Gabriele Gravina has officially resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), capping a struggling period for one of world football's most storied nations after the senior men's team failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Earlier, it was stated that the team needs to be restructured and bounce back following the struggles in the World Cup. Italian sports minister Andrea Abodi had stated via ESPN earlier that the football team “needs to be overhauled” and “that process needs to start with new leadership at the FIGC.” Meanwhile, the FIGC chief will be elected on June 22, as per the federation.
Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina resigns amid pressure over World Cup failure
The resignation, announced Thursday, comes just days after Italy's dramatic playoff elimination by Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Azzurri drew 1-1 before falling 4-1 in the penalty shootout, with the match played largely with 10 men after Alessandro Bastoni's first-half red card.
This marks Italy's third straight World Cup miss following playoff defeats to Sweden ahead of 2018 and North Macedonia before 2022, a historic low for the four-time champions who last lifted the trophy in 2006 and have not appeared at the finals since 2014.
Gravina, who had led the FIGC since 2018 and recently secured re-election, had initially resisted calls to step down and scheduled a federal council meeting to evaluate the situation. He had also expressed support for coach Gennaro Gattuso and technical director Gigi Buffon to remain in their roles. However, mounting pressure from both political and sporting circles proved decisive.
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