The Italian national team will be absent from the next edition of the World Cup, yet the esteemed European country will be represented by three coaches of other national teams, along with a legion of assistants and technicians who will be helping teams qualified from various continents.
The Italian team, led by coach Gennaro Gattuso, failed to qualify for the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, following a defeat in the playoff final against Bosnia and Herzegovina, continuing its absence from the tournament for the third consecutive edition despite being four-time world champions.
Veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti leads the list of Italian representatives at the World Cup, overseeing the Brazilian team, one of the top contenders for the global title, while two other coaches are managing a European team and another from Asia respectively.
Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti began his journey with the Brazilian team in May after a successful tenure at Real Madrid, becoming the first foreign coach to lead the "Seleção" in history, carrying the responsibility of reclaiming the title that has eluded the Latin team's coffers for 24 years.
The Brazilian Football Confederation made a bold decision to hire Ancelotti after a period of turmoil following the last edition of the World Cup (Qatar 2022), during which three Brazilian local coaches led the Seleção after the departure of coach Tite.
The situation began with interim coach Ramon Menezes, then came Fernando Diniz followed by Dorival Júnior, none of whom achieved the desired success, until finally, the matter was settled by hiring Ancelotti.
The Brazilian team will play in the 2026 World Cup within Group Three alongside Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti.
Vincenzo Montella
Italian Vincenzo Montella led the Turkish team to a significant achievement by bringing them back to the World Cup after a 24-year absence, thanks to a victory in the playoff final against Kosovo.
Montella succeeded in stabilizing the Turkish team and utilizing the talents that have emerged in recent years, notably Arda Guler and Kenan Yıldız, stars of Real Madrid and Juventus respectively.
Montella took charge of the Turkish national team in September 2023, leading them to qualify for the 2024 European Championship and reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in 16 years, before being defeated by the Netherlands.
The impressive results for the Turkish team under the Italian coach continued as they advanced to the first tier of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League, following a victory over Hungary in the promotion playoff with an aggregate score of 6-1.
The scene was completed by leading Turkey to the 2026 World Cup after winning the playoffs against Romania and Kosovo, and earlier finishing in second place in their group behind Spain.
The Turkish team will play in the 2026 World Cup in Group Four alongside the United States, Paraguay, and Australia.
Fabio Cannavaro
Last October, the Football Federation of Uzbekistan appointed Italian Fabio Cannavaro as the technical director of the national team, in preparation for their participation in the 2026 World Cup finals for the first time in their history.
Cannavaro (52 years old) succeeded former coach Timur Kapadze, who led Uzbekistan to reach their first-ever World Cup during the Asian qualifiers that concluded last June.
Cannavaro, who led his home country Italy to win the 2006 World Cup in Germany as the team's captain, turned to coaching following his retirement from playing.
Cannavaro previously coached clubs in China, Saudi Arabia, and Italy, and he temporarily took charge of the Chinese national team in 2019. His last coaching stint was with Dinamo Zagreb, a brief experience that ended last April after just four months.
Italians in the 2026 World Cup:
1. Carlo Ancelotti (coach of the Brazilian team) and his staff:
2. Francesco Mauri: Assistant Coach.
3. Davide Ancelotti: Assistant Coach.
4. Mino Folco: Fitness Coach.
5. Simone Montanaro: Head of Performance Analysis.
6. Vincenzo Montella (coach of the Turkish team) and his staff:
7. Davide Russo: Assistant Coach.
8. Pierpaolo Polino: Fitness Coach.
9. Massimo Crivellaro: Performance Analyst.
10. Fabio Cannavaro (coach of the Uzbekistan team) and his staff:
11. Francesco Trova: Assistant Coach.
12. Paolo Cannavaro: Assistant Coach.
13. Antonio Kiminti: Goalkeeping Coach.
14. Eugenio Albarella: Fitness Coach.
15. Gianni Vio: Technical Assistant for the United States team.
16. Antonio Galliardi: Assistant Coach for the Iranian team.
17. Yuri Anikiariko: Physical Therapist for the French team.
18. Mario Pavondi: Physical Therapist for the Norwegian team.
19. Guido Nanni: Goalkeeping Coach for the Algerian team.
20. Paolo Rongoni: Fitness Coach for the Algerian team.
