Donnarumma: Italy Still Avoid Talking About World Cup Play-Off Defeat

Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma says the Azzurri have barely spoken about their World Cup play-off collapse as they prepare to begin Roberto Mancini’s second spell in charge against Belgium on Friday.

World Cup pain remains raw

Italy missed the 2026 World Cup after losing a penalty shoot-out to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final. Alessandro Bastoni was sent off early in that match, leaving the Azzurri with 10 men for most of the contest.

The defeat sealed a third straight World Cup absence for a country that has won the tournament four times, most recently in 2006. Donnarumma admitted the players involved have not yet properly confronted the loss.

“There has been almost no conversation between us,” Donnarumma said. “We briefly mentioned it today, but it is still too painful to go back over. We have to move on and create a strong Italy team, and Mancini can help us do that.”

Mancini returns for a new Italy cycle

Mancini is back after the exits of Luciano Spalletti and Gennaro Gattuso. Spalletti took Italy to the Euro 2024 last 16, while Gattuso’s tenure ended following the failed 2026 qualifying campaign.

The returning coach previously guided Italy to the Euro 2020 title, although his first reign also included the nation’s failure to reach the 2022 World Cup.

• Italy host Belgium in Rome on Friday.
• The match opens their Nations League campaign in Group A1.
• France and Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye are also in the section.
• Italy have never won the Nations League.
• The Azzurri finished third in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 editions.

Donnarumma said the squad has bought into Mancini’s approach and wants to play on the front foot. The goalkeeper said Italy aim to be positive, aggressive and in control against elite opposition, while rebuilding a connection with supporters after the disappointment of recent months.

Romano pushes for Belgium start

Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano is among the younger players making an impression in the new group and is expected to start against Belgium.

Donnarumma singled out Romano while stressing that several emerging players have caught his attention. He believes the established members of the squad must help the newcomers settle quickly and support them through difficult periods.

“Romano has particularly impressed me, but there is quality throughout the younger group,” Donnarumma said. “They can be Italy’s future, and those of us with more experience have a duty to guide them.”

What happens next

Italy’s first opportunity to reset arrives against Belgium, with Donnarumma acknowledging that the summer after the Bosnia and Herzegovina defeat was among the hardest periods of his career.

The captain said the players are determined to respond under Mancini and give disillusioned fans reason to believe in the national shirt again. Friday’s Rome fixture is the first test of that new era.