After World Cup humiliation, what do Italy have left to play for in 2026?
Italy’s third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup has left a void at the heart of the nation’s football calendar this summer, and while the rest of the world prepares to descend on North America for the tournament, the Azzurri must find a way to rebuild both on and off the pitch.
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The immediate programme offers little room for comfort.
With no World Cup to prepare for, a friendly against Greece in June fills what would have been a summer of anticipation.
It is a sobering fixture for a nation that has won the tournament four times, and the match will take place in an atmosphere shaped entirely by the fallout from the Bosnia defeat, likely with no FIGC president elected yet, a new head coach, and with questions about the entire direction of Italian football still very much unresolved.
World Cup exit may sting but Italy still have something to play for in 2026
The more meaningful action begins in September, when Italy enter UEFA Nations League Group A1 alongside France, Belgium and Turkey, a genuinely demanding group that offers both a stern test and a genuine opportunity.
The campaign opens at home to Belgium on 25 September before a trip to Turkey three days later.
October brings the biggest challenge of the group stage, with a visit to France on 2 October followed by a home return against Turkey.
The group concludes in November with Italy hosting France before travelling to Belgium.
Nations League Group A1 represents something tangible to play for.
The competition offers a route back to relevance, winners of the top group earn prestige and ranking points, while the Nations League also provides Euro 2028 qualification implications further down the line.
More immediately, it gives whoever takes charge of the Azzurri a competitive platform to begin the rebuilding process in earnest.
The challenge for Italy’s new leadership, both at federation level and in the dugout, will be to channel the anger and embarrassment of this summer into genuine structural reform.
Del Piero, Capello, Baresi and countless others have called for humility and a willingness to start from scratch.
The Nations League fixtures, unglamorous as they may feel right now, are where that process must begin.