Italy Football: Gravina Resigns & Buffon Quits After World Cup Failure

Gabriele Gravina has resigned as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) following the national team’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup. The resignation comes after Italy lost a penalty shootout 4-1 to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, extinguishing their hopes of appearing in the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The resignation was announced on Thursday, April 2, 2026, following a meeting at the FIGC’s headquarters in Rome, according to BBC Sport. Italy previously missed out on qualification for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, marking the first time in the nation’s history that the four-time World Cup champions have failed to reach three successive tournaments.

Adding to the fallout from the qualifying defeat, Gianluigi Buffon, a former goalkeeper and part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad, has also resigned from his role as delegation head with the men’s national team. Buffon announced his decision via Instagram, stating that he felt a sense of responsibility to step down following Gravina’s resignation.

“The main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn’t succeed,” Buffon, 48, added. “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.”

Gianluigi Buffon via BBC Sport

Gravina, 72, assumed the position in October 2018, taking over from Carlo Tavecchio, who had resigned after Italy’s play-off defeat to Sweden in the preceding World Cup qualifying campaign. During Gravina’s tenure, Italy achieved success by winning Euro 2020, defeating England in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium.

Despite the Euro 2020 triumph, the consistent failure to qualify for the World Cup has brought intense scrutiny upon the Italian football federation. Gravina had previously overseen the appointments of both Luciano Spalletti and Gennaro Gattuso as head coaches of the national team. Prior to his resignation, Gravina reportedly asked Gattuso to remain in his position despite the World Cup qualifying failure.

The Times Union reported the news approximately one hour before the BBC, noting the dual resignations of Gravina and Buffon. ESPN also reported on the situation, highlighting that Italy’s sports minister had called for Gravina’s resignation following the latest qualifying failure.

“It’s evident to everyone that Italian soccer needs to be overhauled,” Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, “and that process needs to start with new leadership at the FIGC.”

Andrea Abodi via ESPN

Gravina hinted at the possibility of calling for a new election for the country’s top soccer position, stating that further evaluations were needed. Gattuso has yet to comment on his future as head coach following the defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressing his disappointment and stating it was “too reductive and too immature” to discuss his future immediately after the loss.

Italy’s penalty shootout loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina underscores a concerning trend for the national team. As Marcotti noted in an ESPN analysis, Italy has “no excuses” for another World Cup failure. The defeat raises serious questions about the future direction of Italian football and the need for significant changes within the FIGC.