Gravina Resigns As FIGC Chief After Italy's World Cup Qualification Failure

The Italian Football Federation has confirmed president Gabriele Gravina has stepped down after Italy’s latest failure to reach the World Cup, with the Azzurri now missing FIFA’s showpiece for a third consecutive edition and facing another long wait before returning to the tournament.

Gravina’s position had been labelled fragile after the play-off defeat, and pressure increased over recent days, yet Gravina initially resisted demands to walk away before presenting a formal resignation during an emergency FIGC meeting held on Thursday, called to address the national team’s broader crisis.

In an official statement, the FIGC announced that members will vote for a new president on June 22 in Rome, and Gravina’s departure also casts doubt over the futures of head coach Gennaro Gattuso, technical assistant Leonardo Bonucci and head of delegation Gianluigi Buffon, whose roles are now under review.

Italy’s World Cup hopes ended in Zenica on Tuesday, where Moise Kean struck early to hand control of the play-off final to the visitors before momentum changed sharply late in the first half when Alessandro Bastoni received a red card and Bosnia-Herzegovina increased pressure on the undermanned Azzurri.

Haris Tabakovic eventually turned Bosnia-Herzegovina’s dominance into a goal, levelling the match at 1-1 and forcing extra time, and the tie then went to penalties, where Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante failed from the spot while the hosts converted all attempts, sealing Italy’s absence from the World Cup for at least 16 years.

That defeat confirms Italy as the first former world champions to miss three straight World Cups, while Bosnia-Herzegovina progress to the finals and will feature in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland, with Italy again restricted to watching the competition from home rather than competing on the global stage.

FIGC shared news of Gravina’s decision and the election timetable through its official channels, including social media posts outlining the date and location of the vote.

Historically, Italy had been a regular presence at the tournament, missing only two of the first 20 World Cups, choosing not to take part in the inaugural 1930 edition and then failing to qualify in 1958, underlining how the current run contrasts sharply with the country’s traditional standing.

With Italy absent from a third consecutive World Cup, the FIGC now faces a crucial rebuilding phase, starting with the June 22 presidential election in Rome and followed by key decisions on the technical staff, while Bosnia-Herzegovina move on to prepare for Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.