't lack it in the future," he added. Yet the current crisis appears deeper than either of those predecessors, with FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, coach Gattuso, and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon all resigning in the wake of the elimination.
Andrea Abodi, the Italy Minister for Sport, has demanded a "refoundation" of Italian football starting from the top. Among the proposals now under active consideration:
• Youth development overhaul (Abodi initiative): Professional club licenses will require certified youth academies with modern infrastructure and qualified coaches. A portion of gambling tax revenue and anti-piracy fines would be redirected to youth programs.
• Serie A reduction (Malagò proposal): CONI President Giovanni Malagò, widely tipped to succeed Gravina, has proposed shrinking Serie A from 20 to 18 teams to ease fixture congestion and financial strain on mid-tier clubs.
• Revenue redistribution (under discussion): TV rights would be allocated based on metrics including minutes given to young players, use of Italian talent, stadium quality, and financial sustainability—not just on-field results.
• Independent financial oversight (proposed): A third-party auditor would monitor club budgets to prevent "financial doping."
• Professional referees (aspirational): The creation of a FIGC-owned company to employ top-tier referees on full-time contracts.
• Stadium modernization (government initiative): A "shock plan" involving a special commissioner with authority to bypass bureaucracy and accelerate construction, leveraging both public funds and private capital ahead of Euro 2032, which Italy will co-host.
Reforms targeting the abolition of the "vincolo sportivo" (a regulatory framework that previously restricted player movement between clubs to promote club development) are also on the table. Critics argue that its removal disincentivized clubs from investing in their own academies, as players could leave more freely once developed.
Europe's Elite Sharpen Their Blades
While Italy grapples with institutional soul-searching, the continent's heavyweights are fine-tuning preparations for the expanded 48-team World Cup that begins June 11. Spain, fresh off a record-breaking Euro 2024 triumph—seven wins from seven, fifteen goals, with Rodri named Player of the Tournament—heads into the competition as the consensus European favorite.
Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, who won Best Young Player at Euro 2024, will be fit for the team's opener on June 15 despite a left hamstring injury sustained in April. "Yamal won't play tomorrow [in the friendly against Iraq], but we're confident he'll be ready for the 15th," De la Fuente said ahead of the match in La Coruña. "I'm at cloud nine. I can't wait to compete for something important."
De la Fuente listed France, England, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, Portugal, and Senegal alongside Spain as genuine title contenders. "This is a historic World Cup because there are many teams with a real chance. It will be very difficult, and we feel capable of competing for victory," he said.
England, runners-up to Spain at Euro 2024, and France, eliminated by Spain in the semifinals, are also expected to challenge. Germany, the Euro 2024 hosts who fell to Spain in the quarters, and the Netherlands, who lost to England in the semis, round out Europe's top tier. Portugal, knocked out by France on penalties in the quarters, remains a dark horse.
Pre-Tournament Snapshots
Elsewhere in Europe, Algeria stunned the Netherlands 1-0 in a friendly at Rotterdam on Tuesday, with Hadj Moussa scoring in the 86th minute. Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, made a string of crucial saves for the Fennecs and boosted his chances of securing one of three goalkeeper spots on coach Vladimir Petkovic's final roster for the tournament.
Outside Europe, logistical complications persist for some nations. Iran announced it will arrive in Tijuana, Mexico on Sunday, June 7 after departing from Antalya, Turkey the previous evening. The squad is still awaiting U.S. visas to enter American territory for its three group-stage matches: New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said Mexican visas are being processed this week and that American entry permits should follow quickly. The Middle East conflict forced Iran to relocate its training camp from Tucson, Arizona to Turkey at the last minute.
The Long Road Back
For Italy, the absence from the World Cup stage is not just a sporting humiliation but an economic and cultural rupture. The FIGC faces contractual penalties from Adidas, lost merchandising revenue, and reduced leverage in broadcast negotiations. Media outlets that had banked on a summer of national euphoria now face a dead zone. Tourism boards in coastal and urban centers had hoped to capitalize on World Cup fever; instead, they'll watch rival nations dominate the airwaves.
The FIGC elections scheduled for late June 2026 will determine whether the reform proposals gain institutional backing or remain aspirational. Malagò's candidacy is seen as a signal that the Italian Olympic Committee may take a more interventionist role in football governance. However, the fragmented interests of Serie A clubs, lower-tier leagues, and regional federations complicate any top-down overhaul.
Del Piero's call for collective effort resonates, but analysts warn that structural change will take 8 to 10 years to bear fruit. In the meantime, Italian fans will endure a summer of absence—watching Spain, France, and England chase glory while the Azzurri watch from home, confronting the uncomfortable reality that past glories no longer guarantee future relevance.
