FIGC president resigns after Italy failed to qualify for 2026 World Cup
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the Italian football federation, has resigned from his position after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sparking displeasure among supporters.
The four-time champions’ World Cup dreams ended on Tuesday after they lost on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking the third consecutive time Italy has missed the tournament.
This prompted a meeting at the FIGC’s headquarters in Rome on Thursday, where Mr Gravina, who is also the first vice-president of UEFA, tendered his resignation as the federation’s president.
Mr Gravina became the head of FIGC in October 2018, following Carlo Tavecchio’s stepping down. An election to elect a new president has been scheduled for June 22, 2026.
On the same day, 2006 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon also tendered his resignation as the Italy national team’s delegation chief following the team’s World Cup disappointment.
In a lengthy Instagram statement on Thursday, the Juventus legend said that, despite his contribution to rejuvenating the national team’s morale, the Azzurri failed to achieve the most important goal of qualifying for the World Cup.
“The main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn’t succeed. It’s fair to leave it to those who will come after the freedom to choose the figure they think is best to play my role,” the 48-year-old said.
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