President of the Italian Football Federation officially resigns after shock absence from World Cup 2026

Gabriele Gravina has officially resigned as President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after the national team once again disappointed by failing to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

President of Italian Football Federation officially resigns

Gravina submitted his resignation letter during an emergency meeting of the federation's council, convened immediately after Italy's defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the recent World Cup playoff final.

This is the latest shock for the football nation that has won the World Cup four times, which has been experiencing a prolonged decline over nearly a decade.

According to the official announcement, an election to find Gravina's successor will be held on June 22 in Rome. The emergency meeting was attended by numerous key figures within the Italian football system, including Serie A President Ezio Simonelli, Serie B President Paolo Bedin, Serie C President Matteo Marani, head of amateur leagues Giancarlo Abete, Players' Association President Umberto Calcagno, and Coaches' Association President Renzo Ulivieri.

Mr. Gravina assumed the top position at FIGC in October 2018. During his tenure, the Italian national team won the EURO 2020 title. However, consecutive failures in qualifying for the World Cup 2022 and 2026 have overshadowed that achievement. Notably, Italy also missed the World Cup 2018, meaning they have been absent from the planet's biggest football event for three consecutive editions.

In his role as federation leader, Gravina was also responsible for appointing national team head coaches, including Luciano Spalletti in 2023 and Gennaro Gattuso in 2025. However, changes on the coaching bench could not help the team regain its former stature.

Following the latest failure, criticism from fans and influential figures within Italian football has intensified, creating pressure that forced Gravina to step down. Italian Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, stated: "Clearly, Italian football needs reconstruction, and this process must begin with renewing the leadership structure of FIGC."

Currently, the identity of the successor remains undetermined. Some potential candidates have begun to be mentioned, including former President of the Italian Olympic Committee Giovanni Malago, alongside the familiar names Abete and Marani.

In the official statement, FIGC stated that the meeting between Gravina and the component leaders took place at the federation headquarters in Rome. At the start of the meeting, Gravina announced his resignation decision and also convened an extraordinary electoral congress of FIGC on June 22.

During the meeting, Gravina also expressed thanks to the members for showing their support towards him. He stated his readiness to participate in a hearing on April 8 before the Culture, Science, and Education Committee of the Italian Lower House, to report on the current state of the nation's football.

There, Gravina is expected to present a comprehensive report on the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian football system, and also address issues previously raised during the press conference after the national team's match in Zenica on March 31.