Italian FA Chief Gravina Resigns After World Cup Miss

Gabriel Gravina announced his resignation as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday, following Italy's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This marks the third consecutive World Cup that Italy, known as the Azzurri, has missed, with their last appearance in 2014.

Gravina's resignation comes after a disappointing defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup playoff, which has intensified the scrutiny on his leadership. He has been at the helm of FIGC since 2018 and faced mounting pressure from government officials and football stakeholders due to the national team's recent struggles.

In his resignation statement, Gravina confirmed he would appear before a parliamentary committee on April 8 to report on the state of health of Italian soccer. An extraordinary assembly is scheduled for June 22 to elect a new president.

Despite the recent setbacks, Italy achieved notable success by winning the Euro 2020 tournament, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.