After Missing Out on World Cup 2026, When Do Italy Play Next Match?

Another bitter pill to swallow for the Azzuri fans on Tuesday as Italy missed out on qualifying for their third consecutive FIFA World Cup. After 120 minutes of action and both teams level at 1-1, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina went on to test their luck in the penalty shootout, with the minnows coming out 4-1 on top at the end of the night. Francesco Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante fluffed their lines as nervousness crept up at the worst possible time for head coach Gennaro Gattuso and his men.

While the fallout from missing another FIFA World Cup continues to linger on, some fans continue to wonder the question: ‘When is Italy next match?’ The Azzuri's elimination from playing at the World Cup has created a huge void of inactivity in the calendar for the players and coach Gattuso.

When is Italy Next Match?

The Italy national football team is expected to be away from international action for the next 5 months and is expected to be back in action during the UEFA Nations League in September 2026. The Azzuri will go head-to-head against Rudi Garcia and his Belgium National Football Team on 26th September 2026 in matchday 1 of Group A action.

All eyes will be on how Italy responds to this long layoff, whether in the form of playing some international friendlies or maybe inter-squad practice games to be synchronized ahead of their UEFA Nations League campaign.

Is Gennaro Gattuso Going To Continue With Italy?

An interesting scenario has taken shape following Italy's penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) will have to make a decision on whether they will stick with former national team icon and World Cup winner as a player, Gennaro Gattuso, as head coach.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the FIGC president, Gabriele Gravina has asked Gattuso to continue as head coach for the near future.

While the Italian federation believes the former AC Milan midfielder to be their man, many fans remain doubtful of Gattuso's ability to lead the side.

The inability to close out the game after being in the lead for the majority of the game has many critics questioning the legitimacy of the Italian head coach. It will be interesting to see if they will continue for the long-term with Gattuso as head coach.