Barella admits feeling ‘incomplete’ after Italy’s World Cup heartbreaks | OneFootball

Inter star Nicolò Barella comments on his international career so far: ‘An incredible start followed by a decline. This leaves me feeling incomplete.’

Barella was part of the Italy squad that won the Euros in 2021, but then failed to qualify for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

Barella admits: ‘I feel incomplete’

“What I want most of all with the Azzurri is to go to the World Cup at least once and compete for it,” he told Gazzetta.

“My national team journey started with winning a European Championship, and then I found myself not playing in two World Cups. An incredible start followed by a decline. This leaves me feeling incomplete.”

Barella’s Inter won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in 2025-26 making a decisive push in April, after their Champions League exit and Italy’s loss against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off final.

“That run of form came after the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup. When you hit rock bottom, and for me, it was the second time I’d lost a play-off, you can only climb back up,” he said.

“Various thoughts went through my head. Then, together with my teammates, we tried to think positively.

“Without keeping everything bottled up anymore, I realised I shouldn’t let what had happened affect me, regardless of how bad it was. I rolled up my sleeves after those months following the lost Champions League final and that World Cup disappointment.”

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 28: Nicolo’ Barella of FC Internazionale reacts during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Genoa CFC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter have several Italian players in their team, including Francesco Pio Esposito, who is regarded as the future centre-forward of the Italy national team.

“Despite his youth, he has proven to be strong and very important for Inter and the national team,” Barella argued.

“That’s why he’s always on everyone’s lips, but when that happens, you do one good thing and you’re hailed like a god, then you make a mistake and you’re criticised.

“It’s not easy, especially when you’re young and in a situation like Italian football currently, with the national team not performing well. It creates pressure. But I know him well and I know he can handle it.

“We try to give him advice, as we’ve experienced those situations in our careers. And for us, Pio is a striker who makes a difference because he has different characteristics from everyone else. He has goals in his blood; he finds the net out of nowhere. So we need to nurture him, to protect him.”