Gianluigi Buffon leaves his role with Italy after failing to reach 2026 World Cup

Gianluigi Buffon leaves his role with Italy after failing to reach 2026 World Cup

Gianluigi Buffon has confirmed that he has resigned from his role as the delegation chief of the Italy national team after World Cup upset.

Following the national side's failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, Gabriele Gravina resigned as the head of the Italian Football Federation as Buffon now follows close behind.

Italy were beaten on penalties by Bosnia and Herzegovina as their World Cup dreams were crushed once again, leading to questions about how the national side was being run.

Buffon, in a long statement posted to his Instagram story, confirmed that he has stepped down from the role as he sent a message to distraught fans.

“I was asked to stall until everyone had the time to reflect. Now that President Gravina has chosen to step back, I feel free to do what I feel is the responsible act. Despite my sincere belief that I have built so much in terms of team spirit with Rino Gattuso and all of my collaborators in the very short time available to the national team, the main objective was to bring Italy back to the World Cup. And we didn’t succeed.

“I have tried to do my role by putting all my energy into it, wanting all sectors to be linked, a link for dialogue and synergy between various youth teams, striving to structure a project that starts with the very young lads and reaches all the way up to the U21 national teams. This was to rethink the way in which the talents of the future senior national team are developed.

“I hold everything in my heart, with gratitude for the privilege and the lessons learned, even if it is a painful epilogue.

“Forza Azzurri sempre.”

It will be 4 years before Italy get the chance to feature in the World Cup in what will be whole new look behind the scenes and on the pitch as they try to make things right after years of heartbreak.