How Serie A Continues to Shape Football Despite Italy’s World Cup Flop | OneFootball

Italy has missed out on the World Cup for the third consecutive time. However, 66 players from Italy’s top league will participate in this important football competition, demonstrating that Serie A still plays a significant role in European football.

As we know, Italy won’t be participating in the 2026 World Cup, missing out on the competition for the third time in a row.

However, Italy remain one of the most successful football countries and one of the eight nations to have ever won the World Cup.

Sixty-six players from Italy’s top flight will be participating in the World Cup, as well as three Italian coaches: Carlo Ancelotti (Brazil), Vincenzo Montella (Turkey) and Fabio Cannavaro (Uzbekistan).

These figures prove that Italian football remains highly attractive worldwide, even though the Azzurri have been unable to qualify for the World Cup since 2014.

MUNICH, GERMANY – MAY 31: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain kisses the UEFA Champions League trophy after his team’s victory, to secure Paris Saint-Germain’s first ever UEFA Champions League title in the club’s history and a record UEFA Champions League Final winning scoreline of 5-0, following the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at Munich Football Arena on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Furthermore, many Italian players have joined some big Premier League clubs in recent years and won the Champions League with foreign sides.

Gigio Donnarumma lifted the 2024-25 Champions League with PSG, just a few months before joining another European giant, Manchester City.

Riccardo Calafiori has made history with Arsenal by contributing to their first Premier League title in 22 years this season.

Giovanni Leoni completed a big-money move to Liverpool in 2025, and his development in England was only halted by an unfortunate cruciate ligament injury on his debut with the Reds, which forced him to the sidelines for the entire 2025-26 campaign.

Don’t forget Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie, who won the Europa League in 2024-25, and even Michael Kayode, who has become one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, playing with Brentford.

But Italian fans enjoy watching Italian players playing in Itali and a new Serie A campaign is just around the corner, and the latest Italian soccer betting odds are already gaining significant traction after the 2026-27 fixture list was drawn up last week.

Italy have also won several trophies at a youth level in recent years, including the U17 European Championship this summer.

“Our family, Italy, is built on certain principles, and all of our youth teams have consistently performed well and won trophies,” Italy caretaker coach Silvio Baldini said earlier in June, after taking charge of two friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.

CREMONA, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Coach Silvio Baldini of Italy reacts during the UEFA Euro U21 Qualification match between Italy and Armenia at Stadio Giovanni Zini on October 14, 2025 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)

“The problem has always been the step from the Under-21s to the senior national team. I believe that step is less steep now after these displays.”

Baldini called up 19 debutants out of 24 for his two friendlies with the Azzurri in June, but the 67-year-old is expected to return to the U21 squad in September with the FIGC appointing a new head coach for the senior team.