Italy secured a 2-0 victory over Moldova in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Monday, marking the end of Luciano Spalletti’s tenure as head coach.
Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso each found the net, helping the Azzurri climb to third place in Group I. Despite the win, Italy trails group leaders Norway by nine points and faces the threat of missing a third consecutive World Cup.
Only the top team in the group secures direct qualification for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. With two games in hand, Italy’s best hope appears to be finishing second and qualifying through the play-offs—a route that previously denied them spots in the last two tournaments.
Italy is currently grappling with an identity crisis following a disappointing defense of their European Championship title last year. Spalletti, who oversaw their early exit in the Euros, coached his final match after being informed of his dismissal following a 3-0 defeat to Norway in their opening qualifier on Friday.
“When you’re the national team coach, you have no excuses; it’s you who selects the squad,” Spalletti told Rai, the public broadcaster. “It’s the coach who has to make the difference, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do that.”
The match in Reggio Emilia lacked energy, and while the victory provided much-needed points, it did little to restore confidence in the team’s future, regardless of who steps in as the new coach.
Speculation is rife that Claudio Ranieri is the Italian Football Federation’s top choice to replace Spalletti and steer Italy toward World Cup qualification. Despite retiring from coaching after a remarkable season with Roma, where he led his boyhood club from near the relegation zone to a fifth-place finish in Serie A, the 73-year-old is being encouraged to return. Media campaigns are urging “Sir Claudio” to come out of retirement once again to helm the national team at a critical juncture.
