April 02, (THEWILL) — Legendary goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, has resigned from his position within Italy’s national football setup, following FIGC president, Gabriele Gravina, out of the door after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Italy’s elimination was confirmed on Tuesday, when they lost a play-off tie against Bosnia-Herzegovina in a penalty shootout. The defeat extends their absence from the sport’s most prestigious tournament to at least 16 years by the time the 2030 edition arrives. The four-time champions have not featured in a knockout round since defeating France in the 2006 final.
The Italian Football Federation confirmed Gravina’s resignation on Thursday. Buffon announced his own departure shortly afterwards. His 176 international appearances made him both the most-capped goalkeeper of all time and the most-capped player in Azzurri history, and he revealed he had wished to quit immediately after the Bosnia fixture but was asked to hold off.
Writing on X, Buffon cited the immediacy of his decision to resign, calling it an impulse born from pain and shared grief with supporters. He noted that his tenure had centred on connecting all national age groups, from the youngest players through to the under-21s, to reshape how Italy develops future senior talent.
Bosnia-Herzegovina progresses to the World Cup, where they will open group play against co-hosts, Canada, on June 11 in Toronto.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
