What role would Verratti play in Italy’s 2026 World Cup play-off campaign?

Marco Verratti is increasingly likely to be called up to the Italy national team squad for the upcoming World Cup play-off campaign at the end of March, but what role will the 33-year-old Al-Duhail midfielder have to play in Gennaro Gattuso’s side? 

According to various reports over the last few weeks, Gattuso has been considering calling Verratti back into the national team fold for the World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland on March 26.

Should the Azzurri win that fixture, they will then have to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in a one-legged decider for a spot at the final World Cup tournament. 

How does Verratti fit into Italy’s World Cup play-off plans?

According to updates on Thursday, Verratti is on Gattuso’s preliminary squad list and according to Tuttosport, he will be part of the squad at the end of the month. Federico Chiesa and Federico Gatti are among the other players who could return to the squad. 

For Verratti, if he is called up, it would be his first involvement with the Italy squad since the Nations League third place play-off against the Netherlands in June 2023. 

It remains to be seen whether Verratti will play if he is called up to the squad. According to Thursday’s report, he is seen as an alternative option to Juventus’s Manuel Locatelli at the base of the Azzurri midfield. Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella are unlikely to be dropped from their starting spots in Italy’s strongest XI. 

If Verratti is to play, it is most likely that he would be a second half substitute: An experienced player capable of helping Italy get things over the line with his ability to read play and control the tempo of the game from the middle of the park.