Roberto Mancini Backs Pafundi as Italy Miss Three World Cups — Are Italy In The World Cup 2026
Italy have missed three World Cups in a row, and that is the blunt answer to anyone asking are italy in the world cup 2026. The gap between the national team’s success at younger levels and its failure to reach the biggest stage has only widened.
Roberto Mancini said Simone Pafundi was the first name on his call-up list. That line cuts through the noise because it points to the one area Italy keep being told to trust more: youth.
Mancini and Simone Pafundi
The former Italy manager’s view is simple. Pafundi was the first name he wanted, and the player sits inside a wider argument about whether Italy give young talent enough room to grow.
That argument does not sit in a vacuum. The article says Italy need to cherish its young players more and have more faith in them if it hopes to succeed, because qualification for international football’s biggest competition may remain little more than a mirage if the same habits continue.
Italy’s young players
Serial winners and finalists at various age levels should have built a cleaner path to the senior side. Instead, the article says the system is set up to line agents’ and club sporting directors’ pockets rather than produce the next big talent.
The warning is sharpened by the names mentioned. Pisilli and Pio Esposito are held up as players who hit the ground running and cannot be ignored, while the rest need space to kick on rather than being rushed or boxed in.
Club systems and faith
The bluntest criticism lands on the people around the pathway. Agents and club sporting directors are told to hang their heads in shame, while duds are brought in to cover the cracks or, in this case, gapping big holes.
That is why the debate around are italy in the world cup 2026 is not really about one tournament. It is about whether Italy keep repeating the same choices or finally give their young players the opportunity to grow before the next qualification cycle hardens into another missed chance.
