Italy’s Redemption Story Is Just Getting Started

When Italy failed to qualify for 2022, it felt like the end of an era. The Azzurri had slipped from European champions to also-rans in the space of twelve months. But football has a short memory and a long tradition of comebacks — and in 2026, Italy have returned with a point to prove and a squad rebuilt from the ground up. Mancini’s men have recaptured the tactical discipline that won Euro 2020, channelling it into a compact, dangerous World Cup unit.

Nicolo Barella runs Italian football’s midfield with relentless authority — his range of passing and aggressive press has frustrated opponents in every group fixture. In goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma commands his penalty area with the kind of presence that wins knockout games. Add Federico Chiesa’s explosive pace and Italy have the tools for a deep run if the team executes their patterns with discipline.

Italy haven’t conceded freely and have shown the grit to earn results even when the football has been imperfect. Mancini has rotated intelligently, keeping legs fresh for what promises to be an attritional knockout draw. Their group stage opponents underestimated the Azzurri’s renewed defensive resolve — a mistake that visiting sides in the last 16 will look to avoid repeating. Italy may not dazzle, but they grind, organise, and counter with lethal precision when the opportunity arrives.

Italy’s 2022 nightmare prompted a reset that is starting to look transformative. With belief rebuilt and Donnarumma in commanding form, the Azzurri are a genuine threat to any side that underestimates Italy’s most powerful asset — a refusal to be written off.